Olympian Croghan Returns to Head Outstanding Distance Field at 2003 Jesse Owens Track Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
April 29, 2003
Columbus, Ohio – With the 2003 NCAA Track and Field Regional Championships set to take place May 30 and 31 at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, this year’s 18th running of the Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic (Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3) has the potential to play host to its most impressive field yet. Included in the expanded event is the addition of Friday evening’s distance carnival.
The Jesse Owens Track Classic once again serves as a homecoming for former OSU distance runner and two-time NCAA Steeplechase champion Mark Croghan (1988-1991). Croghan, a three-time Olympian, is still the owner of the 3,000-meter steeplechase record at Ohio State and will look to top his own Jesse Owens Track Classic all-time mark of 8:19.86 set in 1998. Croghan recently competed with current training partner and OSU cross country head coach Robert Gary (1992-1995) in the 2003 United States 8K Championships this month in New York City’s Central Park.
“Mark competes all around the world,” Gary, who finished 11th at the 8K Championship, said. “But he always comes back to run in the Jesse Owens. This year is especially important to him because he is trying to qualify for his fourth Olympic Games.”
Gary, a 1996 Olympian and more recently the winner of the 2002 United States 4-Kilometer Championships in Houston, Texas, will be one of the feature runners in the 5,000-meter run, which includes Adidas teammate Tim Broe, who holds the United States indoor 3,000-meter record. Also running in the event is Ohio State senior Derrick Butler (Cincinnati, Ohio), who has already qualified to compete in the NCAA Regional Championships.
The field in the 800-meter run features the Top 2 runners in the indoor 800m in NCAA Champion Nate Brennen of Michigan and Tennessee’s Marc Sylvester, the 2002 national runner-up. Also aspiring to medal in the event will be a second Wolverine in Nick Willis, the Big Ten Champion in the 3,000-meters and indoor mile, while representing Reebok will be Kevin Sullivan, who took fifth in the 1,500-meters at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Brennen, a product of Ontario, Canada, and Willis, a native of Lower Hutt, New Zealand, recently helped Michigan to the title in the Men’s Distance Medley Relay Championship of America event at the Penn Relays as Brennen clocked an all-time meet record 2:49 in his leg of the event.
Others representing the Buckeyes will be senior Sjaan Gerth (Jr., Belgrout, Ontario, Canada), a third place performer in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at last year’s Big Ten Championships, while sophomore Aaron Fisher (Indianapolis, Ind.), who took third in that conference indoor meet at 3,000m, competes in his first Jesse Owens steeple event. Friday’s distance events will begin with the 800-meter run at approximately 5:40 p.m.
###Go Bucks###
