University of Minnesota Athletics
TRACK AND FIELD TEAM HEADS TO IOWA STATE
2/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Minnesota returns from an off week to compete in the Iowa State Track and Field Classic this weekend. The meet is a two-day event, scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
A Look Back
Frosh sprinter Tahesia Harrigan (Tortola, Virgin Islands/FAMU Developmental) set a pair of school records and helped set a third in the 4x400 relay to lead Minnesota a second-place finish at the Minnesota Classic last Saturday.
Harrigan won her 60-meter preliminary heat in a school-record time of 7.44 seconds, only to lower that time to 7.35 in winning the finals. She also set a record of 24.47 in winning the 200. Her split time of 56.6 was the fastest of team's four members as she ran the third leg of the 4x400, combining with juniors Amber Day (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills) and Jessica Shuster (Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis Washburn), and sophomore Shani Marks (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley) to post a time of 3:47.19.
On the track, Minnesota won the 60, 200, 400, 600 and 4x400. Day posted a career-best time of 56.91 to win the 400 and Marks also had a career-best of 1:32.20 in winning the 600.
The Gophers' lone field event win came in the weight throw where senior captain Aubrey Schmitt (Hastings, Minn./Hastings) also set a career best with a throw of 19.23 meters (63 feet, one and one-quarter inch).
Fabulous Frosh
Setting records has been the norm for Tahesia Harrigan this season. In each of her four 60-meter dashes, she has set a new school record. She also set schools records in her first collegiate competitions in the 200 and the 4x400-meter relay.
Harrigan ran times of 7.55 and 7.50 at the Minnesota Invitational, Jan. 20, in her first collegiate competition in the 60, breaking the record of 7.56 set by former Gopher Chanteau White in 1997. She then lowered that to 7.44 and 7.35 last Saturday.
Her 200 time of 24.47 last Saturday broke the six-year old school record of 24.68, set by Kim Heath in 1995.
NCAA Qualifiers
Not only did Tahesia Harrigan set a new school record in the 60, she also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships, March 9- 10, in Fayetteville, Ark. Her time of 7.35 still ranks second nationally.
Aubrey Schmitt had a pair of NCAA provisional qualifying throws in the shot put and weight throw. Her effort of 15.27m (50-1 1/4) in the shot put was not a season-best. She ranks fourth nationally with a throw of 15.84m (51-11 3/4) on Jan. 13 at the Northwest Open. Her career-best throw of 19.23m (63-1 1/4) Saturday in the weight throw ranks fifth nationally.
Top 10 Lists
Twelve new additions to the top 10 list were made last weekend with Tahesia Harrigan and Amber Day moving into new spots in two individual events along with the 4x400 relay.
Harrigan ranks first in school history in both the 60 and 200 while Day moved into fourth in the 60, with a time of 7.68, and the 400, with a time of 56.91.
Shani Marks, who already ranked third, remained third in the 600 while posting a career-best 1:32.20. Senior Ali Gartner (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) did the same in the number nine position with a time of 1:35.57.
Jessica Shuster and frosh Darja Vasiljeva (Jelgava, Latvia/Jelgava Secondary No. 5) both added their names to lists, Shuster in the 800 and Vasiljeva in the mile. Shuster's time of 2:12.56 ranks fourth in the 800, while Vasiljeva ranks eighth with her time of 4:53.41 in the mile.
Day, Harrigan and Shuster were joined by Shani Marks in establishing a school-record time of 3:47.19 in the 4x400, and Marks added her name to the triple jump list, ranking sixth, with a jump of 11.63m (38-2).
Aubrey Schmitt maintained second place but improved her career- best weight throw to 19.23m (63-1 1/4), while senior Beth Howard (North Branch, Minn./North Branch) moved into 10th on the shot put list with a throw of 14.49m (47-6 1/2).
Thus far in the 2001 season, 16 new top-10 times have been established.
Moving On Up
Minnesota made its debut on the Trackwire 25 list in a tie for 17th last week. The poll is a compilation of results used to project scoring at the NCAA Championships and can be found on the Internet at http://trackwire.rivals.com.
Next Up
The Gophers host the Parents' Day Open, Feb. 17, at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse in the team's final indoor home meet of the season. The day's events get underway at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
