Feb. 21, 2013

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s track and field team travels to Geneva, Ohio, this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23, for the 2013 Big Ten Women’s Track & Field Championship at SPIRE Institute.

Follow the action all weekend with live scoring at www.lightningtiming.com and stay up-to-date on Twitter, @OhioState_WTRK. A complete recap will be available after the meet at www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Championship Basics
Days: Friday, Feb. 22 (10:00 a.m. - 6:50 p.m. ET) and Saturday, Feb. 23 (10:00 a.m. - 4:50 p.m. ET)
Venue: SPIRE Institute – Geneva, Ohio 
Television: BTN will televise the championships on a tape-delayed basis, airing Saturday, March 2 at noon ET.
Live Results: www.lightningtiming.com or www.bigten.org.
Twitter: @OhioState_WTRK and @BigTenChamps

Scouting the Big Ten’s Best
No. 15 Illinois – The top-ranked team in the Big Ten is strong in all areas but is especially talented in the sprints. The Illini are led by sophomore phenom Ashley Spencer, ranked second nationally in the 400m and 10th in the 200m. Illinois also features No. 4-ranked 800m runner Samantha Murphy.

No. 20 Michigan – Michigan brings a deep distance squad to Geneva, led by No. 3-ranked 800m star Rebecca Addison. The Wolverine DMR team is ranked eighth in the country, while Kiley Tobel is among the top-15 pole vaulters in Division I this season.

Key Events
60m – Ohio State athletes hold three of the top-7 times in the conference this season (Ashlee Abraham, Adenike Pedro, Christienne Linton), so the Buckeyes have an opportunity to pick up multiple points in the event. Illinois features two of the top-3 times.

200m – Aisha Cavin is Spencer’s top challenger for the 200m title, as the Buckeye sophomore is currently ranked 16th in Division I. Abraham owns the seventh-best time in the conference and is a serious threat to score.

Weight Throw – Big Ten athletes own four of the top-15 marks in the nation this season. Alexis Thomas sits fourth in the current conference standings but set a PR in the event just last week (20.64m/67-8.75).

About SPIRE INSTITUTE
SPIRE Institute is one of the largest indoor, multi-sport, training and competition complexes in the world. With more than 750,000 square feet under roof and acres of outdoor facilities, it has the unique capacity to simultaneously host clubs, leagues, tournaments and championship events no matter the weather or season. Every consideration has been taken to create an unparalleled experience for the athlete, the coach and the spectator.

SPIRE Institute was founded on the belief that sports and education enrich lives. Through healthy competition, individuals build character and the drive to help them reach their full potential.

Ohio State History at the Big Ten Championships
After totaling 19 top-5 team finishes in 32 seasons at the Big Ten championships, Ohio State finally brought home a conference title in 2011 with a 36.50-point win over the three-time defending champion Penn State. The Buckeyes followed up their win in 2011 with a runner-up finish in 2012.

Three Buckeyes have taken home the Athlete of the Championship award. Donica Merriman earned the recognition in both 2000 and 2001 after winning the 60m hurdles and 200m dash each season. Bridgette Tate received the award in 1988 after her first-place finishes in the 55m dash, 55m hurdles and 300 yard run. Christina Manning captured the honor in both 2012 and 2011 meet after dominating the field in the 60m hurdles and short sprints.

Manning owns the current meet record in the 60m hurdles (7.95). Two Ohio State indoor championship records have been retired: Diane Dixon's 300-yard run in 1983 (33.83) and Tate's 60-yard hurdle performance in 1987 (7.78).

Ashlee Abraham Named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week
Senior Ashlee Abraham was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week Monday by the conference office after her first-place performance in the 60m dash last Friday at the Buckeye Tune-Up.

Abraham's winning time of 7.45 ranks her fifth in the Big Ten this season in the 60m. The weekly award is the first of her career and the first for a Buckeye this season.

Buckeyes Ranked No. 71 in USTFCCCA Week Five Poll
Ohio State checked-in at No. 71 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) team rankings for Division I, released Feb. 19.

Three Big Ten teams are featured in the Top 50: No. 15 Illinois, No. 20 Michigan and No. 43 Wisconsin.

In the Great Lakes regional rankings Ohio State sits at No. 4 behind Michigan, Notre Dame and Kent State. Wisconsin completes the Top 5.

For more information on the USTFCCCA rankings, visit www.ustfccca.org.  
 
Buckeyes in the Individual Top 25
Three members of the women's track and field team find themselves ranked within the Top 25 in individual event areas nationally according to Track & Field Results Reporting System (www.TFRRS.org). A look at where the Buckeyes sit:

• Alexis Thomas – No. 12 in the weight throw
• Aisha Cavin – No. 16 in the 200m
• Katie Borchers –No. 23 in the 800m

Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook and Twitter!
The women's track and field and cross country programs are on Facebook and Twitter. Visit www.facebook.com/OSUwtrackXC  and www.twitter.com/OhioState_WTRK to get the latest news and notes on the Buckeyes.

Last Time Out
Ohio State played host to the Buckeye Tune-Up at French Field House Feb. 15 in the squad’s final meet prior to the Big Ten championships.

Highlights included a personal-best mark in the weight throw from Thomas, Abraham’s winning in performance in the 60m, and Janel Olberding’s personal-best and first-place time in the 600m (1:31.85).

Up Next
The Buckeyes travel to Notre Dame, Ind., for the Alex Wilson Invitational March 1-2.