Maryland
Big Ten Indoor Championships
Track & Field Prepares For Big Ten Indoor Championships
2/21/2019 2:22:00 PM | Track & Field
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Championship season kicks off this weekend as the Terrapin women travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Big Ten Indoor Track & Field Championships. Competition begins on Friday, February 22 and concludes on Saturday, February 23.
"I am looking forward to seeing the team performances come together after months of training and fine tuning for these athletes," head coach Andrew Valmon said.
"This is the pinnacle of competition for these athletes and their chance to let all of their hard work come to fruition. I anticipate a full team effort on Friday and Saturday. This conference is one of the strongest in the country and will push us to achieve our best."
Senior Jewel Smith, will get things started on Friday afternoon competing in both the 60m hurdles and the long jump. Smith has been a top performer for the Terps this indoor season and earned a podium performance in the long jump at the 2018 Indoor Big Ten Championships.
Nadia Hackett will also compete in the 60m hurdles on Friday afternoon. Following the hurdles, the 60m dash will feature newcomers, Jaida Smith and Bria Mack, who both hope to make their mark in the conference.
In the field, Gwendolyn Zeckowski will compete in the Pole Vault, setting her eyes on new heights.
The women's weight throw competition will feature Alice Barnsdale and Bayli Smith.
Christine Laurie will compete in the Mile run early in the afternoon and return in the evening for the Distance Medley Relay.
The Terps will race three athletes in the 400m dash including Cheyenne Jones, Destiny Ward, and Thaila Cooper. Jones has set new personal best performances twice this season and hopes to do so again this weekend.
Freshman, Mackenzie Morgan will compete in her first conference championship in the 800m run. She will also compete in the distance medley relay later in Friday's competition.
Imani Gray and Jaida Smith will both toe the line in the 200m dash. The freshmen duo have both set new personal best marks this indoor season and hope to improve on these in a championship setting.
Brit Lang and Venida Fagan will join Laurie and Morgan for Friday evening's distance medley relay to close out the first day of competition.
Saturday's action will start off with Kathryn Gearhart and Brittany Lang tackling the 5000m distance event.
Events that feature a trial and final (60m through Mile) will also host finals on Saturday for the grand finale.
In the Saturday field events, Leah Blackall and Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis will be featured competitors. Blackall will compete in the Triple Jump, where she has continued to thrive this season with several lifetime best performances. Lefebvre-Oatis will compete in her first Big Ten Championship as a Terp in the high jump.
The 4x400m relay team of Cheyenne Jones, Destiny Ward, Thaila Cooper, and Venida Fagan will cap off the weekend of competition.
Live results and coverage will be available on Flo Track: https://www.flotrack.org/events/6299827-2019-big-ten-indoor-championships.
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