Three Spartans to Compete in Men's Track NCAA Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
June 1, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Three members of the Michigan State men's track and field squad will represent the Spartans at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships, June 2-5, in Boise, Idaho. Senior Jim Jurcevich (Defiance, Ohio) and junior Steve Schell (Dearborn, Mich.) will run in the 10,000 meter run on Wednesday, June 2, at 8:30 p.m. MDT. Junior Ryan Taylor (Melbourne, Australia) will compete in the 3,000 meter-steeplechase semifinals on Thursday, June 3, at 7:10 p.m. The finals will take place on Saturday at 8:25 pm.
Jurcevich and Schell both automatically qualified for the championships on March 27, while running in the Stanford Invitational. Schell established a school record at 10,000 meters with a time of 28:39.74. Jurcevich's time of 28:45.68 also bettered the old school mark. In the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Jurcevich placed second in the 10,000 meters, while Schell finished fourth.
Taylor provisionally qualified in the steeplechase on May 1, at the Central Collegiate Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. His time of 8:44.53 set a school record. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Taylor finished second in the steeplechase.
All three Spartans competed in the 1999 NCAA Indoor Track Championships. Jurcevich and Schell ran in the 5,000 meters, each earning All-America honors. In the 3,000 meter run, Taylor placed 16th. Jurcevich also earned All-America honors during the 1998 indoor and outdoor championships, including a ninth-place finish at 10,000 meters during the outdoor championships.
To earn All-America honors, Jurcevich and Schell must finish among the top eight U.S. citizens in their event. Taylor, who is from Australia, must place in the top eight to become an All-American.
