Buckeyes Begin Outdoor Season in Orlando – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
March 22, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s track and field team opens its 2012 outdoor season in Orlando, Fla., at the University of Central Florida Invitational this Friday and Saturday, March 23-24.
Ohio State returns to the track after finishing second in the Big Ten and 18th at the NCAA championships during the indoor championships. All-American Christina Manning started off the indoor championship season by claiming titles in the 60m hurdles (7.95) and 60m dash (7.23) at the Big Ten meet. Shaniqua McGinnis won the gold in the 600m run (1:28.14) to bring the team’s title count to three. McGinnis set a school record and Manning broke the 60m dash record and tied the 60m hurdles record at the time.
Maggie Mullen and Chesna Sykes traveled with Manning to Nampa, Idaho, for the NCAA indoor championships to represent the Scarlet and Gray. Strong performances by Mullen and Sykes in the weight throw and 60m dash, respectively, earned the duo Second Team All-American honors.
Becoming only the third Buckeye in history to win an individual indoor national title was Manning, who crossed the line in 7.91 for the championship in the 60m hurdles. The senior ran the fourth-fastest collegiate time in history and broke the Ohio State record. She also recorded a fifth-place finish in the 60m dash and earned all 14 team points for the Buckeyes at the national meet.
This week’s host, 12th-ranked Central Florida, finished eighth at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Buckeyes and the Knights both feature some of the nation’s top sprinters and hurdlers as Octavious Freeman and Aurieyall Scott went 2-3 in the 60m dash and Jackie Coward placed fifth in the 60m hurdles at the national championships. The Buckeyes and Knights will be joined in Orlando by 15 additional squads, including No. 4 Clemson, No. 11 Florida, and 13th-ranked Baylor.
Action is scheduled to begin at the UCF Track and Field Complex Friday at approximately 12:00 ET with competition in the javelin. A complete recap will be available after the meet at www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Competing Teams
Albany
No. 13 Baylor
No. 12 Central Florida
Cincinnati
No. 4 Clemson
Duke
Florida Atlantic
No. 11 Florida
Florida International
Georgia Tech
Marshall
Maryland
North Carolina
Ohio State
Princeton
Virginia Tech
Ohio State Ranked 27th in USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings
The Buckeyes checked-in at No. 27 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason rankings, released Thursday.
Ohio State is one of three Big Ten teams ranked among the Top 30. No. 20 Nebraska leads the way, followed by No. 26 Penn State and the Buckeyes. Oregon is the top-ranked team in the country, followed by No. 2 LSU and third-ranked USC.
Preseason national team rankings are calculated using data from previous seasons as a base of evaluation. Marks gained in the early part of this season will supersede previous-year marks if they are superior.
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The women’s track and field and cross country programs are on Facebook and Twitter. Visit www.facebook.com/OSUwtrackXC to get the latest news and notes on the Buckeyes. Be sure to also follow the team on Twitter @OhioState_WTRK.
Up Next
The Buckeyes travel to Tucson, Ariz., for the Jim Click Shootout March 31.
