University of Minnesota Athletics
Big Ten Track and Field Championships - Day Two Notes
5/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Saturday, May 17, 2003 - Hosted by the University of Minnesota
Bierman Track & Field Stadium - Minneapolis, Minn.
Day 2 Notes
Note: 4x100 and 4x400 Relays - Men and Women
The preliminary heats of both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relay and the 4x400-meter relay were cancelled on Saturday. Both relays will be run as a 10-lane final on Sunday.
Women's Heptathlon
Senior Nicholette Chambers (Ohio State) made up a 121-point deficit in the 800-mneter run, the final of the seven events that comprise the heptathlon, to capture the 2003 Big Ten title. Chambers posted a time of 2:16.90 to collect 866 points to win with a total of 4,982 points. The only time Chambers led the heptathlon was at the end of the competition.
Chambers is the first Buckeye to win a Big Ten heptathlon title since 1991 (Joyce Finley).
Shanna Carter (Jr., Purdue) held the lead heading into the 800-meters, but was unable to hang on to her lead. Carter placed seventh in the 800-meters (2:29.41) and collected 700 points but fell to a second- place finish with 4,937 total points.
Men's Long Jump
The favorite coming into competition with the ninth-best time in the nation 25-10 3/4, sophomore Aarik Wilson (Indiana) took the title with a leap of 25-4 1/2 (7.73m). He took the indoor title and went on to place sixth at NCAAs to earn All-America acclaim. He placed fifth last year outdoors.
Sophomore Steffen Landgraf (Minnesota) took second, improving his career-best with a leap of 24-8 1/2.
Decathlon
Senior J T Kuretich (Penn State) took the decathlon title, earning 7,424 total points. His point total places him within the top ten competitors in the nation.
Junior Ryan Tremelling (Wisconsin) took his second consecutive second- place finish outdoors, coming in just behing Kuretich with a career- best 7,403 points. Teammate Ashraf Fadel came in third with 7,141 points.
100-Meter Hurdle Trials
Defending champion senior Danielle Carruthers (Indiana) tripped on the last hurdle but still managed to edge into finals, coming in third in her heat and eighth of nine finalists with a time of 14.08. Carruthers owned the best 100-hurdle time last year, set in her title-winning run of 12.68. She has placed in every Big Ten outdoor meet in her career and entered the event with a time of 13.04, second in the conference to last year's runner-up and 2001 champion Perdita Felicien (Illinois) who qualified for finals with the top time of 12.98. Her time is good enough to top the nation. Carruthers also qualified earlier in the day in the l00 meters with a time of 11.60.
Men's High Jump
Senior Shaun Guice (Purdue) upset defending champion sophomore Kevin Netzer (Minnesota), jumping 7-3 (2.21m) to take the title. Guice redshirted last year due to an injury, but took the 2000 and 2001 titles both with the same height of 7-3. During the indoor season, he became the first Purdue male athlete to earn All-America honors in four consecutive seasons after a third-place jump of 7-1 1/2 to take third. Guice and Netzer entered the competition tied for the best time in the conference of 7-0 1/2. Netzer took second at 7-1 3/4 (2.18m).
Women's Shot Put
Defending title-holder senior April Phillips (Michigan) took her second Big Ten title of the meet, winning the shot with a throw of 53-8 1/2 (16.37m). She took the hammer title yesterday with a meet and Bierman field record of 199-2 (60.71m). She took the title last year with a toss of 52-2 1/4. Phillips has placed in every outdoor Big Ten meet in her career. She is now a four-time Big Ten champion and two-time All- American. Her career-best throw of 53-11 (16.43m) is currently 11th in the nation.
The first three finishers, Phillips, junior Melissa Bickett (Michigan) and senior Erin Carter (Ohio State), all earned USATF qualifiers, and all finalists earned NCAA regional qualifiers.
Minnesota's Alean Frawley was scheduled to compete but was forced to withdraw from the meet due to a back injury. Her career-best mark of 53-5 (16.29m) was second in the Big Ten and 14th in the nation coming into this meet.
Men's Discus Throw
Defending champion sophomore Karl Erickson took the first title of the meet for Minnesota, winning the discus with a throw of 186-4 (56.80mn). He took his title last year with a throw of 184-11 and has won both titles by over ten feet. He came in to the meet with the top throw of 196-10 (59.99), which is also ninth in the nation and a career-best for Erickson.
Junior Dan Taylor (Ohio State) finished second, throwing a 175-8. He entered with the second-best mark of 190.
Senior Ben Nyquist (Minnesota) upset last year's second and third place winners to take third with a toss of 171-7 (52.30). Junior Brad Daufeldt (Iowa, second in 2002) threw a 171-4 (52.23m) to take fourth, and sophomore Nedzad Mulabegovic (Purdue) (third in 2002) tossed a 170- 3 (51.89m) to take fifth.
Women's Long Jump
Junior Aisha James (Iowa) took the triple jump title with a leap of 21- 4 (6.50m). She owns the top time in the Big Ten and in the nation as well as the all-time Big Ten record of 22-3 (6.78m), which she set this year at the Drake Relays.
Defending champion senior Rose Richmond (Indiana) took second with a mark of 21-3 1/2 (6.49m). She set the Big Ten Championships record last year with her title-winning performance of 21-6 3/4.
The top four finishers also qualified for the USATF Championships.
Women's 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Junior Audrey Giesler (Indiana) took the steeplechase title with a meet record, Bierman Field record, and USATF qualifier of 10:14.19. Currently, her time is good for eighth in the nation. She placed fourth in 2002.
Sophomore Molly Landreth (Penn State) and junior Sarah Pepera also qualified for USATF Championships and bettered the old Bierman record. Landreth placed second with a time of 10:16.70, and Pepera clocked a 10:17.37 to take third.
Men's 3,000-Meter Steeplechase
Defending champion senior Isaiah Festa (Wisconsin) took his second consecutive steeplechase title with a USATF qualifier of 8:45.07. He entered the competition with the top time in the Big Ten and fifth-best time in the nation of 8:39.55.
Women's Javelin
Senior Irina Kharun (Indiana) came in first in the javelin with a USATF qualifier and new career best of 183-5 (55.90m). She also took the title in 2001 with a toss of 170-10 and has placed in every Big Ten championship in her career, taking fifth last year and second in 2002.
Sophomore Alana Redfern (Iowa) threw a 166-1 (50.26m) to come in second after entering the event with the top throw in the Big Ten and in the nation as well as the Canadian national record of 181-6 (55.33m), which she set at the Iowa Musco Twilight.