The Michigan women”s track and field team turned in a strong performance last weekend at the USTCA Collegiate Challenge in State College, placing second out of 13 teams.
- Paul Wong
- The women”s track team has a week remaining to prepare for Big Ten”s.<br><br>TOM FELDKAMP/Daily
Indiana ran away with the victory last weekend, earning 139 points, compared to Michigan”s second-place 95-point performance. Michigan Coach James Henry is happy with last weekend”s showing, but believes the team needs to improve on some events to be successful in the upcoming Big Ten Championships.
“This past weekend was extremely intense,” Henry said. “We”re going to give some of our runners a breather.
Henry wants to give his long-distance and middle-distance runners a break when the Wolverines host the Harold Silverston Invitational this Saturday. He”ll do this by putting them into some shorter distance events. This strategy will give the team a chance to prepare for the Big Ten Championships in West Lafayette on Feb. 24-25.
Henry and the Wolverines have circled the Big Ten Championship on their calendars early this year. They hope that clinching the Big Ten title will prepare them for faster competition at the NCAA Indoor National Championships on March 9-10 in Fayetteville, Ark.
“It will be very challenging at the upcoming Big Ten Championships with the two-time defending Big Ten champions, Indiana,” Henry said.
He said he thinks that Illinois, Indiana and Purdue will be Michigan”s toughest competition at the Big Ten Championships .
“We have a well-balanced team this year with outstanding performances by our throwers, middle distance runners, high jumpers and hurdlers, which is just about everything,” Henry said.
He believes the tri-captains have led the team to their strong performance last weekend.
“The seniors have done a tremendous job leading the team, and that the freshman have stepped up and performed well too,” Henry said.