Track and Field Plays Host to 2003 All-Ohio Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
April 8, 2003
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium will serve once again as the venue for the 2003 version of the All-Ohio Track and Field Championships Friday and Saturday with events set to begin Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
The All-Ohio Championships
Where: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium
When: 4 p.m. Friday, April 11, 10 a.m. Saturday, April 12
The Field: Ohio State, Akron, Ohio, Kent State, Bowling Green, Dayton, Wright State, Toledo, Central State, Findlay, Tiffin, Ashland and Cincinnati.
Ukabam Awarded by Big Ten
Ohio State freshman thrower Amarachi Ukabam was deemed Big Ten Athlete of the Week Tuesday after claiming first place in both the women’s shot put and the hammer throw Saturday at the 2003 Ohio State Relays.
Ukabam scored a career-best 49-7 to win the women’s shot put adding her second regional qualifying mark in the event this season, while also claiming first in the women’s discus with another regional mark of 159-6.
Ukabam, who posted a team and personal-best 169-7 in the hammer at the Arizona State Invitational, joins fellow thrower Dan Taylor and hurdlers Joel Brown and Molly Logan as Big Ten weekly honorees for the 2003 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Recapping The Ohio State Relays – Taylor Snaps own OSU Records
Ohio State commenced the 2003 season in blustery 40-degree conditions at Jesse Owens Stadium as seven student-athletes qualified for regional competition. For the second-straight week OSU thrower Dan Taylor established an Ohio State record with a 205-7 in the hammer to best his 204-10 effort last week at the Arizona State Invitational. Taylor coupled that performance with another OSU record mark in the discus with a 187-4, besting his 182-0 standard set last season. Both efforts qualify Taylor for regional competition.
Taylor and Ukabam scored individual first place efforts in the throw events, while three other throwers posted NCAA regional qualifying marks in seniors Erin Carter (47-9.25 in the shot put) and Katy Houser (168-10 in the hammer) and junior Shelaine Larson with a 174-8 for her third qualifying standard in as many weeks, while fellow sophomore Keturah Lofton scored a career-best 184-4 to take second place in the hammer and join her teammates as a regional qualifier.
Six Buckeyes placed first in their respective events as seniors Rob Myers (800-meter run), Tami Smith (high jump) and Dalanda Jackson (100-meter hurdles) and sophomores Brandi Hogan (200-meter dash) and Greg Norman in the 100-meter dash, while fellow sophomore Shayla Moore topped the field in both the women’s long jump and triple jump with a 40-0 regional qualifying mark.
Moore and Ukabam Double-Up
Sophomore jumper Shayla Moore and freshman thrower Ukabam scored first place finishes in two events at the Ohio State relays.
Moore qualified for NCAA regional competition with a leap of 40-0 to win the triple jump, while also grabbing first place in the long jump with a mark of 17-5.25.
Ukabam, who qualified for regionals for the third-straight week, boasted first place efforts in both the shot put (49-7) and the hammer (159-6).
Happy Returns
The Baldy Castillo Invitational March 21 and 22 marked the returns of a pair of Ohio State All-American performers in seniors George Hoover and Dalanda Jackson.
Hoover, the 2000 and 2001 conference champion in the javelin, posted a 209-4 in his first collegiate event since the 2001 NCAA championships at the Baldy Castillo and topped that effort with a 211-11 to lead the field at the Arizona State Invitational.
Jackson, an All-American in 2002, has captured first place in either the 100-meter hurdles or the 400m hurdles in each of her first three weeks of competition. Her 101:38 effort in the 400-meter hurdles at the ASU Invite serves as a regional qualifier.
Keir And Taylor Snap OSU Marks
Dan Taylor, who posted an all-time mark in the weight throw during the indoor season, bested the OSU program mark in the hammer throw at the ASU Invite with a 204-10 to top the 201-5 effort recorded by Justin Cavinee in 2001. Taylor has since topped his own mark with a 205-4 in the hammer. In addition, Taylor scored a school-best 187-4 to eclipse his own school mark in the discus at the Ohio State Relays.
Senior thrower Krista Keir claimed the Ohio State program record besting her own 182-4 mark set in 2002 in the discus competition at the Baldy Castillo Invitational. She posted a 186-1 to place first in the event.
21 Buckeyes Earn Bids to 2003 NCAA Regional Championships
Through three events of the 2003 outdoor season 21 Ohio State student-athletes have posted NCAA regional qualifying marks.
Included in that list are 2002 Indoor All-Americans Dalanda Jackson (400-meter hurdles), Tami Smith (high jump) and fellow senior and three-time qualifier (Javelin).
Two Buckeyes have qualified in multiple events as Dan Taylor has earned bids in both the hammer and discus, while fellow thrower Amarachi Ukabam has posted qualifiers in the shot put and discus.
In all, the throwers lead the way with an impressive 12 qualifying scores, while the jumpers have added seven of their own.
2002 All-Ohio Championships
OSU’s men’s team finished competition in 2002 with 177 points to win the meet. Kent State placed second with 139 points while Akron was third with 100.5 points. Ohio State won seven individual events, including two by sophomore thrower Dan Taylor.
The women’s team compiled 102 points, to tie for second place with Akron. The Kent State Golden Flashes won the meet with 133 points. The Buckeyes garnered three first-place finishes, all field events.
Krista Keir set a school record in the discus with a 182-4.
Assistant Coach Robert Gary Places at U.S. 8k
Ohio State cross country head coach Robert Gary (Ohio State, 1996) finished 11th at the 2003 United State 8K Championships Saturday in New York City’s Central Park.
Running against one of the strongest and deepest fields put together for a USA national championship, Gray clocked 23:09 in wet conditions over the rolling 4.97-mile course. Olympian and pre race favorite Meb Keflezighi missed the course record by two seconds to win in 22:28.
Former Ohio State distance great and Olympian Mark Croghan, Gary’s training partner, finished 17th posting a mark of 23:16.
A Glance at the Outdoor Season
The beginning of the 2003 outdoor campaign welcomes the return of 2000 and 2001 Big Ten javelin champion George Hoover, who has recovered from an elbow injury that befell him in the 2002 season. Hoover is the Ohio State record holder in the event at 230-9.
Indoor All-American thrower Dan Taylor will look to carry his record-breaking success to the outdoor field as he looks to build upon his school record in the discus (182-0) set in 2002.
Tami Smith will attempt to defend her conference title in the women’s high jump, while throwers, Alexis McCall and Krista Keir will look for repeat performances in their respective outdoor events.
Joel Brown will lead the sprint squad, while Rob Myers will head the OSU distance team. Senior Dalanda Jackson returns to captain the women’s hurdles team.
Taylor Earns USTA Weekly Award
Dan Taylor was named Friday as the United States Track and Field Coaches Association Athlete of the Week for March 6. Taylor earned the honor with a Big Ten record-setting performance to win the conference weight throw title, which he combined with a first place finish in the shot put.
The Middlefield, Ohio native placed first in 12 of 14 throw events during the 2003 indoor season and has automatically qualified in both the weight throw and the shot put for the NCAA Championships set for March 14 and 15.
OSU Sweeps Feb. 25 Big Ten Athlete of the Week Honors
Ohio State sprinter/hurdlers Joel Brown and Molly Logan set new Ohio State program records with a sweep of the hurdles events Saturday at the Scarlet and Gray Invitational en route to claiming Big Ten Track and Field Athlete of the Week awards for Feb. 25.
Brown, who established a new Ohio State all-time mark in the 60m hurdles with a 7.77 on Feb. 8, 2003, set a new Ohio State indoor record with a 7.18 mark in the 55m hurdles Saturday during the Scarlet and Gray Invitational. Brown’s mark serves as an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Brown also scored a first place finish in the 200m dash with a time of 21.78.
Logan, who has captured first place four consecutive weeks in the hurdles events, provisionally qualified for national competition with a new French Field House record 7.68 mark in the 55m hurdles.
Brown and Logan also provisionally qualified in the 60m hurdles in 2003. Brown twice with a 7.77 at the Rod McCravy Invitational and the Sykes/Sabock Challenge Cup and Logan with an 8.26 performance at the Sykes/ Sabock.
With the weekly award, Brown and Logan join Ohio State thrower and three-time conference honoree Dan Taylor for a total of five Big Ten Track and Field Athlete of the Week merits during the 2003 indoor season.
Next Week’s Slate
The Buckeyes head west for a second time this season as one division of a split squad will compete at the Mt. SAC event in Los Angeles, Calif. Friday, April 18 and Saturday April 19. Those not making the journey to the west coast will participate in the Pacesetter Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. Saturday only.
