May 29, 2003
Complete Mideast Regional Notebook in PDF Format
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Thirty-five members of the Purdue track and field roster will head to Columbus, Ohio, Friday for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. The two day meet, being hosted by Ohio State, consists of 78 Division I men's programs and 81 women's programs, including defending NCAA champion LSU, Arkansas and Tennessee.
Big Ten rivals Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin are also included in the field, as are intra-state adversaries Notre Dame, Butler and IUPUI-Fort Wayne.
The four regional championships (East, Mideast, Midwest and West) were established to increase the number of participants in the NCAA Championships. Prior to the institution of regional competitions, just one of every 24 track and field athletes qualified for an appearance at the NCAA Championships, the lowest ratio among team sports. The new format allows one of every 17 athletes to advance.
The top five finishers in each event and the three fastest relay teams automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship meet in Sacramento, Calif. At-large athletes will also be selected by the NCAA track and field committee to round out the field in each event, bringing the complete championship roster to 544 student-athletes.
Purdue should certainly expect a challenge in all 38 events, as it faces off against a handful of nationally-ranked programs from the Southeastern Conference and Big 12. In some cases, the Boilermakers' regional rankings are not much higher than their national rankings.
The men's 4x100 team of Kenneth Baxter, Jamar Green, Jacques Reeves and Prentice Stovall is seeded ninth in the nation and sixth in the Mideast. Nedzad Mulabegovic is the country's sixth-best shot-putter, but just the third best in the region.
Of the 17 Boilermaker men to qualify for regionals, six of them rank among the top five in the Mideast: high jumper Shaun Guice (No. 2), pole vaulter Pooh Williams (No. 3), Mulabegovic, hammer throwers John Paul Smolenski (No. 3) and Keith McBride (No. 5) and javelin specialist Brian Smith (No. 5).
Reliable sprinters such as Baxter, Green, Reeves and Stovall are among the quickest in the region, but they'll need to slice their times if they want to catch front runners Pierre Brown and Marquis Davis of Mississippi State and Gary Kikaya of Tennessee.
Purdue's women's team won't be expected to have an easier time, with pole vaulter Simona Kovacic claiming the Boilermaker's sole top ten ranking. Krissy Liphardt is ranked No. 11 in the 400-meter hurdles, as are high jumper Carrie Long and hammer thrower Courtney Magnuson in their respective events. Tiffany Britten, the school's record holder in the shot put, is ranked No. 14.
This outdoor season both Purdue squads have stepped up when it matters most. The men's 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams recorded varsity records at the star-studded Texas Relays, and the 4x100 crew went on to capture first-place showings at the Sea Ray Relays and Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
Big Ten medalist J.P. Smolenski enters this weekend's competition as the third-ranked hammer thrower in the Mideast. |
Stovall, an anchor for both relay teams, recorded career best times in the 100, 200 and 110 hurdles at the Big Ten Championships. His time of 14.07 seconds in the 100 led a Purdue sweep of the top four spots and vaulted the Boilermakers from fourth place to second in the team standings. The 2003 Dave Rankin Track MVP also placed second in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 200.
The hammer throwing corps led by Smolenski, has consistently improved on its launches, peaking two weeks ago at the Big Ten Championships, where three of its members (Smolenski, Keith McBride, Scott Hecht) recorded personal bests. Their championship marks rank among the school's all-time best.
Guice, who has struggled periodically this season, impressed the Big Ten crowd in Minnesota with with his winning high jump of 7 feet, 3 inches. The six-time All-American also placed well against Indiana and at the Texas Relays.
Several members on the female roster were able to advance to the regionals after rallying during the final weeks of the season. Hammer thrower Courtney Magnuson, whose launches were landing short of the qualifying standard earlier this season, responded by posting four-consecutive regional marks over the final month.
Liphardt was quick to qualify for the 400 hurdles, clocking a time of 59.71 at the prestigious Mount SAC Relays in April. At the Big Ten Championships, Liphardt registered regional qualifying times in the 100 hurdles and with the 4x400 team.
Liphardt and Stovall will each represent the Boilermakers in a team-high four events. Stovall is slated to compete in the 100, 200, 110 hurdles and with the 4x100, while Liphardt is scheduled to run the 100 and 400 hurdles and with the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
High jumper Laura Stier saved her best work for Big Tens where she leaped over the qualifying height of 1.70-meters (5-7). Stier and teammate Carrie Long could give the Boilermakers a nice scoring punch in the high jump, as should the pole vault quintet of Kovacic, Meghan McKenzie, Jocelyn Lindsay, Megan Darraugh and Amy Spellmeyer.
High jumper Laura Stier punched her ticket for regionals after clearing the 5-7 mark at the Big Tens. |
There has been some controversy surrounding the development of the regional meet. According to a release written by Bob Burns, media relations director for the NCAA Track and Field Championships, many coaches from the more established track and field programs are leery of the regional format, because it adds another high-pressure meet to an already hectic outdoor schedule. Burns also notes that coaches at mid-level and smaller Division I programs have been more receptive to the new format, because it gives their athletes a better shot at reaching nationals.
Purdue likely fits somewhere in the middle. Both men's and women's teams feature athletes than can benefit from or be hurt by having the extra meet. In either case, the regional meet ensures that no member of the Old Gold and Black can afford a bad day.
Competition begins Friday at 12 p.m. with the men's hammer and women's javelin. The first running event, the 4x100 preliminaries, starts at 4 p.m. The finals for all track events are scheduled for Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m.
Track and field fans can access a complete schedule, heat sheets, plus live results by clicking on the Mideast Regional link at www.deltatiming.com. Purdue sports information will post a nightly recap Friday and Saturday at www.purduesports.com.