Michigan
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Big Tens Await Wolverine Track and Field Women
5/8/2019 5:43:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
THIS WEEK
Fri-Sun., May 10-12 -- Big Ten Outdoor Championships (Iowa City, Iowa)
Meet Central
Friday, May 10 -- Day 1, 12:15 CDT
TV: BTN Plus, FloTrack Pro | Live Results | Live Video: BTN Plus | FloTrack
Saturday, May 11 -- Day 2, 10:15 a.m. CDT
TV: BTN Plus, FloTrack Pro | Live Results | Live Video: BTN Plus | FloTrack
Sunday, May 12 -- Day 3, 11 a.m. CDT
TV: BTN Plus, FloTrack Pro | Live Results | Live Video: BTN Plus | FloTrack
• Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's track and field team is going for its seventh-consecutive top-five finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships as it heads to Iowa City, Iowa, for the conference meet on Friday through Sunday (May 10-12).
Led by top-seeded Alice Hill and former conference champions Erin Finn and Claire Kieffer-Wright, the Michigan women will square off with the conference's best in 21 different individual and relay events with the aim of claiming the overall team title by Sunday afternoon.
Action at Iowa begins Friday (May 10) at 12:15 p.m. CDT as the heptathlon gets underway. Field events start at 2:30 p.m. CDT with a program of qualifying rounds for track events set to begin at 5:55 p.m. CDT. Friday's track session will be capped by the 10,000-meter final at 8:05 p.m. CDT.
Saturday's (May 11) competition leads off with the resumption of the heptathlon at 10:15 a.m. CDT. More qualifying rounds on the track get underway at 4:15 p.m. CDT, followed 15 minutes later by the start of day-two field events for the Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. CDT. The final in the 3,000-meter steeplechase will conclude the championships' penultimate day at 6:45 p.m. CDT.
Sunday (May 12) features exclusively finals both in the field events and on the track. Field competition commences at 11 a.m. CDT, with action on the oval getting underway at 12:55 p.m. CDT. The conference championships will conclude with the 4x400 relay at 3:45 p.m. CDT.
Fans can watch the proceedings live on the subscription streaming services of FloTrack Pro and BTN Plus. Live results will be available through Primetime Timing. Event-by-event updates will also be provided on the Michigan track and field program's official Twitter account, @umichtrack.
Wolverines to Watch
• Heading into the championships, numerous Wolverines are in position to score points for the team as top-eight finishers in their respective events. Listed below are the women who are currently ranked top-12 in their respective events.
1. Alice Hill -- 3,000-meter steeplechase
5. Aurora Rynda -- 800 meters
5. Claire Kieffer-Wright -- High Jump
5. Bailey Baker -- Hammer Throw
6. Chloe Foster -- 400-meter hurdles
6. Jessica Mercier - Pole Vault
7. Meg Darmofal -- 1,500 meters
7. Michigan -- 4x400 relay
8. Bailey Baker -- Discus
11. Kathryn House -- 5,000 meters
12. Anne Forsyth -- 5,000 meters
12. Michigan -- 4x100 relay
12. Theresa Mayanja -- Heptathlon
• Though Saturday (6:45 p.m. CDT) will be the first conference championship steeplechase race for Hill, she is far from inexperienced on the big stage. She was the seventh-place finisher in the event at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in what was just her third-ever steeplechase race. As the top seed entering the weekend, she will look to follow up former teammate Claire Borchers' title from a year ago. Never before have the Wolverines claimed two-straight titles in the event.
• Finn will look to defend her 10,000-meter title from the 2018 championships on Friday (8:15 p.m. CDT) in what will be her final Big Ten Championship meet. Over the course of her storied six-year stint at Michigan, Finn has racked up 10 career Big Ten crowns, including three at this distance. She has not yet competed in this event this year -- she has only a single 5,000-meter race to her credit in 2019 -- so this will also serve as an opportunity achieve a qualifying time for the NCAA East Preliminaries.
• Kieffer-Wright's last appearance at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships came in 2017 when she claimed her first conference title in the high jump. She went on to win the 2018 indoor title before sustaining an injury that kept the former volleyball star away from the outdoor circuit in 2018. Back for a final go-around as a redshirt senior, Kieffer-Wright will go for a third and final Big Ten title at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Sunday.
• Bailey Baker is coming off a school-record and double-win performance at last Friday's Len Paddock Open, giving her all sorts of momentum heading into the conference meet. Now the owner of the hammer throw school record at 61.90m (203 feet, 1 inch), she ranks fifth in the conference (Friday, 2:30 p.m. CDT) and was one of four women in the country this past weekend to go farther than 61.50m multiple times. She also ranks eighth in the discus after a career-best 51.09m (167-7) and has a chance to pick up points in that event (Sunday, 11 a.m. CDT), as well.
• Michigan's last 400-meter hurdles winner was Vera Simms in 2002 and 2003, but Chloe Foster has a chance to change that this weekend. Foster is seeded No. 6 in the event ahead of the prelims on Friday at 5:55 p.m. CDT, but seeds two through six are separated by just a second. Foster already has knocked more than a second off her personal record this year to come in with a 56.80 clocking, and could challenge the 57.44 school record by Amber Hay from 10 years ago.
• Something of a surprise scorer for the Wolverines at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this past winter, true freshman pole vaulter Jessica Mercier took fourth in the event in March. She comes into this weekend (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. CDT) ranked sixth with a new outdoor collegiate personal record of 4.02m (13-2.25) from this past weekend.
• Fellow true freshman Aurora Rynda is looking to follow up her indoor 600-meter title with an outdoor 800-meter crown this weekend. The indoor distance medley relay All-American -- on the same team as the aforementioned Hill and Foster, as well as Meg Darmofal -- ranks fifth in the event heading into the prelims (Saturday, 5:55 p.m. CDT). Darmofal also is in position to follow up her indoor mile scoring performance with a top-eight finish at 1,500 meters. She is ranked No. 7 in the conference entering Friday's prelims at 7:05 p.m. CDT.
• Returning as scorers from the most recent indoor champions are Rynda, Foster, Micaela DeGenero, Hill, Darmofal, and Mercier.
• Returning as scorers from the most recent outdoor champions are Finn and Katt Miner.
When to Watch the Wolverines
| Friday (May 10) | Event | Round | Time (CDT) |
| Theresa Mayanja | 100-meter hurdles | Heptathlon | 12:15 PM |
| Theresa Mayanja | High Jump | Heptathlon | 12:50 PM |
| Bailey Baker | Hammer Throw | Final | 2:30 PM |
| Kayla Deering | Hammer Throw | Final | 2:30 PM |
| Theresa Mayanja | Shot Put | Heptathlon | 2:50 PM |
| Theresa Mayanja | 200-meter dash | Heptathlon | 4:00 PM |
| Chloe Foster | 400-meter hurdles | Prelims | 5:55 PM |
| Jenna Reid | 400-meter hurdles | Prelims | 5:55 PM |
| Meg Darmofal | 1,500-meter run | Prelims | 7:05 PM |
| Camille Davre | 1,500-meter run | Prelims | 7:05 PM |
| Micaela DeGenero | 1,500-meter run | Prelims | 7:05 PM |
| Jena Metwalli | 1,500-meter run | Prelims | 7:05 PM |
| Erin Finn | 10,000-meter run | Final | 8:15 PM |
| Raquel Powers | 10,000-meter run | Final | 8:15 PM |
| Maddy Trevisan | 10,000-meter run | Final | 8:15 PM |
| Saturday (May 11) | Event | Round | Time (CDT) |
| Theresa Mayanja | Long Jump | Heptathlon | 10:15 AM |
| Theresa Mayanja | Javelin | Heptathlon | 11:30 AM |
| Theresa Mayanja | 800-meter run | Heptathlon | 1:45 PM |
| Julia Hall | 400-meter dash | Prelims | 4:15 PM |
| Emma Lane | 400-meter dash | Prelims | 4:15 PM |
| Jessica Mercier | Pole Vault | Final | 4:30 PM |
| Erin Connor | Shot Put | Final | 4:30 PM |
| Briana Nelson | Shot Put | Final | 4:30 PM |
| Jeryne Fish | Long Jump | Final | 4:35 PM |
| Tiana Luton | 100-meter hurdles | Prelims | 5:15 PM |
| Sydney McGinley | 100-meter hurdles | Prelims | 5:15 PM |
| Lauren Rodriguez | 100-meter hurdles | Prelims | 5:15 PM |
| Aurora Rynda | 800-meter run | Prelims | 5:55 PM |
| Alice Hill | Steeplechase | Final | 6:45 PM |
| Megan Worrel | Steeplechase | Final | 6:45 PM |
| Sunday (May 12) | Event | Round | Time (CDT) |
| Bailey Baker | Discus | Final | 11:00 AM |
| Claire Kieffer-Wright | High Jump | Final | 12:30 PM |
| Katt Miner | High Jump | Final | 12:30 PM |
| 4x100 Relay | 4x100 relay | Final | 12:55 PM |
| Finalist TBD | 1,500-meter run | Final | 1:15 PM |
| Finalist TBD | 110-meter hurdles | Final | 1:35 PM |
| Finalist TBD | 400-meter dash | Final | 1:45 PM |
| Finalist TBD | 800-meter run | Final | 2:08 PM |
| Finalist TBD | 400-meter hurdles | Final | 2:28 PM |
| Anne Forsyth | 5,000-meter run | Final | 3:11 PM |
| Kathryn House | 5,000-meter run | Final | 3:11 PM |
| Jessi Larson | 5,000-meter run | Final | 3:11 PM |
| Jena Metwalli | 5,000 meter run | Final | 3:11 PM |
| 4x400 Relay | 4x400 relay | Final | 3:45 PM |
How the Championships Work
The Wolverines will endeavor to finish as high as possible in each of the 19 individual events and two relay events. Student-athletes who finish top-eight in each event will earn points that contribute to their team's overall score.
Event winners receive 10 points, with the runner-up tallying eight points for her team. Third place earns six points, fourth place earns five, fifth earns four, sixth earns three, seventh earns two and eighth earns one. In the event of ties, the points are split evenly between those who tie (i.e. if two athletes tie for seventh, the three total points between seventh and eighth are split evenly, with each athlete receiving a point-and-a-half).
On the track, qualifying rounds are held for several events to determine who will compete in the finals. From the preliminaries, 10 women will advance to Sunday's finals in both the 100 meters and the 100-meter hurdles. Nine women will advance to compete in the finals in the 200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters and 400-meter hurdles. Twelve women will advance to the 1,500-meter finals.
Between all of those track events with qualifying rounds, Michigan will be looking to advance as many of its 18 entrants in those events on to Sunday's final to maximize the team scoring potential. The Wolverines have six advancement opportunities on Friday, with six more on Saturday.
Several track events are finals only, including the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, 3,000-meter steeplechase and both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
The top eight finishers in each field event also earn team points. The high jump and pole vault are straight finals, with the student-athletes who jump the highest earning team points. The remaining field events -- the horizontal jumps and throws -- feature a "trials and finals" format, with all competitors getting three qualifying attempts. At the conclusion of qualifying, the nine women with the best marks advance to a final round for three more attempts.
NCAA Postseason Check-In
• These student-athletes and more are hoping to qualify for the NCAA Championships, they will first have to make it through the NCAA East Preliminaries in late May. Qualification for the East Prelims requires a student-athlete to be among the 48 highest-ranked athletes in the East Region who declare to compete in a given event. With some who choose to not declare -- for instance, those who rank highly in multiple events who choose to focus on a different event -- the actual rank of those who qualify can dip into the 50s and potentially the 60s.
• Below is a list of where Michigan women currently rank in the NCAA East Region, along with the performance that ultimately served as the 48th-and-final performance accepted into the Prelims for context. They are separated into five categories of likelihood of eventual qualification, based on previous years' last qualifying marks and how the events are shaping up across the region in 2019.
Locks to Qualify
7. Alice Hill, Steeplechase -- 10:04.58 (2018 Final Qualifier: 10:29.51)
17. Chloe Foster, 400 hurdles -- 58.60 (2018 Final Qualifier: 59.82)
25. Bailey Baker, Hammer Throw -- 61.90m (2018 Final Qualifier: 57.66m)
26. Erin Finn, 5,000 meters -- 16:09.94 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
Strong Position to Qualify
27. Claire Kieffer-Wright, High Jump -- 1.76m (2018 Final Qualifier: 1.73m)
29. Aurora Rynda, 800 meters -- 2:06.35 (2018 Final Qualifier: 2:07.96)
29. Bailey Baker, Discus Throw -- 51.09m (2018 Final Qualifier: 49.95m)
31. Meg Darmofal, 1,500 meters -- 4:20.49 (2018 Final Qualifier: 4:24.19)
35. Hannah Meier, 1,500 meters -- 4:21.14 (2018 Final Qualifier: 4:24.19)
Likely to Qualify
33. Jessica Mercier, Pole Vault -- 4.02m (2018 Final Qualifier: 3.98m)
36. Anna West, 5,000 meters -- 16:16.33 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
39. Kathryn House, 5,000 meters -- 16:17.51 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
40. Anne Forsyth, 5,000 meters -- 16:17.81 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
On the Bubble
49. Camille Davre, 5,000 meters -- 16:21.81 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
53. Micaela DeGenero, 800 meters -- 2:07.69 (2018 Final Qualifier: 2:07.96)
53. Jessi Larson, 5,000 meters -- 16:23.75 (2018 Final Qualifier: 16:34.22)
58. Micaela DeGenero, 1,500 meters -- 4:23.03 (2018 Final Qualifier: 4:24.19)
Currently Outside the Bubble
54. Kayla Deering, Hammer Throw -- 58.06m (2018 Final Qualifier: 57.66m)
Players Mentioned
