Women's Track Competes at Big Ten Championships
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 21, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - BIG TEN PREVIEW: The 18th Annual Big Ten Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be held Friday, May 21- Sunday, May 23 at Rankin Track and Field at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Last year, Michigan captured the outdoor title and will be a legitimate contender with some strong senior performances.
BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Michigan State captured the very first Big Ten title in 1982. Since then, the Spartans have not claimed the team title. However, they have captured individual titles on 21 occasions.
SPARTAN HOPES: In 1998, the Spartans finished 10th at the Outdoor Championships. Jen Denkins, who has already provisionally qualified provisionally at 10,000 meters, was the top performer at last year's championships, placing 3rd at 10,000 meters and 7th at 5,000 meters.
SPARTANS TO WATCH
Jen Denkins
Season Bests -- 3,000m (9:56.81) 5,000m (17:15.91) 10,000m (35:35.92)
Michigan State's top distance runner ... 1999 NCAA provisional qualifier at 10,000 meters ... placed 3rd at 10,000 meters and 7th at 5,000 meters at the 1998 Big Ten outdoors ... finished first in the 3,000 meters at Missouri's Tom Botts Invitational ... ranks third on the 1999 Big Ten outdoor perfomance list in the 10,000 meters, eighth at 5,000 meters and 12th at 3,000 meters.
Leah Nilsson
Season Bests -- 3,000m (10:07.99) 5,000m (18:05.41) 10,000m (36:35.63)
A very solid distance runner ... placed 11th at 5,000 meters and 9th at 10,000 meters at the 1998 Big Ten outdoors ... listed seventh on the Big Ten outdoor performance list at 10,000 meters ... selected to participate in the third annual NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference, May 31- June 4.
Elyse Adelson
Season Bests -- 5,000 meters (17:42.41) 10,000 meters (36:47.48)
A contender to place in distance events ... ranks 12th at 5,000 meters on the Big Ten outdoor performance list and eighth at 10,000 meters.
Shante Burke
Season Bests -- 100 meters (12.48) 200 meters (25.10) 400 meters (58.82)
MSU's top sprinter, turned in Spartan bests at 100, 200 and 400 meters.