Track and Field Shows Strong Performances at Big Ten Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Feb. 26, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio– The Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field teams completed their final day of competition at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. The men’s squad placed third while the wisconsin (114) and Purdue (94) took first and secon place.The women’s squad placed second with 97 points behind Purdue (108) and Indiana (89.5) rounded out the Top 3. Six Buckeyes emerged from the meet as Big Ten Individual Champions while breaking four meet records.
Andrew Pierce (Sr., Yellow Springs, Ohio/ Yellow Springs) had a banner of a day on his way to Athlete-of the Meet honors. Pierce shattered three Big Ten meet records taking titles in the 400-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay. Pierce broke the record in the 400-meter dash by nearly a full second as he posted a time of 45.46, the best time in the NCAA this season. He later captured a meet record time of 20.84 in the 200-meter dash. Pierce wrapped up the afternoon by running anchor for the 4×400 and leading the team to a title and meet record time of 3:08.71. Ian Connor (Sr., Lexington, Ohio/ Northmoor) took titles in both the 3,000-meter run (8:08.19) and the 5,000-meter (14:01.92) Rob Myers (Jr., Rushville, Ohio/Fairfield) rounded out the individual champions, winning the one -mile with a time of 4:08.78
For the women, Donica Merriman (Sr., Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood) led the women’s squad to a second-place finish. Voted Athlete of the Meet for the second-consecutive year, Merriman won both the 60-meter hurdles (7.98) and the 200-meter dash (24.10). Her time of 7.98 in the hurdles shattered the five-year old Lambert Fieldhouse record of 8.09 and toped the Big Ten meet record she set (8.12) the year prior. Her time in the hurdles also automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships and earned Merriman her fourth title in the 60-meter hurdles.
In Field events, Katy Craig (Jr., Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) won the weight throw with a toss of 63-11.50 Tami Smith captured an individual title in the high jump clearing 5-10.00 Alexis McCall (Fr., Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) posted a second-place finish in the shot put in her first Big Ten Championship. (52’08. 25). 00. Desiree Jones (Jr., Akron, Ohio/Buchtel) and Nicholette Chambers (So., New Haven, Conn./ James Hillhouse) took second and third in the women’s pentathlon scoring 3700 and 3625 respectively
Women’s Team Results 1. Purdue 108 2. Ohio State 97 3. Indiana 89.5 4. Michigan 89 5. Minnesota 82 6. Penn State 61 6. Wisconsin 61 8. Illinois 45 9. Michigan State 42.5 10.Iowa 26
Men’s Team Results 1. Wisconsin 114 2. Purdue 94 3. Ohio State 86 4. Minnesota 83 5. Penn State 68 6. Illinois 61 7. Michigan 58 8. Michigan State 53 9. Indiana 44 10.Iowa 41
