Ohio State Track and Field Set for Road Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Jan. 13, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State track and field team commenced the 2004 indoor campaign in style as the host Buckeyes claimed 21 separate first-place finishes in the Buckeye Invitational last Saturday. This week Ohio State takes to the road for the only time in the month of January as the Buckeyes pay a visit to Lexington, Ky. for the University of Kentucky Invitational.
TAYLOR SETS AMERICAN COLLEGIATE RECORD AT BUCKEYE INVITATIONAL
Five-time All-American Dan Taylor kicked off the 2004 season in grand fashion as the reigning Big Ten indoor and outdoor athlete of the year established an American collegiate record in the weight throw with a heave of 76-2.25 (23.22 meters), surpassing the previous mark of 74-8.5 held by Kevin Mannon of Wyoming.
Taylor’s performance eclipsed his previous Big Ten and Ohio State weight throw records set March 3, 2003 at 22.35 meters, while falling shy of the NCAA record 24.02-meter mark set by Libor Charfreitag – a native of Slovakia – of SMU March 9, 2001.
Taylor also scored a first-place standing in the shot put with a throw of 66-6.5. His combined efforts in the weight throw and shot put Saturday set the all-time best performance in the two events in the history of indoor track and field. Taylor, whose career-best in the shot put is 69-11, now holds the all-time combined career record between the two events. LAST WEEK: 21 BUCKEYES CLAIM FIRST PLACE IN SEASON OPENER
Ohio State opened the 2004 indoor season at the 2004 Buckeye Invitational in French Field House.
Ohio State senior Dan Taylor highlighted the day as he claimed first in the shot put with a throw of 66-feet-6.5-inches and in the weight throw with a toss of 76-2.25. The effort in the weight throw established an American collegiate record, breaking the standard formerly held by Kevin Mannon of Wyoming in 2001. Both of Taylor’s performances served as automatic NCAA championship qualifiers.
Taylor’s efforts proved to be two of the 21 first-place marks turned in by the Buckeyes Saturday as fellow throwers Amarachi Ukabam and Keturah Lofton each collected top marks in the shot put and weight throw, respectively. Lofton scored a winning-effort in the weight with a throw of 63-4.25, while also setting a personal record in the shot put with a 47-9.75.
Ukabam took first in the shot put with a 51-0.25 heave, while scoring third in the weight at 61-5.5. Lofton provisionally qualified for the NCAA indoor championships with her mark in the weight, while Ukabam scored provisionals in both events.
The Buckeyes also scored first-place marks in nearly all jump events as senior Billy Mills took first in the high jump with a leap of 6-11. Junior Shayla Moore swept the women’s long jump and triple jump events with an 18-3.25 in the long jump and a 41-5 in the triple jump. On the men’s side, senior Nosa Ehimwenman took first in the long jump with a 23-2.50.
Senior Seth MacCarter rounded out the field events with a top mark in the men’s pole vault at 15-5, which served as an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
Senior hurdler Dalanda Jackson also turned in a solid performance as she placed first in the 55-meter hurdles in a time of 8.01, despite stumbling at the finish line. Fellow senior Brandi Hogan finished the race just behind Jackson with an 8.10.
In the sprinting events, the men received first-place efforts from Greg Norman as he posted a time of 6.95 seconds to finish first in the 60-meter dash, while clocking a 22.75 in the 200-meters to take top honors. The Buckeyes also took first in the women’s 200 meters as freshman Jenna Harris clocked a winning 25.47. Harris also took second in the 60-meter dash.
Others who placed first in running events were juniors John Morris in the 600 meters and Pannsy Henry in the 800 meters, while freshman Jennifer Ogbuehi claimed top honors in the 400 meters.
The Ohio State success carried into the distance events as Buckeyes scored first place in four of six events as senior Jacob McCauley and sophomore Chelsea Poling took first in each of the mile runs, while senior Lyndsi Gay and junior Brian Olinger combined to the 3,000-meter event.
TAYLOR SCORES EIGHTH BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK IN TWO SEASONS
For the eighth time in the last two seasons, Taylor garnered Big Ten athlete of the week following his record-setting performance at the Buckeye Invitational Saturday.
The Middlefield, Ohio native won seven weekly conference honors last season, including the final outdoor athlete of the week award May 12, 2003.
TAYLOR UPS FRENCH FIELD HOUSE WIN STREAK TO FIVE AND SEVEN-OF-EIGHT
With his victories in each of the weight throw and shot put competitions Saturday at the Buckeye Invite, Taylor claimed his seventh crown in eight total events at French Field House during the past three seasons.
Additionally, Taylor, who scored first place in 12 of 14 indoor throw events last season prior to the NCAA Championships, now has claimed top honors in 14 of the last 16 regular season throw events since the beginning of the 2003 season.
TAYLOR AND UKABAM REPRESENT OHIO STATE AT PAN AM GAMES
Throwers Dan Taylor, a senior, and sophomore Amarchi Ukabam celebrated their Big Ten championship seasons last year as selections to the 2004 United States Pan American Games members.
Taylor competed in the senior games in the Dominican Republic, while Ukabam scored a junior championship in the discus in Barbados.
OSU’S WARNER NAMED TO U.S. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS STAFF
Jack Warner, Ohio State track and field assistant coach, was officially named to the 2005 United States World Championships coaching staff in December. Warner will serve as the sprints and hurdles coach at the event held in Helsinki, Finland. Dates for the championships are to be announced in the future.
RECAPPING 2003 KENTUCKY INVITATIONAL
Ohio State concluded a spectacular showing at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational hosted by the University of Kentucky as a dozen Buckeyes earned first place honors in their respective events, while nine claimed provisional or automatic qualifications to national competition.
The throws squad led the way for the Buckeyes as Dan Taylor set a Big Ten and school mark in the weight throw. Taylor, who has bested his own records in each of the shot put and weight throw events in each of the last five weeks, established a high mark in the weight throw with a first place toss of 22.03m. He also placed first with a 19.65m throw in the shot put. Both figures are automatic qualifiers for NCAA competition.
Also earning qualifying efforts in the throw events were Keturah Lofton with a 19.55m in 20-pound weight throw, and Krista Keir with a 16.72m in the shot put. Keir’s figure serves as an automatic qualifying mark and an Ohio State program record, while Lofton qualifies provisionally for the second instance this season.
The Buckeyes also faired well in the jump events as they were led on the men’s side by Nosa Ehimwenman with a 49-09.25 mark in the triple jump and Drew Carter, who posted a leap of 24-04.25 in the long jump.
Senior high jumper Tami Smith set a provisional qualification in the high jump with a 5-10.00 effort, while freshman Robyn Mroz set a school record in the pole vault with a leap of 11-8.00.
In the distance events, the men claimed first place in the mile and in the 3,000 meter run. Rob Myers took first in the mile as he broke the four minute mark finishing in a time of 3:58.64. With his time of 3:58.64 Myers automatically qualified for the 2003 NCAA championships. In the 3,000 meter run Derrick Butler finished first in the event with a time of 8:13.03 breaking the Rod McCravy Meet record.
In the Hurdles, Molly Logan and Brandi Hogan finished first and second in the 60-meter hurdles. Hogan added a first place finish in the 200m at 24.39. On the men’s side Joel Brown finished first in the 60-meter hurdles provisionally qualifying for the 2003 NCAA championships and setting a school record in time of 7.77 seconds.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2004
All the achievements earned both individually and as a unit in 2003 will serve as a solid stepping stone for the 2004 Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field team.
Buckeye head coach Russ Rogers, who enters his 16th season at the Ohio State helm, looks for banner performances from a strong returning class of seniors and juniors, while also seeking solid contributions from a talented freshmen class.
The Buckeyes boast a group of seniors dually loaded in talent and leadership as two-time All-American Dan Taylor leads a unit rich in experience at the national level.
Taylor is the reigning Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year in both the indoor and outdoor campaigns as he looks to defend his conference titles in the weight throw and shot put in the indoor season and add conference crowns in the hammer and discus to his outdoor shot put title in 2002 and 2003.
Fellow senior Joel Brown also returns to defend his Big Ten title in the outdoor high hurdles.
Senior distance man Rob Myers returns for the indoor season in hopes of gaining his second straight All-America honor, while freshman Aaron Fisher will seek to defend his 2003 Big Ten title in the 5,000 meters.
Additional points should come from defending indoor and outdoor multi-events champion senior Nichollette Chambers and sophomore sensation Amarachi Ukabam, who topped the conference field in the discus last season and later won the NCAA Mideast Regional championship in the same event en route to being named Big Ten Outdoor Freshman of the Year.
THE WHEN AND THE WHERE – THE 2004 OHIO STATE SCHEDULE
Highlighting the indoor season are four home events at French Field House, including the opening event of the season as OSU welcomes competing schools to the Buckeye Invitational Jan. 10. After traveling to the Rod McCravy Invite at the University of Kentucky, the Buckeyes close out the month of January with consecutive home meets as Indiana and Purdue travel to Columbus for the annual tri-meet between the Buckeyes, Boilermakers and Hoosiers Jan. 24 before French serves as the venue for the 2004 running of the Ohio State Invitational Jan. 31.
The Buckeyes take to the road for the next two weeks, competing in the Indiana Invitational Feb. 6-7 and the Nittany Lion Invitational on the campus of Penn State University Feb. 13-14 before closing the indoor regular season at home as host of the Scarlet and Gray Invitational Feb. 22.
Ohio State will head to the Big Ten championships Feb. 28-29 with the men set to compete at Ann Arbor, Mich., while the women’s competition will take place at Iowa City, Iowa. The indoor campaign concludes March 12 -13 in Fayetteville, Ark. for the NCAA Championships.
2003 CROSS COUNTRY WRAP UP
The Ohio State men’s and women’s cross country teams once again posted strong seasons under the direction of men’s head coach Robert Gary and women’s head coach Chad Myers.
This past fall, the women’s team posted its highest finish at the 2003 Big Ten Championships, while the men qualified for the NCAA championships for the third time in four years. Pacing the Buckeyes down the stretch was senior co-captain Rob Myers who earned First Team All-Big Ten honors as he placed sixth at the Big Ten championships.
Leading the way for the women’s team was senior Lyndsi Gay as she paced the Buckeyes during the first four meets of the season before being sidelined with an injury at the end of the year.
UP NEXT
Ohio State returns home to host Indiana and Purdue in a tri-meet Jan. 24 at French Field House. The event is set to begin at 11 a.m.
