Track and Field Competes at Home This Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 14, 2001
This Week
The Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field squads will play host to the Scarlet and Gray Invitational Feb. 17, in the French Field House. The Buckeyes will play host to 12 schools. The meet will began at 9:00 a.m., with the field events. Running events are scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
The Recap
The men and women’s track and field teams competed in the United States Track Coaches Association Collegiate Invitational in State College P.a. Feb 9-10, held at Penn State University.
The men’s squad led Penn State 99.5-96 with three events remaining before Penn State finished one-two in the 3,000-meter run, allowing the lions to hold on for the team title (134). The Buckeyes placed second with a score of 120.50 while Big Ten rival Indiana rounded out the Top 3. (86.83)
Andrew Pierce (Sr., Yellow Springs, Ohio/ Yellow Springs) captured a first- place finish and an automatic qualifying time of 46.00 in the 400-meter dash. Teammate Courtney Cornwall (Sr., Inwood N.Y./ Lawrence) followed to place third with a time of 48.29.
Other top performers were Ian Connor (Sr., Lexington, Ohio/Northmoor) Andrew Saurer, J.J O’Rielly (Jr., Dover,Ohio/Tuscarawas Catholic ) and Nosa Ehimwenman (Fr., Homewood, Ill./Homewood Flossmoor) Connor posted a time of 4:10.44 to place third in the one-mile run. O’Rielly took third in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:33.40. Ehimwenman captured second in the triple jump (49’07. 75) while Saurer captured second in the men’s weight throw (62'-03. 25)
The women’s squad placed sixth with a score of 63.50. Indiana won the team title, scoring 102.33 while Penn State (92) and West Virginia (71.33) finished second and third.
Donica Merriman (Sr., Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood) posted a time of 8.03 in the 60-meter hurdles to finish first and qualify for the 2001 NCAA indoor championships. Erin Carter (So., Logan, Ohio/Logan) placed third in the shot put with a provisional throw of 49’02. 50 The Dynamic Duo
The duo of Andrew Pierce and Donica Merriman have not failed to delight Ohio State track and field fans.
At the Penn State Invitational last weekend both athletes posted top collegiate performances in their respective events.
Pierce captured a first-place finish and automatic qualifying time of 46.00 in the 400-meter dash. Pierce also was a member of the provisional qualifying distance medley (9:43.12) and the 4×400 -meter relay (3:07.76)
Merriman posted a time of 8.03 in the 60-meter hurdles qualifying her for the 2001 NCAA championships. Merriman also captured a provisional qualifying time of 23.82 in the 200 dash.
Meet the Coach
In his 13 years at Ohio State, Russ Rogers has produced 100 Big Ten indoor and outdoor track and field champions, 10 NCAA indoor and outdoor champions and 65 All-Americans. His 1993 teams alone produced 16 All-Americans and 12 Big Ten champions in both indoor and outdoor events.
Rogers was recently chosen as the head coach of the national team that participated in the 1999 World Indoor Championships in Macbashi, Japan.
Rogers has more than 30 years of head coaching experience in national and international track and field.
Rogers also coached with the U.S. team at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the 1988 sprint coach for the U.S. Olympic Team which competed in Seoul, Korea, the 1987 coach of the World University Games team, the 1985-86 head coach of the U.S. track team .
Rogers came to Ohio State from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he was the head coach for both the men’s and women’s track and field an dcross country
