Track and Field Show Strong Performance at Jesse Owens Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
B>May 7, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State track and field teams hosted the Jesse Owens Classic today at the new Jesse Owens Memorial Complex. Over 15 world-class athletes and 10 teams competed in the Classic motivating the Buckeyes to reach faster and longer marks. It was a day full of fast and close races, unfortunately due to the strong winds, many of the times could not be used for NCAA qualifying. The morning events were composed of unseeded athletes and the seeded athletes competed in the afternoon.
Dominque Calloway (Sr., Auroa, Colo./Denver South) had a strong day with two wins and she anchored the second place 4×400-meter relay team (3:40.15). Her first win came in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 57.82 then in the 100-meter hurdles, with the wind pushing her, she earned a first-place time of 12.86. Donica Merriman (Jr., Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) gave a solid performance in the 200-meter dash with a first-place time of 22.75. In the 100-meter dash, she finished a close second to All-American, Tanya Carter (11.15) of Florida State, with a time of 11.16. In the field events, Katy Craig (So., Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) improved her personal record to 175’5 (third-place) in the hammer throw and Erin Carter (Fr., Logan, Ohio/Logan) improved her personal record to 45’9-3/4? (third-place) in the shot put.
First -place finishers for the men were Andrew Pierce (Jr., Yellow Springs, Ohio/Yellow Springs) in the 400-meter run (45.86), Ian Connor (Jr., Lexington, Ohio/Lexington) in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:58.22) and George Hoover (Fr., Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) in the javelin with a distance of 210’7? into the wind. Throwers Rusty Azbell (So., Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) and Andrew Saurer (So., Smithsville, Ohio/Smithsville) both improved their personal records by over 10 feet. In the hammer throw, Azbell threw 177’6 (sixth-place) and Saurer threw 156’6? (fourth-place) in the discus. Rob Myers ( Fr., Rushville, Ohio/Fairfield Union) excelled through the pack and finished third in the 800-meter run (1:51.17). Pole vaulter, Corey Johnson (Jr., Muskegon, Ohio/Muskegon Reeths-Puffer), placed second clearing a height of 16’0-3/4? and Derrick Butler (Fr., Cincinnati, Ohio/LeSalle) placed second in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:45.65.
Next week the Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. for the Michigan Invitational on Saturday, May 13. This will be the last meet before the Big Ten Championships on May 20-21.
Complete results can be found by logging on to www.deltatiming.com.
