Men's Track Finishes Fifth at Big Ten Championship
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
May 23, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's track team placed fifth with 75 points at the 1999 Big Ten Outdoor Track Championship at Rankin Track and Field in West Lafayette, Ind. Minnesota won the team title with 149.50 points. The fifth-place finish was the best outdoor finish for the Spartans since placing fifth in 1982.
Spartan athletes took part in seven event finals on Sunday. Michigan State's best event of the day was the 5,000 meter run as three runners placed in the top seven. Steve Schell (Dearborn, Mich.) was the top Spartan, finishing third with a time of 14:20.85. Kyle Baker (Anderson, Ind.), who was MSU's only champion with his victory in the 10,000 meters on Friday, placed fifth at 14:25.99. Jim Jurcevich (Defiance, Ohio) finished seventh with a time of 14:31.12.
MSU also had success in the pole vault as two Spartans placed in the top seven. In an event where the top seven competitors all finished with the same height, Matt Deering (Dowagiac, Mich.) placed third with a height of 4.86 meters (15' 11.25"). Yakov Diner (Jerusalem, Israel) placed seventh with the same height.
Also scoring points for the Green and White was Ryan Taylor (Melbourne, Australia) who ran in the 1,500 meters, placing fourth at 3:54.25. On Saturday, Taylor had placed second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. In the 800 meter run, Andy Lixey (East Tawas, Mich.) finished fifth with a time of 1:52.23.
In other events, Okoi Giwa-Agbomeirele (Midland, Mich.) finished ninth in the 110 meter-hurdles with a time of 15.06. In the shot put, Eric Mikula (Troy, Mich.) placed 16th at 14.44 meters (47' 4.5") while Justin Selden (Reese, Mich.) placed 18th at 13.90m (45' 7.25"). Paul Terek (Livonia, Mich.) placed 15th in the javelin with a toss of 46.12m (151' 4").
Final Team Scoring 1. Minnesota 149.5 2. Iowa 113 3. Wisconsin 107 4. Illinois 77 5. Michigan State 75 6. Michigan 70.50 7. Purdue 68.50 8. Indiana 64 9. Penn State 62 10. Ohio State 31.50110m-hurdles (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Sherman Armstrong (ILL) 14.24 10. Okoi Giwa-Agbomeirele (MSU) 15.06
Shot Put (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Chris Spurrier (Purdue) 18.00m 16. Eric Mikula (MSU) 14.44m (47' 4.5") 18. Justin Selden (MSU) 13.90m (45' 7.25') 1,500 meter run (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Jay Cantin (MICH) 3:51.43 4. Ryan Taylor (MSU) 3:54.25
800 meter run (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Bobby True (ILL) 1:49.20 5. Andy Lixey (MSU) 1:52.23
Pole Vault (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Jeremy Ashcraft (PUR)4.86m (15' 11.25") 3. Matt Deering (MSU) 4.86m (15' 11.25") 7. Yakov Diner (MSU) 4.86m (15' 11.25")
Javelin (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Troy Burkholder (PSU)67.96m (222' 11") 15. Paul Terek (MSU) 46.12m (151' 4")
5,000 meter run (1st Place and MSU Finishers) 1. Jay Schoenfelder (WIS) 14:09.65 3. Steve Schell (MSU) 14:20.95 5. Kyle Baker (MSU) 14:25.99 7. Jim Jurcevich (MSU) 14:31.12
