University of Minnesota Athletics
Willis Wins 60m and Long Jump to Pace Gophers
2/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
On a day where 20 Golden Gopher seniors were honored, it was a Minnesota freshman that paced the Gopher women’s track team to 10 titles at the Parents’ Day Open, Saturday, at the University Fieldhouse. Rookie Todea-Kay Willis was a double champion, winning the 60-meter dash and the long jump.
Willis, from Mavis Bank, Jamaica, clocked a personal-best time of 7.70 seconds to win the 60 meters. Her time tied the 10th-best effort in school history. Minnesota has now had four freshman sprinters post time on the Gophers’ top-10 in the event this season. Willis added the title in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 3 inches.
“Today’s meet was about some fine tuning for the Big Tens and recognizing an unbelievable senior class,” said Golden Gopher head coach Matt Bingle. “We rested some people for next weekend, yet we still had some great performances, especially in the throws.”
The Gophers swept the titles in the two throwing events, both with career-best efforts. Senior Kari Schmidt won the shot put with a throw of 49-5 3/4, marking the ninth-best throw in school history. Freshman DeAnne Hahn captured first in the weight throw with an effort of 55-6 1/4, improving her own No.6 throw in Gopher history.
Senior hurdler Nicole Carroll enjoyed a solid day in the 60-meter hurdles. She notched a season-best of 8.89 seconds in the prelims then bettered that with a time of 8.87 seconds in the final.
Three senior Gopher middle distance runners celebrated their final home meet by winning titles. Heather Dorniden, the most decorated athlete in Gopher women’s track history, cruised to the win in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:28.90 the second-fastest time in school history behind only her record time of 1:28.62 she ran in 2007. Ladia Albertson-Junkans won the 800-meter run in a time of 2:11.86, while Gabriele Anderson placed first in the mile in a time of 4:51.50.
Also winning events for the Gophers were Natalie Devine in the high jump with a height of 5-7 and Linnea Johnson in the 200-meter dash in a time of 25.65 seconds.
Alicia Rue turned in another NCAA qualifying performance in the pole vault. Rue placed second but notched her third NCAA automatic qualifying mark of the season clearing 13-11 3/4 on Saturday.
Minnesota will travel to Indiana next weekend to compete in the Big Ten Championships. The Golden Gophers are the two-time defending champion of the indoor Big Ten meet.
