14 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 8, 2006 SPORTS MEN'S TRACK WOMEN'S TRACK Ferry fields another winner Women hurdle 4 By Katie Field Daily Sports Writer In 1935, Ferry Field was the site for the greatest day in track and field history when Ohio State sophomore Jesse Owens set three world records and tied another in just more than an hour. More than 70 years after Owens's unsurpassable performance and exactly one hundred years since its opening in 1906, Ferry Field remains the home of Michigan track and field and the site of countless accomplish- ments of Wolverine athletes. While Owens may have been the biggest name to dash across the track at Ferry Field, excellence has endured as a Ferry Field tradition. During a span of 100 years, it has ushered in a constant wave of some of the world's most talented run- ners, jumpers and throwers. At the Len Paddock Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Ferry Field welcomed runners and spectators alike for the first and last time in its centennial year. The non-scoring meet granted the Michigan men's track and field team an opportu- nity to hit NCAA regional quali- fying marks and practice for the following week's Big Ten Outdoor Championships in front of a warm home crowd. Michigan coach Ron Warhurst was happy with the Wol- verines' work and preparation for Big Tens. "We had a successful day," War- hurst said. "We had some really good performances. Everybody is getting sharper." The first day of the invitational started off strong for the Wolver- ines, with sophomore Dan Harm- sen winning the first victory of his collegiate career in the 400-meter hurdles. Although Harmsen already has a regional qualifying time for the 400-meter hurdles, he used the race to improve his form. He took one less step between hurdles and battled through a few stutter steps to post his second-fastest time. After tiring less than halfway through the race and making a great recovery to capture a first place finish, Harm- sen was satisfied. "I just thought of it as another race," Harmsen said. "It was good to win. I was pretty pleased with it." Coming into the spotlight with Harmsen was teammate and fellow hurdler Rob Fiorillo. The freshman also won his first collegiate race on Saturday, clocking in at 14.57 on the 110-meter hurdles. For Harmsen and Fiorillo, the early rise to the top may be indica- tive of their futures on the Michi- gan track team. With the younger Wolverines stepping up, it seems the time is right for the veterans to leave. For the graduating seniors, the Len Paddock Invitational was their final opportunity to compete at Ferry Field in front of a home crowd. Senior Darren Adams took third place in the high jump with a height of 2 meters in his last home meet as a Wolverine. "It's kind of sad," Adams said. "You hate to see it end, but you're happy, because you made it all the way through and you finished what you started. It's kind of a mixed emotion, but I'm pretty happy." On the sideline, wearing a maize and blue beanie and sitting under a heavy blanket, was one of Adams's special fans. "That's mine," said Adams's grandmother, proudly claiming her grandson with a big grin. "He's pretty good at it. He does good. It makes me very proud." Like Adams's grandmother, Ferry Field can boast many tal- ented athletes that it once called its own. In one hundred years, it has been the scene for many trium- phant moments. From the big ones like Owens's to the smaller ones - a dedicated athlete walking off the track to be greeted by his proud family after competing for his last time, or a hurdler winning his first collegiate race - Ferry Field has seen it all. Although its looks have certainly changed over the years along with the faces of the runners on its blaz- ing, electric red track, Ferry Field has long symbolized the strength of the Michigan track and field pro- gram. And it looks like it will be around and thriving for some time to come. past opposition By Bridget O'Donnell For the Daily They hurdled their way to the top. And by the conclusion of the Len Paddock Invitational this weekend at Ferry Field, it was clear who domi- nated the competition: the Michigan women's hurdlers. With first place finishes in both hurdle events, including a four-place sweep in the 100-meter hurdles, the hurdlers solidified an already strong showing for No. 15 Michigan. The Wolverines were in control throughout much of the non-scoring meet, finishing first in ten events. Overall, Michigan coach James Henry was pleased with the week- end's results. "I was happy with everyone's perfor- mances and was glad that they finished unscathed and healthy," he said. With the Big Ten championships less than a week away, the Wolverines already have high expectations for recapturing the conference title. After winning three straight Big Ten titles between 2002 and 2004, the Wolver- ines finished third in the champion- ships last season. "The Big Ten championships are our most important goal right now," Henry said. "We have always wanted to be in contention for the top three this season." In addition to an overall strong finish, Michigan posted five NCAA regional qualifying standards, with three set by hurdlers. Freshman Tiffa- ny Ofili's personal best time of 13.58 in her 100-meter hurdles victory met the regional standard of 13.92. Mean- while, in a tight finish, freshmen Katie LaValley and Amber Hay qualified for the 400-meter hurdles, posting times of 59.99 and 1:00.70, respectively. While it was the fifth time LaValley qualified this season, it was just the first for Hay, who was pleased with her performance. "This race showed me that if you keep working at something, you will eventually get it," Hay said. Michigan also made a strong show- ing in the field events, capped off by a three-place sweep in the long jump. Freshman Casey Taylor won the event with a distance of 5.69 meters, fol- lowed closely by freshman Bettie Wade and Ofili, who both posted dis- tances of 5.62. In the pole vault, senior Elizabeth Boyle and junior Kelly Cat- ino - in addition to qualifying for regionals - completed a 1-2 finish for the Wolverines, both with heights of 3.80. It was the first time Boyle quali- fied this season, after missing most of last season due to injury. The Wolverines also dominated in the relays and short distances, grab- bing titles in both the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays as well as the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes. But in the distance events, the Wol- verines were relatively quiet. With many of the more prominent members of the distance squad resting in prepa- ration for next week's Big Ten com- petition, none of Michigan's runners finished in the top three in either the 800-, 1,500- or 3,000-meter runs. The most notable absence was sophomore Nicole Edwards, who was named an All-American for the 1500-meter run in the 2006 NCAA indoor champion- ships. But Henry wasn't too worried about the lack of distance titles. "We just wanted to get through thel meet without any unexpected injuries or setbacks," Henry said. The healthy Wolverines travel to East Lansing this Friday to compete for the Big Ten title. . t, , , q . 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