University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
2017 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Wieland Captures Big Ten High Jump Crown
5/14/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
May 14, 2017
Results
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (GopherSports.com) - Luca Wieland capture his fourth overall Big Ten event title and first in the high jump as the Minnesota men's track & field program closed out the 2017 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday.
A native of Saarbrucken, Germany, Wieland entered the weekend as the two-time defending Big Ten champion in the decathlon, but opted out of the multi-event in an effort to maximize points. The senior captain did just that - scoring 20 points in the high jump, the long jump and the 4x100 meter relay to lead the Maroon & Gold to a seventh-place finish with 66 points.
After finishing third in the long jump on Saturday with a season-best mark of 7.78 meters (25-06.25 ft.) for six points, Wieland opened the final day of competition by helping the 4x100 meter relay team add four points with a fifth-place showing at 41.09. Wieland was joined on the relay by Jordan Charles, Brad Neumann and Jonathan Webb.
Wieland closed out the day with a personal record to capture his first career conference title in the high jump at 2.20 meters (7-02.50 ft.). The 2017 Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient previously won Big Ten titles in the decathlon (2015, 2016) and the heptathlon (2015). The Gophers tallied 16 team points in the high jump as Ryan Lockard finished third at 2.17 meters (7-01.50 ft.).
While Wieland was making a statement in his final Big Ten outdoor meet, Jon Tollefson did the same in his first appearance at the conference's outdoor competition. Tollefson set a University of Minnesota 110-meter hurdles record with his time of 13.79 - finishing fifth for the Gophers and netting four points. The performance snaps a 10-year old school record of 13.95 from Niles Deneen in 1997.
Additionally, Minnesota combined for 14 points in the 800 meters as Mitch Hechsel finished second and Nate Roese came in third. Both Gophers ran a 1:50.84 in the finals. The pair also teamed up with Neumann and Jackson Wellenstein for three more points in the 4x400 meter relay as the group finished sixth at 3:09.14.
Obsa Ali added 12 points of his own over the weekend, placing fifth in the 5,000 meters at 14:25.86 for four points after finishing second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Saturday for eight points.
Derek Wiebke placed third in the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:50.81 for six points while Charles closed out the Gophers scoring with one point in the triple jump following his eighth-place finish at 15.39 meters (50-06.00 ft.)
Noteworthy: Minnesota featured 11 individual scorers at the Big Ten meet - six of those scorers contributed in multiple events...Wieland's title in the high jump extends the Gophers' streak to 26-straight Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships with an event champion...Wieland's win marks Minnesota's first Big Ten outdoor high jump title since current volunteer assistant coach Kevin Netzer won in 2006.
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Players Mentioned
