University of Illinois
Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Evans Wins Big Ten Shot Put Title
May 17, 2008 | Women's Track & Field
May 17, 2008
Results
Championship Central
Big Ten Championships Sunday Heat Sheets
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Sophomore Aja Evans won the shot put at the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday, setting a meet, facility and school record on her home turf at the Illinois Track Stadium. The Illini currently rank seventh in the team standings, but qualified nine representatives in individual events and one relay for Sunday's finals.
The Big Ten Outdoor Championships conclude on Sunday, with the women's triple jump set to begin at 11 a.m. Running events start at 12:45 p.m. with the women's 4x100m relay final. Minnesota currently has the team lead with 50 points, followed by a three-way tie for second between Penn State, Purdue and Iowa (36 points each). Wisconsin (29), Michigan (27) and the Illini (24) round out the top seven.
Evans marked 55 feet, 10 ½ inches (17.03m) in the shot put to be conference champion, breaking the Big Ten Outdoor Championships meet record of 55' 4 ¾ " set in 2004 by Penn State's Ja'Nai O'Connor. The sophomore also reset the Illinois school record and Illinois Track Stadium record, both of which she already owned. Evans becomes the first Illini to be a Big Ten outdoor champion in the shot put since Collinus Newsome in 1996.
"I'm excited and happy about what just happened," Evans said. "I thought it was possible (to win the Big Ten title). My big turning point was the Illinois Twilight meet we had a couple weeks ago, when I broke the outdoor school record to move me closer to breaking 17 meters, which I did today. I'm now just trying to move on to regionals and nationals to see how far I can go."
Freshman Danelle Woods recorded a third-place finish in the last event of the day, timing 10 minutes, 23.46 seconds in the 3,000m steeplechase to score in her first Big Ten Championships. Teammate Chantelle Groenewoud just missed the scoring column in the event, timing 10:46.12 to place ninth.
The Illini also picked up four points from Alecia Beckford-Stewart in the heptathlon, as the sophomore had her highest finish to date at a conference championships. Beckford-Stewart recorded a personal-best 5,180 points in the multi-events, highlighted by her long jump of 19' 2 ½" that earned her 804 points.
LaNeisha Waller showed off her versatility by leaping a personal-best 20' 6.5" in the long jump to take sixth in the finals after placing third in the 100m hurdles preliminaries to advance to Sunday's final (13.35). The senior also joined Tiara Armstrong, Cheria Morgan and Tamika Robinson in the 4x100m relay, as the foursome timed a season-best 44.85 in preliminaries to easily advance to Sunday.
Senior Briana Cunningham and sophomore Angela Bizzarri had the most impressive Illini performances in event preliminaries, as both recorded the top time of the day in their signature event. Cunningham ran 58.08 in the 400m hurdles to smash her personal-best, while Bizzarri was first in the 1,500m (4:24.87).
Armstrong will run in two individual event finals Sunday, as the senior placed second in the 100m preliminaries with a personal-best 11.57 and also was third in the 200m prelim (24.04). Illinois will have two representatives in each of the short sprints, as freshman Analisa Austin advanced in the 100m (11.86) while freshman Melissa Bates did in the 200m (24.36).
Other Illini highlights on Saturday were junior Nikkita Holder running a personal-best 13.42 in the 100m hurdles to place fourth in prelims and join Waller in the finals, and freshman Jessica Penney placing eighth in the long jump (20'5").
Big Ten Championships Illinois Results
3,000m Steeplechase (FINAL)
3. Danelle Woods 10:23.46; 6 team points
9. Chantelle Groenewoud 10:46.12
Long Jump (FINAL)
6. LaNeisha Waller 20'6.5" (6.26m); 3 team points
8. Jessica Penney 20'5" (6.22m); 1 team point
15. Alecia Beckford-Stewart 18'9.25" (5.72m)
Shot Put (FINAL)
1. Aja Evans 55'10.5" (17.03m); 10 team points
Heptathlon (FINAL)
5. Alecia Beckford-Stewart 5,180 points; 4 team points
100m (Preliminaries)
2. Tiara Armstrong 11.57 Q
8. Analisa Austin 11.86 q
9. Tamika Robinson 11.92
9. Cheria Morgan 11.92
200m (Preliminaries)
3. Tiara Armstrong 24.04 Q
8. Melissa Bates 24.36 q
11. Analisa Austin 24.71
14. Omoye Ugiagbe 25.30
400m (Preliminaries)
12. Omoye Ugiagbe 56.94
16. Paris Streeter 57.38
800m (Preliminaries)
11. Rachel Hernandez 2:11.05
1,500m (Preliminaries)
1. Angela Bizzarri 4:24.37 Q
10. Katie Engel 4:27.35 q
15. Shannon Phelan 4:34.46
100m Hurdles (Preliminaries)
3. LaNeisha Waller 13.35 Q
4. Nikkita Holder 13.42 Q
14. Briana Cunningham 14.07
15. Jessica Penney 14.13
400m Hurdles (Preliminaries)
1. Briana Cunningham 58.08 Q
4x100m Relay (Preliminaries)
2. Illinois 44.85 Q
(Tiara Armstrong, LaNeisha Waller, Cheria Morgan, Tamika Robinson)
Big Ten Championships Women's Team Standings (7 Events Complete)
1. Minnesota 50
2. Penn State 36
2. Purdue 36
2. Iowa 36
5. Wisconsin 29
6. Michigan 27
7. Illinois 24
8. Ohio State 18
9. Michigan State 12
10. Indiana 5
