2010 BIG TEN OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELEASE Contact: Dan Mihalik, Robert Hammel Communications Intern • Office: 847-696-1010 ext. 146 • E-mail: [email protected] CHAMPIONSHIPS INFORMATION BIG TEN OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW Big Ten Track and Field Championships Men’s Preview Women’s Preview Host: Indiana University At the Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex Indiana University and the Robert C. Haugh Track The 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Cham- May 14-16, 2010 and Field Complex will play host pionships, hosted by Indiana to the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor University at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Championships, Track and Field Complex, is set to IU Media Relations Information scheduled to begin Friday and begin Friday and run through Sun- Kyle Johnson, Track & Field Contact run through Sunday. Minnesota day. Last year’s outcome was one Office: 812.855.9399 looks to defend its men’s team of the closest in conference his- E-mail: [email protected] championship from a season tory as Penn State won its second ago, where it totaled 130 points straight Big Ten Championship in winning its sixth conference with 139 points. The Nittany Lions Championships Coverage title. Ohio State was second with 103 points and narrowly edged Michigan, who finished second with Live results of the 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Michigan was third with 100. 138.75 points, and third-place Minnesota (131.50). Track and Field Championships will be avail- able through iuhoosiers.com, and daily In the sprints, a new set of champions will emerge Beginning with the sprint races, Penn State’s updates can be found at www.bigten.org. as the top runners in 2010. Iowa’s Zeke Sayon Shavon Greaves returns to defend her crowns in Championships updates are also available owns the conference’s top time this season with a the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She currently through Twitter at @BigTenChamps. host of conference standouts not far behind. The boasts the conference’s top times in those events, 200-meter dash will also see a new champion. The but will be challenged by a number of returning Big Ten Network Coverage field is highlighted by Illinois’ Stanley Azie, who is performers in each race. Illinois’ Melissa Bates was The Big Ten Network will highlight Days 2 the only conference runner to eclipse the 21-second the 400-meter champion last year, and is one of and 3 of the Big Ten Track and Field mark this season. Ohio State’s Thomas Murdaugh, seven returning scorers in what will be an exciting Championships. It will broadcast the event in runner-up in the 400-meter dash last year, holds the showdown this year. tape delay at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 22. event’s top time in the Big Ten this season. Ohio State’s Letecia Wright, the 2009 runner-up in Purdue’s Josh Hembrough returns as the 110-meter the 100-meter hurdles, is the top returning scorer ATHLETES OF THE WEEK hurdles champion, while Michigan’s Carl Buchanan re- in the event, and with the Big Ten’s top time in the turns after topping the field in the 400-meter hurdles. event this season, will undoubtedly be a contender once again. In the 400-meter hurdles race, Penn MEN’S WEEKLY WINNERS The distance races return a bevy of 2009 scorers, State’s Fawn Dorr eyes a first-place finish after -hav March 31: Andy Bayer, Fr., IND (T) including champions in the 800-meter run (Penn State’s ing placed second a year ago. Jeff Coover, Sr., IND (F) Ryan Foster) and the 1,500-meter run (Wisconsin’s Craig April 7: Ryan Foster, Jr., PSU (T) Miller). At least four of the top eight finishers in the 800, The distance races will feature several returning Matt McHugh, Jr., ILL (F) 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meter runs return to compete standouts, including last year’s 5,000-meter cham- April 14: Andy Bayer, Fr., IND (T) for titles. Michigan’s Lex Williams leads the contingent pion Angela Bizzarri of Illinois, who set a Big Ten Derek Drouin, So., IND (F) April 21: Andrew Riley, So., ILL (T) of returning scorers in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter Championships record in the event a year ago, and Joe Kovacs, So., PSU (F) races, while Wisconsin’s Ryan Gasper looks to defend 10,000-meter winner Megan Duwell of Minnesota. April 28: Jeff See, Sr., OSU (T) his title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Bizzarri was the runner-up in the 1,500-meter Casimir Loxsom, Fr., PSU (T) distance, while Gopher Nikki Swenson is the top Derek Drouin, So., IND (F) The field events will be loaded with experienced returning scorer in the 800, posting a third-place R.J. McGinnis, Sr., MINN (F) May 5: Casimir Loxsom, Fr., PSU (T) talent. Defending 2009 conference champions finish a year ago. Three of the top four finishers Micah Hagerle, Fr., MINN (F) Derek Drouin of Indiana (high jump), Lonnie Pugh in last year’s 3,000-meter steeplechase return for May 12: Gavin Robertson, Fr., WIS (T) of Michigan (discus) and Eric Sparks of Purdue (pole what should be a close race. Penn State’s Bridget Ryan Fritz, Sr., PSU (F) vault) return to their respective events and eye Franek and Indiana’s Sarah Pease both rank in the another title. The fields will be competitive as seven top 10 nationally in the event this season. WOMEN’S WEEKLY WINNERS scoring athletes return in the high jump, six in the March 31: Caitlin Engel, So., IND (T) long jump and four in the triple jump. In the field events, four conference champions Chavon Robinson, Sr., WIS (F) return to defend their titles. In the high jump, April 7: Shavon Greaves, Jr., PSU (T) Pugh leads a group of four returning throwers to defending champion Ashley Rhoades of Indiana is Aja Evans, Jr., ILL (F) the discus, and four also return in the shot put. one of five returning scorers from a year ago, while April 14: Sarah Pease, Jr., IND (T) Michigan’s Sean Pruitt, who finished in the top Illinois’ Aja Evans hopes to defend her Big Ten title Aja Evans, Jr., ILL (F) April 21: Letecia Wright, Jr., OSU (T) eight of the shot put, discus, and hammer throw in the shot put in a field that includes three other Aja Evans, Jr., ILL (F) competitions last year, is one of two returners in returning scorers. Michigan’s Emily Pendleton was April 28: Sarah Pease, Jr., IND (T) the hammer throw. Wisconsin’s Robert Dehn, who the 2009 discus champion, and will be challenged Letecia Wright, Jr., OSU (T) finished second in the javelin last year, is the top not only by a pair of returning scorers, but also her Erin Pendleton, Fr., MICH (F) returning thrower in the event. sister Erin, who is a freshman at Michigan and holds Karlee McQuillen, Jr., PSU (F) May 5: Angela Bizzarri, Sr., ILL (T) the conference’s top mark in the event this season. Betsy Flood, So., IOWA (T) Four scoring decathletes from the 2009 champion- Minnesota’s Alicia Rue is the defending champion in Erin Pendleton, Fr., MICH (F) ships return, including Minnesota’s R.J. McGinnis, the pole vault, setting the new Big Ten Champion- May 12: Bridget Franek, Sr., PSU (T) who holds the conference’s top score of the 2010 ships record in the event and was named Co-Field Faith Sherrill, Jr., IND (F) season with 7,319 points. Athlete of the Championships. 2010 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships Release Page 2 of 6 2010 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP Relative Time Schedule Relative Time Schedule First Day Third Day 12:00 p.m. Decathlon 100-meters 11:00 a.m. Women's triple jump (trials and finals) 12:15 p.m. Heptathlon 100-meter hurdles 11:00 a.m. Women's discus (trials and finals) 12:45 p.m. Decathlon long jump 12:00 p.m. Women pole vault (trials and finals) 12:50 p.m. Heptathlon high jump 12:30 p.m. Men's shot put (trials and finals) 1:30 p.m. Men’s hammer throw (trials and finals) 12:30 p.m. Women’s high jump (trials and finals) 1:30 p.m. Men’s pole vault (trials and finals) 12:45 p.m. Women's 4x100-meter relay (finals) 2:00 p.m. Decathlon shot put 12:55 p.m. Men's 4x100-meter relay (finals) 2:45 p.m. Decathlon high jump 1:05 p.m. Women's 1500-meters (finals) 2:50 p.m. Heptathlon shot put 1:15 p.m. Men's 1500-meters (finals) 3:30 p.m. Women’s hammer throw (trials and finals) 1:25 p.m. Women's 100-meter hurdles (finals) 4:00 p.m. Heptathlon 200-meters 1:30 p.m. Men's triple jump (trials and finals) 5:00 p.m. Decathlon 400-meters 1:30 p.m. Men's javelin (trials and finals) 8:30 p.m. Men’s 10,000-meters 1:35 p.m. Men's 110-meter hurdles (finals) 9:15 p.m. Women’s 10,000-meters 1:40 p.m. Women's 400-meters (finals) 1:45 p.m. Men's 400-meters (finals) OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP 1:50 p.m. Women's 100-meters (finals) Relative Time Schedule 1:55 p.m.