Ohio State Closes Season at NCAA Championships – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
June 7, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State track and field team concludes the 2004 outdoor season at the NCAA championships June 9-12 at the University of Texas at Austin. Nine Buckeyes earned their right to compete for national honors at UT’s Myers Stadium, led by Mideast regional champions Joel Brown in the 110-meter hurdles and Dan Taylor in the hammer throw.
Preliminary events begin Wednesday at 2 p.m. (EDT) and run the event finals Saturday evening.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT INFORMATION, SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
A complete schedule of events and live results will be provided throughout the 2004 NCAA Championships at www.texassports.com.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS ANNOUNCED; BROWN, FISHER TOP NCAA LISTS
Selections to the 2004 outdoor national championships were announced June 1 by the NCAA. Five from the osu men’s side will travel to Austin boasting some of the top marks in the nation, while four women also will aspire for national recognition.
OSU MEN’S RANKINGS
Leading the men’s unit are senior Joel Brown and junior Aaron Fisher, who both sit atop the national rankings in their respective events. Brown, who won the NCAA Mideast regional championship in the 110-meter hurdles last Saturday in Baton Rouge, La., holds the No. 1 spot in the event at 13.45. Fisher has held the top ranking in the men’s steeplechase for more than a month after clocking an 8:37.33 to win the event at the Jesse Owens Track Classic April 30. Last weekend, Fisher placed second at the regional in the steeple (8:50.10) to assure his place at the NCAA meet. Also assuming high marks on the men’s side are seniors Rob Myers and Dan Taylor. Taylor, who won the men’s hammer regional title last Friday with an Ohio State, Big Ten and Mideast regional record heave of 223 feet, 8 inches (223-8), is ranked No. 3 in the hammer after his regional performance, while also holding the second spot in the country in the shot put at 67-8, set May 1. Myers scored runner-up in the Mideast regional 1,500-meter run and stakes to No. 2 nationally in the event after timing a 3:40.27 at the Oregon Classic June 5.
Brian Olinger, who placed third behind Fisher in the Mideast regional steeplechase, rates at No. 21 nationally after pacing an 8:50.02 April 22.
OSU WOMEN’S RANKINGS
Multiple-event qualifiers Rosalind Goodwin and Amarachi Ukabam highlight the women’s crew. Goodwin leapt past her own Ohio State record to claim runner-up in the triple jump (43-7.75) at the regional after taking third in the long jump. The Prospect, Ky. native is ranked No. 10 in the triple with her regional length and No. 13 in the long jump with her season-best and Ohio State record 20-11.75, set April 17.
Ukabam used a pair of season-bests en route to two third-place finishes at the regional. The Creve Couer, Mo. product tossed an Ohio State all-time best 54-7.50 to advance in the shot put and launched a season-mark of 181-9 for her second third-place tally in the discus. She is ranked at No. 9 in the discus and No. 16 in the shot.
Another thrower climbed the national lists at the regional as junior Keturah Lofton smashed her own Big Ten and Ohio State record in the hammer throw to take runner-up in the event, reaching 204-7. Her length at regionals places 12th in the hammer list heading to nationals.
Lastly, senior Molly Logan received a bid in the 100-meter hurdles based on her time of 13.27, set April 23 at the Penn Relays. Logan placed ninth at the Mideast regional after clipping the final four hurdles in the race. The 13.27 time ranks 21st in the country.
REGIONAL ROYALTY: BROWN, TAYLOR SCORE MIDEAST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Following regional runner-up finishes in 2003, seniors Joel Brown and Dan Taylor claimed Ohio State’s first men’s NCAA Mideast regional titles at LSU May 28-29.
Brown blazed to a career-best and wind-aided 13.39 to claim the 110-meter hurdles title, while Taylor shattered Ohio State, Big Ten and Mideast records in winning the hammer at a length of 223-8. Brown’s time would have counted as a regional record, but the positive wind reading of 4.6 exceeded the allowable mark for a regional standard.
The regional crowns gained Brown and Taylor automatic bids to the NCAA championships.
SEVERAL BUCKEYES TAKE RUNNER-UP, TOP 3 AT MIDEAST REGIONALS
In all, seven Buckeyes placed in the Top 3 in 10 events at the Mideast meet. Adding to the titles won by Brown and Taylor were runner-up finishes by fellow male competitors Aaron Fisher and Rob Myers in the steeplechase and 1,500-meter run.
The women also boasted a pair of runner-up honors as Keturah Lofton placed second in the hammer Friday and Rosalind Goodwin leapt to second in the triple jump.
Goodwin also was among the three third-place finishers at the regional meet as he posted the No. 3 distance in the long jump. Sophomore Amarachi Ukabam turned in a set of third-place tallies in the discus and shot put. In the men’s steeple, Brian Olinger followed Fisher with a third-place time.
MYERS RACES TO No. 2 TIME IN NCAA IN 1,500 METERS AT OREGON TRACK CLASSIC
Rob Myers, a distance runner on the Ohio State track and field team, climbed the national performance list in the men’s 1,500-meter run Saturday, June 5 at the 14th annual Oregon Track Classic in Gresham, Ore. Competing against a field of international athletes, the two-time All-American raced to the No. 2 time in the NCAA in the 1,500 meter run with a seventh-place time of 3:40.27. Myers’ time trails four-time NCAA champion Alistar Cragg of Arkansas, who clocked a 3:40.18 on May 16 at the Southeastern Conference championships.
Myers, who was named Academic All-District IV last week, placed second in the 1,500m at the 2004 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships May 29 in Baton Rouge, La. in a time of 3:46.13.
Robert Gary, distance head coach at Ohio State, also ran at the Oregon Track Classic as he continued his prep for a run at his second Olympic team. Gary, a member of the 1996 United States Olympic squad in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, placed 10th in the 3,000-meter run in Gresham in a time of 7:53.57.
Myers and Gary will travel to Austin, Texas for the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships this week. The event, which runs from June 9-12, will close out Myers’ career at Ohio State.
GERTH, MYERS RECOGNIZED AS ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Sjaan Gerth and Rob Myers, both senior distance runners on the Ohio State track and field team, were named Academic All-District IV Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America committee. Gerth, a biochemistry major, was listed as a first-team honoree. Myers, majoring in agriculture business, gained second-team status.
Gerth was a NCAA Mideast regional qualifier in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2003 and 2004. He is scheduled to graduate with a 3.90 grade-point average. Gerth was a finalist at Ohio State for the Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Myers is a former Big Ten champion in the 1,500-meter run and recently claimed runner-up at the Mideast regional in the same event. Myers, who holds the second-best 1,500-meter time in the country heading into the NCAA championships June 9-12 in Austin, Texas, also competed in the 2004 World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Budapest, Hungary in March. He holds a 3.38 GPA.
Gerth and Myers were named to their third Academic All-Big Ten team and fourth OSU Scholar-Athlete honor last week.
FISHER, MYERS AND TAYLOR RATE IN U.S. TOP 5, BROWN TOP 15
Not only do Brown, Fisher, Myers and Taylor find themselves in the top ranks in the NCAA in their respective events, but also among the best marks in the United States in 2004.
Fisher’s steeple time of 8:37.33 at the Jesse Owens Classic qualifies for fourth in the U.S., while Taylor also used his outdoor personal record of 67-8 in the shot at the Owens to claim the No. 4 slot in U.S. event lists. Taylor also hold a Top 20 ranking in the hammer.
With his time at the Oregon Classic, Myers rates in the Top 5 in the trackandfieldnews.com comprehensive lists in both the 1,500m run. Myers clocked both his 3:40.27 in the 1,500m, which ranks fourth. Also, his 4:00.17 in the indoor mile is good for ninth. The four-minute mile came at the Kentucky Invite Feb. 28.
Brown’s time of 13.45 in the hurdles set at the Mideast regional stands at No. 7 in the U.S., while his 20.64 in the Jesse Owens Classic 200m sits at No. 23 in the U.S.
On the women’s side, Goodwin, Lofton and Ukabam all hold Top 25 marks in the U.S. ranks. Goodwin has climbed into the Top 20 in both the long and triple jumps, while Ukabam stakes claim inside the Top 25 in the discus. Lofton rates among the 30 best in the hammer.
OSU, BIG TEN AND REGIONAL RECORDS FALL AT MIDEAST COMPETITION
Numerous Ohio State records fell at the 2004 Mideast regional. Joel Brown raced to a program-best 13.45 in the 110m hurdles, while Dan Taylor eclipsed the record in the hammer with a heave of 223-8. Both Brown and Taylor snapped their own records. Taylor’s mark in the hammer not only topped the OSU mark, but also bested the Big Ten and regional standard set by Adam Judge of Indiana regionals last season at 223-5.
Throwers Keturah Lofton and Amarachi Ukabam also topped their own records as Lofton moved past her OSU, Big Ten and the regional mark to place second in the hammer at 204-7. Ukabam smashed her OSU shot put record, reaching 54-7.50.
The last OSU record to fall was Rosalind Goodwin’s 43-7.75 to best her OSU record in the triple jump, placing second.
TAYLOR SEEKS 10TH CAREER ALL-AMERICA HONORS, FIRST NCAA OUTDOOR TITLES
Dan Taylor’s career at Ohio State has seen numerous merits, including two indoor national titles in the 2004 season, leading to his seventh and eighth All-America honors.
At the outdoor national meet, Taylor will be in search of his third and fourth NCAA titles in 2004 and his 10th All-America.
Taylor won his first All-America as a sophomore at the 2002 NCAA indoor meet, where he claimed All-American in the shot put. Later in 2002, Taylor added a second All-American in outdoor shot.
In the last two NCAA indoor meets, Taylor has scored All-America in the weight and shot put, while the outdoor season in 2003 saw him claim a pair of All-Amercan honors in the shot and discus.
BROWN AFTER HURDLES CROWN, AIMS AT SECOND OUTDOOR ALL-AMERICA
Joel Brown enters the NCAA outdoor meet as the No. 1-ranked competitor in the 110-meter hurdles as he seeks his first national title in the event.
Brown looks to improve upon his ninth-place finish, which garnered All-America honors, at the 2003 outdoor meet. Brown also gained All-American status in the 60-meter hurdles in the 2003 indoor season.
BUCKEYE DISTANCE IMPRESSES AGAIN
Three members of the Ohio State men’s distance team each claimed Top 3 spots in their events at the 2004 NCAA Mideast regional.
Juniors Aaron Fisher and Brian Olinger placed 1-2 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, while senior Rob Myers paced a runner-up time in the 1,500-meter run.
The OSU women’s distance team turned in a strong performance as well. Senior Tamecia Brown failed to make the finals of the 800-meter run, but set an OSU record in the event at 2:07.17. Freshman Nicole Gliem timed a season-best and scored two team points for Ohio State, placing seventh in the 5,000 meters at 16:4124.
21 BUCKEYES MERIT ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN STATUS
A dozen members of the women’s team and nine men earned academic recognition by the Big Ten June 2 for carrying a grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
For the men, Kevin Bruffy, Aaron Fisher, Sjann Gerth, Joseph Gourley, Scott Hudepohl, William Mills, Robert Myers, Jonathan White and Mike Zak were recognized.
The women included Holly Carr, Sarah Cass, Tiffany Davis, Lyndsi Gay, Rebecca Heintz, Katy Houser, Keturah Lofton, Janell Mitchell, Shayla Moore, Robyn Mroz, Chelsea Poling and Amarachi Ukabam.
TAYLOR REPEATS AS BIG TEN OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Dan Taylor was awarded his second career Big Ten Outdoor Athlete of the Year honor by the conference office May 25. The senior, who won the award in both the 2003 indoor and outdoor seasons, recently claimed his third straight Big Ten outdoor shot put title.
The native of Middlefield, Ohio is the first Buckeye to become a two-time outdoor Big Ten athlete of the year winner as he claimed Ohio State’s third overall male award in program history. In 2000, Andrew Pierce (1998-2001) was deemed top male athlete in the conference after setting the championship meet record to win the 400-meter dash.
BROWN, FISHER DOUBLE THEIR PLEASURE WITH SECOND BIG TEN TITLES
Senior hurdler/sprinter Joel Brown and junior distance runner Aaron Fisher each claimed Big Ten titles at the 2003 meet. The pair accomplished the feat again in 2004, but in different contexts.
Brown successfully defended his 2003 conference medal in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 13.88, while also taking second in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes.
Fisher, the 2003 Big Ten champ in the 5,000 meters, claimed the top honor in the steeplechase in 2004 as he breezed to the No. 1 standing in 8:44.59.
MAKE IT A TRIPLE FOR TAYLOR IN THE SHOT PUT
Taylor claimed his third straight Big Ten shot put championship in 2004 after heaving a mark of 66-8.50, becoming the first in Ohio State annals to win three shot put crowns. He also is the lone Buckeye to “three-peat” in an outdoor event since Jordan Gray won the 110-meter hurdles from 1991-93.
The 2004 Big Ten shot put championship is Taylor’s fifth in his career spanning the indoor and outdoor seasons. He successfully defended his 2003 indoor shot put title at the 2004 conference meet.
LOFTON BREAKS HAMMER RECORD AGAIN EN ROUTE TO BIG TEN CROWN
Junior thrower Keturah Lofton broke her own Big Ten and Ohio State record in the hammer throw May 14 to claim her first career Big Ten outdoor title.
Lofton used a heave of 200 feet, 7 inches (200-7) to better the 200-2 she set May 8 at the Campbell/Wright Invite in Akron, Ohio. Lofton’s mark also snapped the Big Ten meet record of 199-2, set by April Phillips of Michigan last season.
GOODWIN EQUALS OSU RECORD TO WIN BIG TEN TRIPLE JUMP TITLE
Rosalind Goodwin, a junior jumper, recorded her first Big Ten outdoor title with her OSU record-setter in the triple jump. Goodwin tied Shandi Boyd-Pleasant’s Ohio State all-time mark of 43-2.50 set in 1996 to claim the top spot.
Goodwin, who also placed second in the long jump at the Big Ten meet, now owns or shares the Ohio State records in both the indoor and outdoor long and triple jump events.
Goodwin set her OSU indoor records in consecutive days to place first at the Big Ten meet.
FISHER BLAZES TO NATION’S BEST TIME IN 3,000m STEEPLECHASE
Junior distance runner Aaron Fisher set the Ohio State season best in the steeplechase April 16 at the Mt. SAC Relays at 8:52.35. The next week, his time was eclipsed by teammate Brian Olinger at 8:50.02 at the Penn Relays.
A week later at the Jesse Owens Classic, Fisher answered the call as he shattered the Olinger’s mark with a first-place time of 8:37.33, which fell less than a second behind the Jesse Owens Stadium record of 8:36.55, set by OSU assistant coach Robert Gary in 2001.
The 8:37.33 is the fastest time in the steeplechase so far this season in the NCAA.
TAYLOR EARNS BACK-TO-BACK ATHLETE OF THE PENN RELAYS HONORS
Dan Taylor defended his 2003 titles in both the hammer throw and shot put championships of America events April 22-24 at the 2004 Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia, Pa. The victories helped Taylor claim outstanding male athlete of the event honors for the second consecutive season. He became the first to win both the hammer and shot put events in back-to-back seasons in the 110-year history of the carnival.
Taylor is the first to repeat as male athlete of the meet since TCU sprinter Kim Collins accomplished the feat at the 2000 and 2001 carnivals. In 2003, Taylor claimed the hammer and shot titles with marks of 209-8 and 65-0.50, respectively, to gain his first athlete of the meet honor.
BROWN HURDLES WAY TO PENN RELAYS TITLE
Joel Brown, an All-American in 2003, clocked a 13.60 to win the championships of America 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Penn Relays April 24.
The 13.60 in the hurdles served as a then season best for Brown, who fell just .02 shy of his Ohio State record of 13.58 in the event. Brown finished fourth at the Penn Relays last season, clocking a 13.76.
OHIO STATE’S TAYLOR FIRST TO ACCOMPLISH INDOOR THROWS SWEEP IN NCAA HISTORY
Ohio State senior thrower Dan Taylor completed the sweep of the throw events at the 2004 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. with a first-place measure in the weight throw Saturday afternoon. Taylor, who holds the American collegiate record in the weight at 78 feet, 9 L inches (78-9.25), tossed a mark of 77-7.50 to top runner-up Keith McBride of Purdue (71-2.75) by more than 6 feet.
Friday at the event, which was held at the University of Arkansas’ Randall Tyson Indoor Track Center, Taylor bested the field in the shot put with a 66-7.25 to claim Ohio State’s first NCAA indoor title since 2001. With the wins, Taylor becomes the first student-athlete to win both competitions at the national indoor meet in NCAA history.
WHAT’S AHEAD
United States Olympic Trials July 9-18 in Sacramento, Calif.
