Spartans Set For Big Ten Outdoor Championships
5/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
LINK TO LIVE RESULTS
May 10, 2007
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
The Michigan State track and field team travels to the Big Ten Championships this weekend in State College, Pa. Hosted by Penn State, the three-day event is the only team-scored event for the Spartans during the outdoor season and will determine the conference champion.
Scouting the Men's Big Ten Championship Field
Wisconsin and Michigan lead the men's field as the only two teams ranked in the most recent Trackwire Top 25 rankings. Wisconsin, the defending Big Ten Outdoor Champion, enters the meet tied for 16th in the national standings. The Badgers have dominated the top spot for the past seven years, walking away with the championship in six of the last seven seasons. Michigan, ranked 25th in the most recent polls, leads the conference with 30 overall titles.
A Look Back At The 2006 Men's Big Ten Championships
Michigan State finished ninth (49), just 10 points behind eighth-place Ohio State at last year's Big Ten meet, held at Michigan State. Spartan pole vaulter Brad Gebauer walked away with a first-place finish of 5.15 meters (16-10 ¾), and Mark Langlois finished second, clearing 5.05 meters (16-6 3/4). Jeremy Orr posted two fifth-place finishes in the 200-meter and 400-meter runs, posting times of 21.26 and 46.34, respectively. John Childress came in fourth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.20, and Stephan Shay scored points with a seventh-place finish in the 5,000-meter run, finishing the event in a time of 14:17.22.
Spartans To Watch
Senior John Childress competes in his last Big Ten Championship Meet, already with an NCAA-regional qualifying mark in the 110-meter hurdles this season, posting a time of 14.02 at the EMU Invitational (4/21). At the 2006 Big Ten meet, he recorded a fourth-place finish in the hurdles with a time of 14.20 and looks to earn points for the Spartans at this year's competition.
The 2007 Big Ten Indoor Pole Vault Champion Mark Langlois looks to keep the pole vault title in the MSU corner. Michigan State has won the outdoor pole vault title two of the last three years. The senior finished in second place last year, clearing 5.05 meters (16-6 3/4) to earn second team All-Big accolades.
Senior Phil Marlatt enters the Big Ten Championship with an NCAA-qualifying time in the 800-meter run (1:50.46), set at the Hillsdale Relays (4/28) earlier this season. The senior posted a sixth-place finish in the same event at last year's Big Ten Championship Meet, adding to the Spartans point total.
Scouting the Women's Big Ten Championship Field
As with the men's field, Michigan comes in with a national ranking. The fifth-ranked Wolverines (134.66) look to better their second-place finish from last year, having lost to Minnesota (152.50) by 17.84 points. Iowa is the only other team ranked in the top 25, entering championship competition tied for 20th. Wisconsin has been a powerhouse in recent seasons, winning the Big Ten Championship seven of the last 11 years.
A Look Back At The 2006 Women's Big Ten Championships
Last season, Michigan State finished in 10th place with 41 points, behind eighth-place Wisconsin (49.5) and ninth-place Iowa (49.33). After last year's close finish between eighth and tenth place, the Spartans hope to improve with a strong showing at this year's meet.
Last year, the Green and White saw the most point production from Taren James who garnered first- and second-place finishes in the triple jump with a leap of 12.35 meters (40-6 1/4) and long jump with a mark of 6.15 meters (20-2 1/4), respectively. Distance runner Nicole Bush earned a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:10.94) and Erica Bailey was fourth in the discus with a toss of 46.77 meters (153-5).
Spartans To Watch
Senior thrower Erica Bailey leads the women in all three throwing events, already qualifying for the NCAA Regional Meet in the shot put and the hammer throw. At the EMU Invitational (4/21) Bailey posted both qualifying distances with a 15.36 meter (50-4 3/4) toss in the shot put and a 54.15 meter (177-8) throw in the hammer throw. She brings experience and leadership after placing fourth in the discus with a personal-best toss of 46.77 meters (153-5) and eighth-place effort in the shot put with a throw of 14.07 meters (46-2) at last year's Big Ten meet.
2006 All-American Nicole Bush only needed three races to qualify for the NCAA Regional Meet for three different events - 1,500-meter (4:50.07), 5,000-meter (16:31.06) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:41.50). The junior placed third in the steeplechase in a time of 10:10.94 at last year's Big Ten meet and fourth in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:11.21. She went on to place fifth in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships with a time of 10:01.04.
Senior, and defending Big Ten Triple Jump Champion Taren James looks to win her second consecutive title at the conference meet. The 2006 first team All-Big Ten honoree has already posted an NCAA-qualifying mark in the triple jump with a mark of 12.45 meters (40-10 1/4), set earlier this season at the EMU Invitational (4/21). Last year at the Big Ten meet, James also posted a second-place finish in the long jump with a leap of 6.15 meters (20-2 1/4).
Players Mentioned
