Ten Track and Field Buckeyes Honored as All-Big Ten Performers – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
May 20, 2003
Columbus, Ohio – Ten individuals on the Ohio State track and field team received All-Big Ten honors by placing either first or second in their respective events at the 2003 conference meet.
Leading the way with accolades in three events was junior All-American thrower Dan Taylor (Middlefield, Ohio), who defended his 2002 title in the shot put with a field-best 64-8, while also earning conference honors in the discus and hammer throw, where he shattered his own OSU record with a heave of 217-5.
Also repeating as Big Ten champion was senior high jumper Tami Smith (Galloway, Ohio) as she recorded her fifth-straight combined indoor and outdoor conference title with a season-best leap of 5-11.25.
Two other Buckeyes were awarded with recognition in multiple events as senior sprinter Joel Brown (Woodlawn, Md.) took first place in the men’s 110-meter hurdles equaling his season-best 13.76. Brown then combined with fellow sprinters Greg Norman (Amherst, Ohio), Drew Carter (Solon, Ohio) and Michael Jenkins (Tampa, Fla.) to score a second place finish in the 4×100-meter relay clocking a season-best and NCAA regional qualifying 40.46.
The second OSU athlete to claim honors in two events was distance man Aaron Fisher (Indianapolis, Ind.), who recorded a championship effort in the 5,000-meter run with a career-best 14:19.41, while also taking second in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with another career mark of 8:48.23. Senior Derek Butler (Cincinnati, Ohio) added a second distance title in the men’s 10,000-meter run with a 31:36.16 winning performance. The women’s throw team once again thrived at the competition as freshman Amarachi Ukabam (Creve Couer, Mo.) claimed her first Big Ten title with a mark of 170-11 in the discus.
Big Ten indoor pentathlon champion Nicholette Chambers (New Haven, Conn.) completed the 2003 multi-events sweep with a 4,982-point showing to win the women’s heptathlon. The junior used first place efforts in the 100-meter and 800-meter events en route to the Big Ten title.
As a team, Ohio State claimed fourth place on both the men’s and women’s side of the competition. The men’s fourth place overall finish is its third Top 4 placing in the last four seasons, while the women’s fourth place standing is its highest since scoring third in 2000.
Ohio State is off this week in preparation to play host to the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Regional Championships May 30 and 31 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
