March 20, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State men's track and field team will open the outdoor season at the Arizona State Invitational Friday and Saturday.
ARIZONA STATE INVITATIONAL
Days: Friday - hammer at 5 p.m., Saturday field events at 10:30 a.m. & track events at 5:30 p.m.
Venue: Sun Angel Stadium
Meet Information: www.thesundevils.com
GLANCE AT OUTDOOR SCHEDULE
The outdoor campaign kicks off this weekend in Tempe, Ariz., at the Arizona State Invitational. Part of the team will remain in the west next week (March 30-31) at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
The third week offers the Indiana Relays April 7 in Bloomington, Ind. The heart of the Buckeyes' outdoor slate starts at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., April 13-14. The schedule continues to gain steam as the Buckeyes will compete in the All-Ohio Championships in Cincinnati April 20-21.
For many seasons, Ohio State traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the historic Penn Relays during the final week of April. This season, however, the Buckeyes are headed west to Des Moines, Iowa for the prestigious Drake Relays April 26-28.
"Our outdoor schedule is competitive and it presents an opportunity for great performances against great fields," Gary said. "It will prepare us for having a balanced team heading into the Big Ten and NCAA championship meets."
Just like the indoor schedule, the Buckeyes close out the regular season at home, playing host to the 2007 Jesse Owens Track Classic May 5. Now in its 22nd running, "The Jesse" has welcomed top performers from all levels of track and field for the past two decades.
"I hope to establish the high school events of the Jesse Owens Classic into the most competitive high school meet in the state," Gary said. "It is a great opportunity for Ohio high school athletes to preview the state meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
"Similarly, my vision for the college and post-collegiate events is become the most elite meet in the Midwest. I have every intention of building the meet up to what is was in the 1980s."
Ohio State makes its second trip to State College, Pa., for the 2007 Big Ten Outdoor Championships May 11-13. The postseason continues two weeks later (May 25-26) at the 2007 Mideast Regional Championships in Columbia, Mo. Those who advance through regionals will compete at the NCAA outdoor championships June 6-9 in Sacramento, Calif.
COLE AND SEE GAIN BIDS TO NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Qualifiers for the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships were announced March 6. Ohio State's Tony Cole, a junior sprinter, and Jeff See, a sophomore miler, each gained their first berth to the national meet.
Cole, the 200-meter Big Ten champion in 2007, earned his bid to nationals in the 60m dash with his top time of at the season of 6.66, set Feb. 25 in his runner-up performance at the conference meet. Cole's time is the ninth-best in the country. At the national meet, Cole clipped a 6.78 to take 15th in the 60m national qualifying round, falling shy of the final.
See won the Big Ten mile Feb. 25 and turned in his best time of the season Feb. 3 at Akron, when he crossed the finish line in a time of 4:00.5. See's mark ranked eighth in the nation heading into nationals. See missed the national final in the same event after posting a prelim time of 4:12.49.
JATSEKS: AN ALL-AMERICAN FAMILY
A year after her brother, Lenny Jatsek, captured All-America honors by finishing 13th in the weight throw at the 2006 NCAA indoor meet, Veronica Jatsek added another national award to the family. Veronica, competing in her first NCAA championships, placed seventh in the weight throw to earn her first All-America honor at a distance of 66-9 3/4.
OHIO STATE COLLECTS INDOOR POST SEASON AWARDS
The Big Ten announced its All-Big Ten teams, following the 2007 Men's Big Ten Indoor Championships in Bloomington, Ind. The men's team had several athletes named All-Big Ten.
Junior Anthony Cole was named first-team All-Big Ten with his win in the 200-meter dash in a season best time of 21.18 and second-team All-Big Ten with his second-place finish in the 60-meter dash. Cole was the only athlete at the championships to take home first-and-second place finishes, single-handedly earning the Buckeyes 18 team points. Cole's time in the 60m of 6.66 bettered the Big Ten meet record of Demi Omole by .04 set in 2006. Omole set the new Big Ten standard winning the event in a time of 6.65 in the finals on Sunday. The time by Cole is the 15th best time in the country this season. In the 200m, Cole ran away with the title besting the field by almost half a second. Cole knocked off Michigan State's Jeremy Orr, who has led the Big Ten all season in the 200m. His mark is the 18th best time in the country this season and also is an NCAA provisional mark. It was Cole's second Big Ten title adding to his 60-meter crown he won in 2005. For his efforts at the Big Ten Championships, Cole also earned the Ohio State Athlete of the Week award for the second straight week.
Sophomore Jeff See was named first team All-Big Ten with his win the mile with a time of 4:04.16. See is currently one of the top-milers in the country with a time of 4:00.52 at the Akron Invitational on Feb. 3. It is the seventh-best time in the country and is the fifth-best run by an American this year on an oversized track. It is the second year in a row See has been named to the Big Ten's first team. He was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2006 with his performance on the Big Ten Champion distance medley relay unit.
Lenny Jatsek won his second consecutive Big Ten Championship in the weight with a season best toss of 66 feet, 9 3/4 inches. It is seventh-best weight throw in Ohio State history and is also an NCAA provisional mark. His mark is also the 14th best toss in the country this season. This is the fifth year in a row that a Buckeye has won the weight throw. Jatsek will now try to defend his title of All-American at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships. Jatsek's sister, Veronica, also took Big Ten honors in the weight throw, marking the first time that a brother-sister combination has taken Big Ten honors in the same year since Tonya and Tyrone Williams of Illinois were both on the All-Big Ten team in 1995.
Senior Scott Hudepohl had to be the surprise of the Big Ten championships, taking second in the heptathlon after coming into the conference meet ranked 14th in the league. Hudepohl had only done a full heptathlon once coming into Big Ten's at the Akron Invitational, where he scored 4,321 points, 1,017 short of his performance at the championships (5,338). His total is an NCAA provisional mark and is the 18th best heptathlon score in the country this season.
LEADING THE WAY
At the Akron Invitational, sophomore Jeff See ran a 4:00.52 mile, the second best in Ohio State history. For the early part of the race, volunteer coach and former Buckeye All-American Rob Myers ran "rabbit" for See before dropping out. Buckeye fans may remember Myers as the 2001 Big Ten Champion at 1,500-meters (indoor and outdoor), but Myers is also the Ohio State record holder in the mile at 3:58.64.
Myers is now in his second season with the Buckeyes as a volunteer coach and seems to be training See to one day take his place as the school record holder in the mile.
COLE TAKES SECOND STRAIGHT OSU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AWARD
Anthony Cole claimed the Ohio State male athlete of the week award Feb. 20 after racing to a French Field House record of 6.69 in the 60-meter dash. That mark topped Joel Brown's Field House record of 6.74 in 2005.
The next week on Feb. 25 Cole ran to first team Big-Ten honors with a win in the 60m dash (6.66) and second in the 200m (21.14). To earn his second Ohio State AOW of the season. That time is second in the Big Ten this season and one of the Top 10 times in the country this season.
Cole joins Jeff See as an Ohio State athlete of the week from the track team this season. See earned his AOW on the heals of his 4.00.52 mile at the Akron Invite Feb. 3. See's mile time was the second best in Ohio State history and seventh best mile time in the country this season.
THROWERS IN NATIONAL RANKS
The Buckeyes' weight throw team has built a small dynasty by winning the event at the at the Big Ten indoor championships the last four years. Junior Lenny Jatsek made it five with second straight win at the Big Ten Championships on Feb. 25. He had the second-best toss in the Big Ten in the weight throw this season with his mark at the Big Ten Championships Invitational of 66-9 1/2.
Jatsek, an All-American last season in the weight throw, is currently tied for 20th in the country this season.
Sophomore Patrick Whalen had the best toss in the Big Ten this season in the shot put with his toss at the Buckeye Invitational of 60-2. Whalen is currently ranked 25th in the nation in the event.
SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORES
The Buckeyes have been led this season by a number of talented sophomores.
Jeff See, a member of the Big Ten champion distance medley relay team last season, led the conference a majority of the season in the mile en route to the Big Ten title. Earning first team All-Big Ten honors. See's time of 4:00.52 is also the 10th best mile time in the country this season.
Brandon Cathcart is tied for 27th in the country in the triple jump with a mark of 51-3 3/4. This mark was fourth in the Big Ten and it was the second best in the Big Ten by an underclassman.
Patrick Whalen was the Big Ten leader in the shot put with his toss of 60-2 at the Buckeye Invitational. Whalen is 25th in the country in the event.
Elon Simms finished the season second in the 600-meter run with his time of 1:17.88 at the Big Ten Championships.
THROW OUT THE RECORDS
2001 was the last time the Big Ten champion in the weight throw was not from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have dominated the event the last five seasons and continued this year.
Lenny Jatsek won the title this season in a season best mark of 66-9 1/2. Jatsek is the third different Buckeye to win the Big Ten title in the event since 2001 (2002 championships cancelled, Dan Taylor 2003-04, Bryan Duby 2005, Jatsek 2006-07).
The throwers have also rewritten the Ohio State record books during this run of Big Ten titles. The Top 8 spots in Ohio State history in the weight throw are all held by Jatsek, Talyor and Duby. With Taylor hold the school record (78-9-1/2) and the second (73-4) and fifth (67-6 1/4) spots in the record books. Duby holds the fourth spot with a throw of 68-5 1/2. Current Buckeye Jatsek holds the third (72-5 3/4) seventh (67-5 1/2) seventh (66-9 1/2) and eighth (65-8) spots in the record book the seventh and eighth which he set this season.
FRESHMEN MAKING A MARK
The Buckeyes have had a number of young runners entering the fold this season and making solid contributions.
Chad Balyo was ranked 12th in the Big Ten this season in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:15.08 and is second among all freshmen. Balyo took sixth in the 3,000m in the Big Ten Championships. Balyo is also ranked seventh in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:35.06 and is third among freshman.
Brandon Woodard is ranked 19th in the Big Ten this season in the 400-meter run with a time of 48.85 and is the top ranked freshman. Woodard is also fourth in the conference among freshmen in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.55.
Stephen Robinson is ranked 21th in the Big Ten and second among freshmen in the conference in the 400-meter run with a time of 48.92.
HURDLING INTO HISTORY
Sophomore Matt Comer is leading the team in the hurdles for the second year in a row. Comer's time of 8.20 at the Gladstein Invitational is fifth best in Ohio State history.
Comer then set the third fastest time in Ohio State history in 8.03 at the Buckeye Invitational. This is the third best mark in Ohio State history.
Comer continues to build on his strong finish to his freshman season, in which he was named second team All-Big Ten after a second place finish at the 2006 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter high hurdles.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will continue their west coast road trip with the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
