Feb. 22, 2005

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BIG 12 NOTES
The Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships will return to the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb., Friday-Saturday, Feb. 25-26, for the fifth consecutive year and the sixth time overall (1997, 2001-2005) with Nebraska serving as the host institution.

In the conference's nine-year tenure, the Indoor Track & Field Championships have been held at three different venues: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.; Lied Recreation Center, Ames, Iowa (1998, 2000); and Ahearn Field House, Manhattan, Kan. (1999).

The Husker men and women swept the 2004 event. Overall, the Nebraska men have won all but one conference indoor title -- Texas clinched the title in 1999. On the women's side, NU (1997, 2000, 2001, and 2004) and UT (1998, 1999, 2002 and 2003) have won four championships apiece.

HIGH POINT AWARD
The "High Point" award will be presented immediately following the championship to the male and female student-athletes who score the most total points in the meet, as determined by the official scorer.

Additionally, three other awards will be determined by a vote of the head coaches by Noon on Wed., March 2, following the championship:

• Outstanding Performer Award - awarded to the male and female student-athletes who have achieved the most outstanding performance in the championships.

• Outstanding Freshman Award - awarded to the most outstanding, male and female student-athletes who are in their first year of collegiate competition and have at least three years of remaining eligibility.

• Coach of the Year Award

THE BIG 12 AT THE NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Overall, the Big 12 has won two team titles with the Texas women's squad earning back-to-back national crowns in 1998 and 1999. The Longhorns also claimed the conference's top accolade in those years as well. UT women's coach Beverly Kearney was selected national coach of the year in 1997 and 1998 for mentoring her teams to successful outings at the NCAA championships.

• At the 2004 NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., six of the Big 12 men's teams and three of the women's teams finished in the Top 25. For the men, Texas (4) and Baylor (6) made the Top 10 followed by Kansas State (16), Nebraska (19), Kansas (T-24) and Oklahoma (T-24). On the women's side, Nebraska (4) led the Big 12 while Texas (8)and Texas A&M (20) rounded out the Top 25.

• Individually, the league has brought home 39 national indoor track titles -- 22 won by the men and 17 by the women.

Eight Big 12 student-athletes and two relay teams took gold at the 2004 NCAA national championships. DaBryan Blanton (Oklahoma) won the 60-meter dash (6.59 seconds), Leo Bookman (Kansas) took the 200-meter dash title (20.42), Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner (Baylor) snatched the 400-meter crown (45.39), Andra Manson (Texas) triumphed in the high jump competition (7-3 3/4) and Donovan Kilmartin championed in the heptathlon (6,136 points). The Baylor 4x400-meter relay team of Jamen Saziru, Wariner, Mark Teter and Darold Williamson struck gold (3:03.96).

For the women, Sanya Richards (Texas) clinched the 400-meter winner's spot (50.82), Priscilla Lopes (Nebraska) the 60-meter hurdles (7.96) and Ineta Radevica (Nebraska) the triple jump. The Texas foursome of Raasin McIntosh, Jerrika Chapple, Sheretta Jones and Richards captured the 4x400-meter relay (3:28.69) gold, completing the conference sweep of the 4x400.

• The 2005 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships will take place Mar. 11-12, at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track in Fayetteville, Ark., with the University of Arkansas as host.

2005 CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

BAYLOR
The Baylor men's team claimed three titles last year - Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner won the 400 meters and the Bears took the 4x400-meter relay as well as the distance medley relay. Senior Darold Williamson, also an Olympic champion (4x400), won the indoor 400-meter title in 2002 and comes into the race with the Big 12's fastest time (46.13) and will look to anchor the 4x400-meter relay to its eighth straight indoor conference title. Sophomore Mark Teter currently ranks sixth in the 400 (48.19) and will likely run leadoff in the relay. Senior long jumper Chris Gillis ranks second in the conference with a mark of 7.76 meters (25-5 1/2), only four and one-quarter inches out of the top spot.

Leading the women is senior LaKadron Ivery who ranks third in the 60 meters (7.40), third in the 200 meters (23.74) and will also run the 4x400-meter relay. Junior transfer Angel Perkins will anchor the relay and ranks third in the Big 12 in the 400 meters (53.57).

COLORADO
Senior Renee Metivier will be looking to become only the fourth Buff to successfully defend an indoor title as she looks to repeat last season's mile title. Only Adam Goucher (1997-98 3k), Sara (Gorton) Slattery (2001-02 mile) and Jodie Hughes (2001-02 5k) have ever won back-to-back indoor league crowns as Colorado looks to improve on last year's fifth and eighth place women's and men's finishes from a year ago.

Returning scorers to the championship include Metivier (mile, 3k), Zach Hazen (weight throw), Bret Schoolmeester and Stephen Pifer (mile, 3k), Christine Bolf and Kalin Toedebusch (3k and 5k), Anna Magle (high jump), Brent Vaughn (5k) and both distance medley relay teams.

While the Buffs have been a traditionally middle and distance-laden squad, they will look to the sprints and throws to boost their team finishes. Leading the charge in the throws will be 2004 weight throw school record holders Cortney Hutmacher (60-3 3/4) for the women, and Hazen (61-6 3/4) for the men, who both bettered 1997 school marks.

IOWA STATE
A 2004 NCAA Indoor qualifier, Ada Anderson is currently tied for first in the conference in the 800-meter run with a provisional qualifying time (2:06.54). The junior has earned first-place honors in the 800 at two meets this season.

Sara Boisen has been a top competitor for the Cyclone women in the 600-yard run throughout the season and is currently fifth in the conference. Erica Lynn has improved her performance in multiple events and will also be a factor for ISU.

The Cyclone men have been solid all season earning at least one title in every meet. Neil Hines took third in the heptathlon at the conference meet last season and has been a constant performer for ISU in 2005. Senior Tony Stewart set a new personal record in the weight throw at almost every meet this season. Senior sprinter James Lopes had a breakthrough season in the 60-meter dash, setting his career-best time. Daniel Kaczmarczyk placed fourth in the triple jump at the 2004 conference meet and is looking to be a top finisher for the Cyclones at conference this season.

KANSAS
The 2005 season has been a record-breaking year for the Kansas Jayhawks. Junior Benson Chesang broke the 37-year-old record in the 3,000 meters (7:59.46) held by Jayhawk legend Jim Ryun. The women's pole vault record has been broken three times. With a best effort of 13-11 1/4, senior vaulter Amy Linnen automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, and currently ranks first in the Big 12 and second in the nation with that effort.

Senior Brooklyn Hann broke her own record in the triple jump with a best jump of 42-4 1/4. Junior transfer Sheldon Battle has also shown success in his first year at KU, provisionally qualifying in the shot put and the weight throw.

Kansas State has had a strong indoor season as evidenced by the four NCAA automatic qualifiers and 10 provisionally-qualifying athletes in 12 events. K-State will look to replicate its performance from a season ago when the women finished third and the men finished as the runner-up to host Nebraska.

The Wildcats have been led on the men's side by junior weight thrower Coby Cost and junior Kyle Lancaster. Cost reset the K-State record in the weight throw during last weekend's KSU Open with an NCAA automatic qualifying toss (70-11 1/4). The distance was the second-longest in the nation this season. The El Dorado, Kan., product was named Big 12 Athlete of the Week Feb. 1 and has won seven-straight weight throw titles this season.

Lancaster was named Big 12 Athlete of the Week for his efforts during Jan. 18-23. The Fort Scott, Kan., native has sailed past seven feet in the high jump five of six times this season, winning all five of those events. Lancaster was also the first high jumper this season to surpass the NCAA automatic qualifying height of 7-3 3/4.

K-State has been led on the women's side by senior triple jumper Chaytan Hill and junior pole vaulter Breanna Eveland. Hill, a K-State team captain, is ranked second in the nation in the triple jump with a Big 12 indoor season-best of 44-8 3/4. The Kirby, Texas, product finished second in last year's league championship with a school record triple jump (44-9 1/2).

Eveland, who was named Big 12 Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24) set and re-set the K-State record in the women's pole vault for most of the season, finally settling at 13-9 1/4. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native entered the weekend of Feb. 19, ranked fourth in the nation in the event, with her NCAA automatic qualifying height. Eveland has won five of seven event titles this season.

MISSOURI
The Missouri men enter the Big 12 Indoor with all eight returning from last year's All-Big 12 contingent. Nine men have achieved NCAA provisional marks thus far in 2005. Senior Conrad Woolsey, a two-time All-American in 2004, is among the national leaders in the shot put, with a best of 62-5 3/4 inches (19.04m), and will likely be in an all-out competition with Kansas' Shelton Battle for the conference crown.

The Tigers have a strong middle-distance core as evidenced by their league-leading distance medley relay squad. Among them is senior Neville Miller, who enters the weekend fourth in the conference in the 800-meter and fourth in the 1,000-meter. Miller is also 11th in the nation at the 800. Senior Ryan Hampton ranks fourth in the conference in the mile. Junior Tim Ross has both the school records in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs and is ranked fifth and fourth in the conference in those events, respectively.

Also worth watching is the Tigers in the heptathlon. Norwegian sophomores Hans Uldal and Bjorn Sommerfeldt should be in the thick down the stretch. Uldal represented Norway at the 2004 Olympic Games in the decathlon. Uldal was also an NCAA All-American outdoors and placed second in the conference outdoor. Sommerfeldt placed sixth at the Big 12 Indoor in 2004. Senior Brandon Goebbert will also be in the pack carrying three All-Big 12 honors with him. Goebbert has made a vast improvement so far this season, including a marketable improvement in the pole vault.

NEBRASKA
The Nebraska men's team will be gunning for its sixth- straight Big 12 indoor championship in 2005. The Huskers' lone defending conference champion, Dmitrijs Milkevics, will once again be a force in the men's 800-meter dash after setting a collegiate record in the 600-meter run earlier in the season. Three NU athletes currently hold the Big 12's top performance for their respective events, including Milkevics (1,000 meters), Richard Davidson Jr. (60-meter hurdles) and Ray Scotten (pole vault). Other high-ranking Huskers include Arturs Abolins (No. 3 - long jump), Gable Baldwin (No. 2 - pole vault), Tom Donlin (tNo. 4 - weight throw), Dusty Jonas (tNo. 2 - high jump), Courtney Jones (No. 2 - 60-meter hurdles), Bubba Kramer (No. 4 - shot put), Aaron Plas (tNo. 2 - high jump), Nate Probasco (No. 3 - 200 meters), Daniel Roper (No. 3 - triple jump) and Dusty Stamer (No. 2 - 60 meters).

The Husker women's squad is looking for its second consecutive Big 12 Conference indoor championship. Priscilla Lopes, the defending NCAA champion in the 60-meter hurdles, will aim for her first-ever Big 12 championship when she competes in the 60-meter dash and hurdle events. Anne Shadle, the defending conference champion in the 1,000-meter run, will compete in either the mile or 1,000 for NU. The Huskers will rely heavily on the performances of Big 12 leaders Egle Uljas (600 yards) and Ashley Selig (pentathlon), as well as top conference performers Sara Jane Baker (No. 2 - pentathlon), Authea Chambers (No. 2 - long jump, tNo. 2 - triple jump), Kwonya Ferguson (tNo. 2 - triple jump, No. 4 - long jump), Christi Lehman (No. 4 - pole vault) and Sheryl Morgan (No. 5 - 400 meters).

OKLAHOMA
The Sooner men, tied for 11th in the country in the latest Trackwire poll, return two Big 12 indoor champions in DaBryan Blanton in the 60 meters and Austin Landreth in the pole vault. Blanton also is the defending national champion in the 60. Senior Aldwyn Sappleton won the 600-yard title at the 2003 conference championship and is leading the Big 12 and the nation in the 800 meters this season. Blanton has the top time in the Big 12 in the 60 heading into the conference meet and Landreth joined the list of Sooner provisional qualifiers for the NCAA on Saturday. Sophomore Scott Martin has one of the top marks in the Big 12 and the country in the pole vault. Another sophomore, Jon McMillian, gives the Sooners a chance for points in the high jump. OU should score points in the sprints, in the middle distance events and in several of the field events, giving the Sooners an opportunity to have one of their best team finishes in Big 12 history.

The OU women will look to a wider variety of events for points in 2005. The Sooners return a number of athletes who have scored in Big 12 meets in the past including Lindsey Bourney and Jennifer Plank in the pole vault and Jessica Eldridge and Catherine Odell in the middle distance events. Lucretia Rimmer joined the list of NCAA provisional qualifiers in OU's last meet in the triple jump. Senior Kelsey Moore is having the best indoor season of her Sooner career, earning a NCAA provisional mark in the high jump. Kerri Ann Mitchell is a newcomer to the Oklahoma program with championship experience and she will help in the sprints. OU will need to maximize all of its opportunities to score points. To do that, all who have experienced success in the past at the conference meet will need to do so again and several athletes will need to earn a place on the Big 12 awards stand for the first time.

OKLAHOMA STATE
For the Oklahoma State men's squad, junior Sean McCabe finished second in the mile-run to lead four Cowboy runners in the Top 10 at the Jayhawk Invitational (Jan. 28). At that same meet, freshman Ryan Vail finished second in the 3,000-meter run to lead four teammates in the Top 10. Vail became the first Cowboy to ever make the Junior National Team after finishing sixth (25:42) in the 8,000-meter race at the junior national team qualifying meet in Vancouver, Wash. (Feb. 13). He will compete with that team in Lyon, France, in March.

OSU's women's track and field team had many outstanding performances throughout the 2005 season. The Cowgirls are currently ranked No. 26 in the nation and No. 5 in the Big 12 going into championships.

The top runners for Oklahoma State were freshmen Mary Davies (Nationally-ranked No. 20 in the 5k) and Eva Tomankova, juniors Alison Erzinger, Michelle Prowse (No. 5 in the Big 12) and Barbora Kuncova (Nationally ranked No. 21 in the 5k and No. 33 in the 3k), and senior Valentina Medina.

Kuncova set the Czech Republic national record in the 5k run (16:24.01) at the Tyson Invitational, in Fayetteville, Ark. Freshman Tihana Sarac set a school record in the pentathlon, scoring over 3,400 points.

In the weight throw, senior Delisa McClain (No. 1 in the Big 12, and No. 10 nationally) set the school record in the weight throw with a throw of 67-4 3/4 (20.54 meters) and received an automatic NCAA mark at the Jayhawk Inivitational. Senior Halee Prickett (Nationally ranked No. 9 and No. 2 in the Big 12) set a school record by throwing 53-25 inches in the shot put.

TEXAS
The Texas men's team has eight qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships heading into the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Last year's NCAA champion in the heptathlon, Donovan Kilmartin, has already automatically-qualified (5,752 points), while teammate Trey Hardee has provisionally-qualified (5,633 points). Senior Mark Floreani set a new school record in the 3,000 meters when he earned a provisional qualifiying mark (8:04.15). Other provisional qualifiers for the Longhorns include defending indoor and outdoor national champion Andra Manson (high jump), Leonel Manzano (mile), Mark Nichol (5,000m), Ryan Ponsonby (mile) and Brian Robison (shot put).

The UT women's team has had two automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships so far this season. Michelle Carter has recorded automatic qualifiers both times she has competed in the shot put, including a school-record mark (58-6 1/2) at the Tyson Invitational. Marhsevet Hooker has posted two automatic-qualifying leaps in the long jump and has provisionally-qualified in the 60 meters with her fastest time (7.37) coming at the Leonard Hilton Invitational. Junior college transfer Melaine Walker has notched two provisional-qualifiers in the 60-meter hurdles with the fastest being an 8.35 at the Leonard Hilton Invitational.

TEXAS A&M
The Texas A&M men's team enters the championship with several athletes threatening to score big for the Aggies. Junior Fabrice Lapierre leads the nation in the long jump (25-10), broke A&M's indoor long jump school record, and has earned two Big 12 Athlete of the Week Honors (Jan. 18, Feb. 7). Senior Justin Sutton (pole vault, 17-0 3/4), senior Andrew Gamble (triple jump, 50-11 1/2) and freshman Tyler Custis (weight throw, 57-1) all have posted NCAA provisional qualifying marks. Like Lapierre, Custis also set an school record this indoor season.

Texas A&M returns five athletes who earned All-Big 12 status at last year's title meet (Brian Duplechain (sophomore)-fifth in the 800-meter run and second distance medley relay, Bryan Kelley (junior)-second in the distance medley relay, Jonathan Lewis (senior)-eighth in the 3k-meter run, Gamble-seventh in the triple jump, and Daniel Bulick (junior)-sixth in the heptathlon). Last year the Aggies finished seventh at the meet.

The Aggie women will rely heavily on the arms of its throw crew to bolster their team total at the league championships. Sophomore Kasey Onwuchekwa broke teammate Abby Ruston's school record in the shot put (51-3 1/2) earlier this spring. Ruston, a junior, has posted a season best throw of 48-9 in the event. Senior Jamie Riojas has been impressive in the weight throw with a season best mark of 60-1. Sophomore Ashley Robbins has shown great improvement in the high jump and looks to better her season best height of 5-10 3/4 in Lincoln, Neb., this weekend. Senior Jennifer Johnson has scored at every conference meet of her career and looks to do the same this year in the pentathlon (season best: 4685 points). Freshman Lindsey Adams has been impressive in the sprints with a season-best of 24.90 in the 200-meter and 8.61 in the 60-meter hurdles. The Aggies will bring six returning scorers to Lincoln (Jennifer Matthews (sophomore)-eighth in the pole vault, Onwuchekwa-seventh in the shot put, Riojas-eighth in the weight throw, and Jennifer Johnson-fifth in the pentathlon).

TEXAS TECH
The Texas Tech women's 4x400-meter relay has steadily improved each week clocking their best time (3:35.11) in Fayetteville with the team of Louise Cox, Shereefa Lloyd, Tori Polk, and Licretia Sibley. Lloyd, Polk and Sibley were indoor and outdoor All-Americas in the 4x400-meter relay last season. The Red Raider women have marked three provisional qualifying times with three different groups of athletes. Individually, Licretia Sibley has started her senior season of strong. Sibley has posted four provisional qualifying times (two per event) in the 200 and 400 meters. Sibley missed automatically qualifying in the 400 by .01 seconds with her personal best and school- and facility-record setting time (52.41). Shereefa Lloyd has posted two provisional qualifying times in the 200 and the 400. Lacy Wilson set a new school record with her provisional qualifying mark (5-11 1/4) in the high jump, also a personal best. Dana Rosenbladt and Kelley Schulz set a new school record in the pole vault with their marks of 12-8 3/4 coming in Fayetteville. Bridget Tidwell set a new personal record in the 3,000 meters (9:36.28), narrowly missing the provisional qualifying time.

On the men's side, Tyree Gailes has clocked five provisional qualifying times in two events. He has a clocked a personal best (6.19) in the 55 meters three different times and also provisionally-qualified in the 200 with another personal best (21.15). The men's 4x400-meter relay has consistently dropped time throughout the season. The three different groups have clocked four provisional qualifying times. The first clocking of the season came at 3:10.01 and has dropped to 3:06.75, a difference of nearly four seconds. Michael Mathieu has clocked two provisional qualifying times in the 400(46.89, 47.02). Sage Thames and Bobby Most have each posted provisional qualifying marks in the pole vault with their jumps of 17-4 1/2. Thames also posted a PQ mark the week before with his jump of 17-1 1/2. Shawon Harris set new school records in the 55- (7.40) and 60-meter hurdles (7.96). Jonathan Johnson, reigning National Champion and 2004 Olympian, set a new facility record in the 600 yards (1:09.62), provisionally qualified for the 800 (1:48.91) and also anchored the 4x400-meter relay three of the four provisional times.