Michigan State University Athletics
Women's Track Ready for Big Ten Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Feb. 26, 1998
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
MSU's JENISON FIELD HOUSE
FEB. 28 - MAR. 1
SPARTAN NEWS AND NOTES
BIG TENS DEBUT AT JENISON: The Big Ten Championships come to East Lansing, Mich., for the first time since its inception in 1982. MSU becomes the eighth school to host the Championships, as Minnesota and Penn State are the only current Big Ten track and field programs to not have the Big Tens at their home track.
EYEING THE WINNER'S CIRCLE: Michigan State is one of six current Big Ten schools who have never won an indoor conference title, as the Championships have been dominated in the past 16 years by Wisconsin (seven titles), Illinois (five), Indiana (two) and Michigan (two). The Spartans' top finish came back in the Championships' opening year in 1982, as MSU finished second, 17 points behind the Badgers.
MEMORIES: Former Spartan Sevatheda Fynes made her presence felt during last season's Big Ten Championships, held in Champaign, Ill. The Bahamas native took control in the sprints, seizing both the 55-meter (6.74) and 200-meter (23.65) crowns. Michigan State finished seventh in the team standings, racking up 50 points. Wisconsin came away from Champaign with the crown, snapping a two-year streak by the Illini, as the Badgers rolled to the team title with 119 points. Wisconsin runner Kathy Butler was named Athlete of the Championship.
BYRD ON A ROLL: Spartan senior Lawanda Byrd enters the Championships on a bit of a hot streak after setting her career best in the 55-meter hurdles at 7.93 seconds in her victory at the EMU Classic in Ypsilani, Mich., on Feb. 20. She also is the top returning place-winner from last year's Big Tens, as she finished fourth in the 55-hurdles in a time of 8.03 seconds. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native has the fastest MSU times in the 55 dash (7.29) and 55 hurdles (7.93) this season.
GRADUATION HURTS: The Spartans lost three All-Americans to graduation last season, as Fynes, Chandra Burns, and current student assistant coach Stephanie Dueringer accounted for six top-six finishes, including Fynes' two titles. It marked the first time in program history that the Spartans had three All-Americans in individual indoor events.
THE GREEN WAVE: The Michigan State distance core has proved to be a tremendous asset to the Spartan cause, as its depth has peppered the leaderboards of races. Led by Karlene Kurtz, Karyn Duba, Leah Nilsson and Jen Denkins, the squad has combined to overcome the loss of the graduated Dueringer.
BADGER STARS: Wisconsin runners have been named Athlete of the Championship 7.5 times in the 10 years it has been awarded (There was a tie in the 1991 voting).
1998 SPARTAN INDOOR SEASON Jan. 17 MICHIGAN STATE INVIT., no team scores Jan. 24 Red Simmons Invit., Ann Arbor, no team scores Jan. 31 Michigan Intercollegiates, Ann Arbor, 4th/6, 54 pts. Feb. 7 vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN, L 81-77 Feb. 13 Ball State Open, Muncie, Ind., no team scores Feb. 13-14 Cannon Classic, Indianapolis, Ind., no team scores Feb. 20 EMU Classic, Ypsilanti, no team scores Feb.28-M.1 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS Mar. 7 Silverstone Invitational, Ann Arbor Mar. 13-14 NCAA Championships, Indianapolis, Ind. TOP SPARTAN INDOOR MARKS DURING 1998 (NCAA Automatic/Provisional Qualifying Marks) 55 Meters Lawanda Byrd 7.29 2/7/98 (6.83/6.92) Lisa Holmes 7.45 2/13/98 55 Hurdles Lawanda Byrd 7.93 2/20/98 (7.70/7.84) Kim David 10.24 2/7/98 200 Meters Shermaine McKenzie 25.19 2/20/98 (23.78/24.25) Lawanda Byrd 25.72 2/7/98 400 Meters Shermaine McKenzie 57.69 2/7/98 (53.40/55.20) Lisa Holmes 59.88 2/20/98 600 Meters Nicole McMillan 1:42.01 1/24/98 (Non-NCAA event) Kim David 1:43.63 1/24/98 800 Meters Karlene Kurtz 2:15.93 2/20/98 (2:07.50/2:10.50) Karyn Duba 2:17.68 2/20/98 Mile Karlene Kurtz 4:58.99 2/14/98 (4:42.50/4:51.00) Karyn Duba 4:59.73 2/14/98 3,000 Meters Leah Nilsson 9:59.19 2/14/98 (9:24.00/9:47.00) Jen Denkins 10:08.82 2/14/98 5,000 Meters Jen Denkins 17:39.34 1/31/98 (16:20.00/16:58.00)Leah Nilsson 17:59.94 1/31/98 1,600 Relay 4:01.84 1/24/98 (3:37.75/3:43.50) 4:07.30 2/7/98 Distance Medley 12:22.66 1/24/98 (11:20.00/11:38.00) 12:22.69 1/31/98 High Jump Katie Meyer 5-3 3/4 1/17/98 (6-1 1/4// 5-9 3/4)Jessica Price 5-0 1/4 2/20/98 Long Jump Beth Stover 16-3 1/4 2/20/98 (20-9 3/4//19-10 1/4)Jeannette Martus 15-11 1/2 1/17/98 Triple Jump Heidi Jackson 34-5 1/24/98 (43-1 3/4// 41-4 1/4)Beth Stover 33-8 1/31/98 Pole Vault Katie Meyer 9-5 3/4 2/20/98 (13-5 1/4//11-1 3/4)Jeannette Martus 9-5 3/4 2/20/98 Shot Put Joann Brown 41-2 1/4 2/20/98 (52-10/47-9) Laren Molinari 28-5 1/2 2/7/98 20-lb. Weight Joann Brown 41-05 3/4 1/17/98 (63-0/54-9 1/2) Laren Molinari 24-0 3/4 2/7/98
MSU Track & Field Information
Location: East Lansing, MI
Enrollment: 41,545
Founded: 1855
President: Peter McPherson
Athletic Director: Merritt Norvell
Head Track Coach: Kris Grimes (2nd Year)
Office Phone: (517) 353-9299
Assistant Coaches: Karen Lutzke, Claude Romain and Stephanie Dueringer
Track SIDs: Jennifer Heers, Russell Ormiston and Michael Dorrington
1997 BIG TEN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (at Champaign, Ill.) Team Pts. 1. Wisconsin 119 2. Michigan 82 3. Ohio State 79 4. Illinois 66 5. Penn State 63 6. Minnesota 52 7. Michigan St 50 8. Purdue 49 9. Indiana 31 9. Iowa 31
Athlete of the Championship
Kathy Butler, Wisconsin
MSU @ THE BIG TEN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
1982 - 2nd, 96 pts.
1983 - 4th, 60 pts.
1984 - 4th, 64 pts.
1985 - 7th, 25.5 pts.
1986 - 3rd, 71 pts.
1987 - 7th, 42 pts.
1988 - 10th, 6 pts.
1989 - 8th, 25 pts.
1990 - 4th, 46 pts.
1991 - 5th, 54 pts.
1992 - 3rd, 70 pts.
1993 - 9th, 18 pts.
1994 - 8th, 21 pts.
1995 - T-7th, 28 pts.
1996 - 6th, 35 pts.
1997 - 7th, 50 pts.
ALL-BIG TEN SPARTANS
1984 - Vivian Fisher
1984 - Marcelle Kendall
1985 - Odessa Smalls
1986 - Joanna Childress
1986 - Debbie Hartline
1986 - Odessa Smalls
1987 - Odessa Smalls
1991 - Tracy Ames
1991 - Christine Duverge
1992 - Michelle Brown
1992 - Christine Duverge
1992 - Shirley Evans
1992 - Susan Francis
1994 - Susan Francis
1996 - Chandra Burns
1997 - Sevatheda Fynes
1997 - Chandra Burns
