March 17, 2009

Penn State garnered the Big Ten’s highest finish at the 2009 NCAA Track and Field Indoor Championships, placing seventh with 24 team points.  Michigan tallied 19 points to place 11th, while Minnesota followed closely behind tying for 12th and earning 14 points. Illinois and Indiana each scored nine team points, finishing tied-for-27th place as Indiana racked up two points, tying for 56th place to round out the conference contingent.

Individual performers were led by Michigan’s Tiffany Ofili as the senior brought home gold in the 60-meter hurdles for the second-straight year in a season-best time of 8.00.  Teammate Bettie Wade recorded 4,252 points in the pentathlon for a fifth-place showing.

Penn State’s Gayle Hunter received a silver medal for her performance in the pentathlon, posting 4,342 points.  The Nittany Lions’ 4X400-meter relay squad earned All-America honors as anchor-leg Hunter crossed the finish line third in a time of 3:34.64.  PSU’s Aleesha Barber and Bridget Franek placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles and the 5,000-meter run, respectively. 

Scoring runner-up honors for Minnesota was junior Alicia Rue, clearing 14-1.25 in the pole vault.  Teammate Heather Dorniden clocked a 2:04.43 in the 800-meter final, good enough for third-place.

Illinois’ top finisher was junior Angela Bizzarri as she recorded a fourth-place time of 9:15.50 in the 3,000 meters.  Teammate Aja Evans placed fifth in the shot put with a distance of 55-0.75 (16.78m.), breaking her own school record.

The Hawkeyes claimed two NCAA All-Americans in Karessa Farley and Racheal Marchand.  Marchand ran to a fourth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run while Farley placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles.

NCAA Indoor Championships Results

Big Ten Women's Indoor Track

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