Big Ten Track Round-Up

May 26, 1998

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Michigan State track and field teams wound up the 1998 season at the Big Ten Track and Field Championships in Columbus, Ohio last weekend. Both teams finished 10th with the men scoring 36.50 points, while the women finished with 10 points. Wisconsin, last year's champion on both sides, was dethroned by Minnesota in the men's competition and Michigan in women's action.

Sophomore Okoineme Giwa-Agbomeirele (Midland, Mich.) scored six points for the Spartans with a third-place season-high long jump leap of 7.53 meters (24-08.5). Freshmen Paul Terek (Livonia, Mich.) and Matt Ingram (Lyons, Mich.), finished fourth and fifth, respectively in the decathlon, while sophomore Joe Leo added a fifth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 30:41.18. Sophomore Ryan Taylor (Australia) and junior Chris Wehrman (Arlington Heights, Ill.) were fourth and fifth, respectively in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, while senior Eric Eichinger (Kalamazoo, Mich.) took eighth in the 1,500-meter run in 3:52.12 and freshman Jake Diner (Jerusalem, Israel) tied for fifth in the pole vault with a leap of 4.90 meters (16-00.75).

On the women's side, sophomore Jen Denkins (Flusing, Mich.), scored eight of MSU's 10 points, finishing third in the 10,000-meter run in a season-best time of 36:15.00 and taking seventh in the 5,000-meter run in 17:39.29. Senior Lawanda Byrd (W. Palm Beach, Fla.) finished seventh in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.24. Byrd set MSU's fastest time of the season in the prelims at 14.10 seconds.

Several athletes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships and will be traveling to last chance meets this weekend. The NCAA Championships will be June 3-6 at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

BIG TEN TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS MEN

1-Minnesota 134.50 2-Wisconsin 120 3-Iowa 103 4-Michigan 97 5-Purdue 65 6-Indiana 58.50 7-Ohio State 57 8-Illinois 54.50 9-Penn State 53 10-Michigan State 36.50

Pl. Athlete Mark Pts.

10,000 meters 5. Joe Leo 30:41.18 4 9. Steve Schell 30:41.18 11. Matt LaFave 31:20.39 15. Brendan Banyon 31:37.43

Decathlon 4. Paul Terek 3,639 5 5. Matt Ingram 3,465 4

1,500 meters 8. Eric Eichinger 3:52.12

3,000-meter Steeplechase 4. Ryan Taylor 8:59.01 5 5. Chris Wehrman 9:01.40 4

Long Jump 3. Okie Giwa-Agbomeirele 24-08.5 6

5,000 meters 5. Jim Jurcevich 14:24.96 4 9. Ryan Taylor 14:38.77 10. Steve Schell 14:47.56 17. Chris Wehrman 15:07.88

Pole Vault T5. Jake Diner 16-00.75 3.5

High Jump 14. Keith Sudenheimer 6-06.25

Discus 17. Justin Selden 144-00

110-meter hurdles prelims 7/7 E.J. Martin 14.72

400-meter hurdles prelims 5/8 E.J. Martin 53.56 8/8 Scott Weeks 55.49

WOMEN

1-Michigan 129.50 2-Wisconsin 117 3-Illinois 115 4-Ohio State 99 5-Penn State 75 6-Purdue 72.50 7-Minnesota 53 8-Indiana 47.50 9-Iowa 21.50 10-Michigan State 10

Pl. Athlete Mark Pts.

10,000 meters 3. Jen Denkins 36:15.00 6 9. Leah Nilsson 27:26.87 13. Christie Achenbach 38:42.63 15. Barb Karenko 38:58.13

100-meter hurdles 7. Lawanda Byrd 14.24 2

5,000 meters 7. Jen Denkins 17:39.29 2 11. Leah Nilsson 18:27.68 15. Christie Achenbach 18:59.20

1,500 meters 10. Karyn Duba 4:37.29 11. Karlene Kurtz 4:37.33

Long Jump 14. Beth Stover 15-04.25

Triple Jump 12. Jessica Price 34-02.75 13. Beth Stover 32-03.75

3,000 meters 13. Sarah Parbel 10:45.60

100-meter prelims 7/7 Shante Burke 13.26

200-meter prelims 6/6 Shante Burke 27.43 7/7 Bryn Drescher 27.47

400-meter hurdles prelims 7/7 Lawanda Byrd 1:11.76

800-meter prelims 7/7 Lindsey Towne 2:18.94 6/6 Becky Caldwell 2:17.57