Seven Individuals, Relay Team Named All-Region
6/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team had seven individuals and one relay team named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region team in recognition of their top-eight finishes at the 2008 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships.
Junior Geena Gall(Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) headlined the all-region list for the Wolverines after taking the title in the 800-meter run with a season-best time of 2:03.64. Gall was one of four U-M individuals to punch a ticket to the NCAA Championships with a top-five regional finish.
Junior Casey Taylor(Chicago Heights, Ill./Marian Catholic) earned all-region honors in two events, the long jump and triple jump. She automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships by placing second in the long jump with a personal-record 21-1 1/2, and she placed sixth in triple jump (42-1 1/2).
Junior co-captain Tiffany Ofili(Ypstilanti, Mich./Ypsilanti HS), senior co-captain Nicole Edwards(Winnipeg, Manitoba/Vincent Massey) also earned all-region honors and automatically qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships with top-five individual finishes. Ofili took second in the 100-meter hurdles (12.83), while Edwards advanced to nationals by placing third in the in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:18.78.
Other U-M all-region performances came from juniors Amber Hay(Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) and Katie LaValley(Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central), who finished seventh (58.94) and eighth (59.21), respectively, in the 400-meter hurdles; sophomore Charnee Lumbus(Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood), who earned all-region for placing eighth in the 100-meter hurdles (13.52); and the 4x400-meter relay team of junior/sophomore Shana Vinson(Detroit, Mich./Mumford), Gall, Hay and senior Serita Williams(Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee), which placed seventh with a time of 3:35.95.
U-M will send its contingent of qualifiers to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, scheduled for June 11-14 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. Scheduled to compete for the Wolverines are Gall (800-meter run), Ofili (100-meter hurdles), Edwards (1,500-meter run), LaValley (400-meter hurdles), Hay (400-meter hurdles), Taylor (long jump), freshman Emily Pendleton(Lindsey, Ohio/Woodmore) in the discus, and junior co-captain Bettie Wade(Northville, Mich./Farmington) in the heptathlon.
Contact: Jeremiah W. Hergott (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
