Buckeyes Ready for a Challenge in Virginia – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
April 16, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State track and field team heads to Charlottesville, Va., Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, for the Virginia Challenge.
Over 1,300 athletes from 35 schools will compete in 42 events over the two days of competition. Events are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday and 9.m. Saturday at Lannigan Field on the University of Virginia campus.
Notable Competing Teams
East Carolina
Iowa State
Michigan (No. 25 W)
Michigan State (No. 18 W)
Minnesota (women only)
NC State
North Carolina (No. 22 W)
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Pittsburgh
South Florida
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
Virginia (No. 22 M)
Virginia Tech (No. 21 W)
Wake Forest
West Virginia
Borchers Wins Big Ten Medal of Honor
Senior Katie Borchers, along with men’s tennis senior Kevin Metka, was announced as an Ohio State recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor Monday at the Scholar-Athlete Dinner.
Each member institution in the conference gives the award annually to the male and female student-athletes in the graduating class who have attained the greatest proficiency in both academics and athletics. The Big Ten Conference office established the award in 1914 for men and an additional award for the top female was instituted in 1982. The award includes a $5,000 postgraduate scholarship.
Borchers, from Russia, Ohio, is one of Ohio State’s all-time best middle distance runners on the track and the most accomplished women’s cross country athlete in school history. She is the reigning Big Ten 800-meter indoor and outdoor champion, a four-event school record holder and Second Team All-American. On the cross country course, Borchers is the only two-time All-American and All-Big Ten honoree for the Buckeyes, last season leading the Scarlet and Gray to its second-ever appearance at the NCAA championships. Academically, Borchers is a 2014 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, 2014 Capital One Academic All-District selection, a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. Borchers is majoring in exercise science, with plans to attend graduate school for physical therapy.
“I’m speechless right now,” Borchers said. “I couldn’t be more grateful for those who helped me in my time here. Over the years, I adapted to the life of a student-athlete, accepted the challenge and I’m honored to receive this award.”
Buckeyes in the USTFCCCA National Rankings
The Buckeye men are ranked 44th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Outdoor Track & Field Week 2 Poll, released April 13.
OSU totaled 46.73 points in the weekly poll. Seven Big Ten teams are featured in the Top 50: No. 16 Penn State, No. 19 Nebraska, No. 25 Iowa, No. 31 Michigan, No. 36 Purdue, No. 37 Illinois and the Buckeyes. Texas A&M is the No. 1-ranked team, followed by No. 2 Florida and third-ranked Oregon.
The OSU women are ranked 48th overall with 41.14 points. Six Big Ten rivals are represented in the Top 50: No. 18 Michigan State, No. 25 Michigan, No. 27 Nebraska, No. 36 Penn State, the Buckeyes and No. 50 Maryland. Texas A&M is also the top-ranked women’s team in the Week 1 poll, followed by No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Texas.
Week 3 rankings are released April 20.
Buckeyes in the USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional Rankings
Men (Top 5)
1. Indiana — 896.60 points
2. Eastern Michigan — 523.93
3. Akron — 508.17
4. Ohio State — 480.46
5. Michigan State — 463.85
Women (Top 5)
1. Purdue — 618.04
2. Notre Dame — 604.15
3. Michigan State — 599.52
4. Ohio State — 496.05
5. Cincinnati — 454.94
The regional team index uses data provided by www.TFRRS.org for only the 2015 indoor season and is a reflection of a team’s all-around strength. The regional team index is scored using the current national-team ranking formula as if there were separate regional championships across the country.
Scarlet and Gray in the Individual Top 25
Three Buckeye athletes have posted Top 25 times/marks in Division I this season according to Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). A look at where the Buckeyes sit:
· Jackson Neff — No. 5, steeplechase
· J.C. Murasky — No. 11, shot put
· Zack Bazile — No. 15, long jump
#StrongerTogether
Stronger Together is the official team motto of the 2015 Buckeyes as the squad embarks on its first season as a combined program in nine years. #StrongerTogether will be featured throughout the season in social media posts.
Last Time Out
The Ohio State track and field team competed at the 2015 All-Ohio Championships April 10-11 in Oxford, Ohio. Competing with partial squads, the Ohio State men finished in first place and the women second overall.
Ohio State totaled 140 points on the men’s side to edge Ashland (138.5) by a point and a half. The women’s score of 107 trailed only Miami (152) in the final standings.
The OSU men posted a number of impressive performances in the field. Murasky was victorious in two events at Miami for the second-consecutive weekend, winning the shot put at 19.13 meters (62-9.25) and the discus at 51.28 meters (168-3.00).
In his first action of the year, sophomore Josh Fridley cleared a height of 2.05 meters (6-8.75) to win the high jump. The mark equaled a personal-best for the Nelsonville, Ohio, native.
Junior Aliyah Everson led the Buckeye women on the track, winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Everson crossed the finish line in 12.27 seconds in the 100 and 25.01 seconds in the 200.
In the field, senior Carly Pendleton used a season-best throw of 47.76 meters (156-8.00) to win the discus, while junior Jasmine Glover cleared 1.73 meters (5-8.00) to take home first in the high jump.
Up Next
Ohio State travels to Des Moines, Iowa for the annual Drake Relays April 23-25.
