Ohio State’s Taylor Wins NCAA Shot Put Title – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Ohio State senior thrower Dan Taylor represented Ohio State at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Friday with a national title-winning performance in the shot put. Taylor, the two-time defending Big Ten shot put winner, recorded a throw of 66 feet, 7 L inches (66-7.25/ 20.30m) in his fifth and final attempt to claim Ohio State’s first NCAA indoor title since former Buckeye Donnica Merriman won the women’s 60-meter hurdles at the 2001 meet.
Taylor, the national runner-up in the event last season, bested 2003 indoor national champion Carl Myerscough of Nebraska, who placed second with a throw that covered 66-3 (20.19m). The 10-point first-place finish by Taylor helped the Buckeyes gain seventh in the team standings after day one.
The Middlefield, Ohio product, who holds numerous Ohio State records in the indoor and outdoor seasons, will vie for the national title in the weight at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the University of Arkansas’ Randall Tyson Indoor Track. Taylor owns the top mark in the country in the weight at 78-9.25 (24.01m), which stands just one centimeter shy of the all-time NCAA mark of 24.02m.
“It feels great to win a national title,” Taylor said. ” It is a great way to cap my indoor career. Tomorrow, I will look to break the national record and throw as far as possible in the weight.”
A pair of Buckeye throwers also competed on the women’s side in the weight throw Friday. Junior Keturah Lofton (Zainesville, Ohio/ Zainesville), the 2004 Big Ten champion in the event, recorded a Top 10 standing with heave of 65-11. Falling just behind Lofton was teammate Amarachi Ukabam (Creve Couer, Mo./ Marquette), who placed 11th with a throw reaching 63-11.50. With the performances, both Lofton and Ukabam earned All-America honors. Ukabam also qualified for the shot put competition and will compete in that event Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The last Buckeye to compete Friday was 2004 Big Ten long jump and triple jump champion, Rosalind Goodwin (Prospect, Ky./ Ballard), who took to the runway for the women’s long jump. In the event, Goodwin leapt 19-8 to place 12th and earn All-America accolades as well. Saturday, Goodwin will compete in the women’s triple jump, which is set for a 5:10 p.m. start.
Men’s shot put finals 1. Dan Taylor SR Ohio State 20.30m 66-07.25 19.37m 19.37m 19.97m 19.51m 20.26m 20.30m 2. Carl Myerscough SR Nebraska 20.19m 66-03.00 19.77m FOUL 20.19m 19.58m 20.00m FOUL 3. Dan Ames SR UCLA 19.98m 65-06.75 19.98m 19.26m 19.04m 18.84m 19.00m 19.71m
Women’s weight finals 1. Candice Scott JR Florida 23.05m 75-07.50 10 22.30m 22.89m FOUL 23.05m 22.01m 22.70m 2. Kim Barrett JR Florida 22.95m 75-03.50 8 21.65m 21.51m FOUL 22.14m 22.95m 21.89m 3. Jenny Dahlgren FR Georgia 22.03m 72-03.50 6 21.23m 21.43m 21.90m FOUL FOUL 22.03m 10. Keturah Lofton JR Ohio State 19.96m 65-06.00 FOUL 19.96m FOUL 11. Amarachi Ukabam SO Ohio State 19.49m 63-11.50 18.97m FOUL 19.49m
Women’s long jump finals 1. Hyleas Fountain SR Georgia 6.58m 21-07.25 10 6.27m 6.24m 6.14m 6.16m 6.43m 6.58m 2. Stephanie Sowell SR Northwestern State 6.36m 20-10.50 8 FOUL FOUL 6.11m 6.07m 6.24m 6.36m 3. Ineta Radevica SR Nebraska 6.29m 20-07.75 6 6.22m 6.20m FOUL 6.22m 6.23m 6.29m 12. Rosalind Goodwin JR Ohio State 5.99m 19-08.00 5.88m 5.88m 5.99m
