Michigan State University Athletics
Mickie Rzepka Wins Pole Vault Title With New School Record At Big Ten Championships
5/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 13, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Michigan State women's track and field team is in third place after the opening day of the 2005 Big Ten Outdoor Championships hosted by the Ohio State University, thanks two a first-place and a second-place finish. The Spartans have 18 points, trailing only Wisconsin (24 points) and Penn State (19.5) after the first day.
Mickie Rzepka highlighted a light opening day that included just three finals, winning the pole vault title with a school outdoor record of 13-1 1/2. Rzepka, who also won the pole vault Big Ten Indoor Championships this year, broke her own outdoor record of 12-8, and became just the second Spartan ever to win a field event title at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Sherita Williams won the triple jump in 2002.
Rzepka, who cleared 13 feet at three different indoor meets this year, and Andrea Smith of Minnesota both cleared 13-1 1/2, but Rzepka earned the first-place finish based on fewer misses. No one else jumped higher than 12-1 1/2.
In the 10,000-meter run, MSU's Michelle Rafferty finished second with a time of 35:46.54. Also for MSU, Cassie Wilkins placed 12th (37:17.92) and Natalie Stein was 13th (37:28.49). Wisconsin's Katrina Runghaug won the event with a time of 35:26.85.
In the hammer throw, Erica Bailey finished 15th with a throw of 162-5, while Megan Halliwill placed 22nd with a toss of 133-10.
The first day of the heptathlon was also contested, and Anna Coster sits in eighth place after four events with 3004 points. Coster's best finishes came in the shot put, where she placed fourth with a throw of 37-3, and in the high jump, where she tied for sixth with a leap of 5-5.
The Big Ten Outdoor Championships will continue through Sunday.
