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2004 Outdoor Track And Field Individual Honors Announced
May 19, 2004
Park Ridge, IL - Ohio State senior Dan Taylor and Penn State senior Connie Moore earned Big Ten men's and women's Track and Field Athlete of the Year laurels today, respectively, as the Conference announced the 2004 Outdoor Track and Field postseason honors. It is the second consecutive year Taylor has been named the Outdoor Athlete of the Year. Moore became the first-ever Lion to garner the Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Year title and joined Wisconsin's Suzy Favor (1988,1990) and Illinois' Tonja Buford (1992, 1993) as repeat Athlete of the Championships. Moore also earned the distinction in 2002. Indiana's David Neville and Iowa's Peaches Roach earned the Men's and Women's Freshman of the Year honors, respectively, while Neville was also recognized as the League's Athlete of the Championships. The mentors of the Big Ten Championships-winning squads, Wisconsin's Ed Nuttycombe on the men's side and Michigan's James Henry on the women's side, were awarded Coach of the Year Honors. Taylor recorded an NCAA regional qualifying throw en route to his shot put title at this past weekend's Big Ten Championships in West Lafayette, Ind. His throw of 20.33 meters (66-8.50) surpassed the 2003 Big Ten Championships toss of 19.71 meters. Taylor's win marked the third time in three years he has claimed the shot put title. In taking the women's Athlete of the Year honor, Moore had a hand in three Rankin Track and Field records, anchoring the victorious 4x100 relay, which crossed the line at 44.55, while also capturing the 100 and 200 meter titles. The Chicago, Ill. native finished the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.40, tying the record held by Ohio State's Donica Merriman. She posted a time of 22.74 in the 200, topping La Tasha Jenkins' 1998 Rankin Track record of 23.01.
Peaches Roach became the first Iowa female student-athlete to earn Outdoor Freshman of the Year accolades, as she won the high jump at the Championships, clearing 1.81 meters (5-11.25). Roach swept both the Indoor and Outdoor high jump titles this year. Indiana's David Neville was named the Freshman of the Year and Athlete of the Championships for his outstanding performances in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. The freshman set two track records, coming in with a time of 20.39 in the 200 while crossing the line at 45.05 in the 400. Both times were Big Ten bests for the season and ranked fifth nationally. Nuttycombe will add his seventh men's Outdoor Coach of the Year plaque to the shelf following Wisconsin's fourteenth League title, its fourth in the last five years. In his 20th season with the Wolverines, Henry guided Michigan to the sixth Conference title in school history, as well as the sixth of his career. It was the Maize and Blue's third title in as many years.
MEN'S AWARDS
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