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2007 Big Ten Women's Championships Preview
Complete Release in PDF Format
Oct. 25, 2007
All 11 conference schools, including seven of the top 26 of the latest USTFCCA Top 30, will compete at the 2007 Big Ten Championships this Sunday at the Ohio State Golf Course in Columbus, Ohio, on the campus of Ohio State University. The 5,000-meter race, which precedes the men's 8K race, wil kick off at 10:45 a.m. ET. No. 6 Michigan looks to capture its sixth straight conference title and ninth overall, after posting three consecutive titles from 1992-94 and the last five since 2002. Senior Erin Webster will lead the Wolverines this year after setting a new Big Ten Championships 6,000-meter record in a time of 20:23 in 2006. Also leading the way for UM wil be teammate Alyson Kohlmeier, who finished second in the event last season with an impressive time of 20:35. Following Michigan in the national rankings are No. 7 Michigan State, No. 8 Minnesota and No. 10 Illinois. These three teams finished among the top five last year, and all bring back runners who placed in the top seven in 2006. No. 18 Iowa has a lethal weapon of its own in Diane Nukuri. This stand-out senior broke her own school record twice this year and was named Big Ten Runner of the Week three times this season. The Hawkeyes also return top 12 finishers in Meghan Armstrong and Racheal Marchand. In 2006, No. 21 Wisconsin finished runner-up to the Wolverines and brings back sophomore phemon Hanna Grinaker, recepient of the Freshman of the Year award. No. 26 Penn State will look to rebound from its eighth-place performance last year. The Nittany Lions will find guidance from sophomore Bridget Franek. She finished 17th in 2006 and has two career Big Ten Runner of the Week honors. This years's event marks the third occasion Ohio State has hosted the women's Big Ten Championships. Wisconsin has found Columbus to be good luck, triumphing at both events (1986 and 1997).
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