An abundance of superb athletes will make their way to Iowa City, Iowa this weekend to take part in the Big Ten Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships.
The event, hosted by the University of Iowa, will be the last Big Ten event of the season before switching gears into the outdoor season. A lot of pride is at stake for both individuals and teams going into such a big event.
The two-time defending champion Michigan Wolverines will look to defend their title once again. Last year’s event provided for an exciting final day as only four and a half points separated the first place team from the fourth-place team going into the final day.
Meanwhile, the University of Wisconsin team will look to improve on their fifth-place finish from last year.
While the Badgers have a very young team from top to bottom, they have several leaders that have the experience needed to be successful in the Big Ten.
Hilary Edmondson, a fourth-year junior, has been superb at the middle distances all season for the Badgers. Edmondson, a track All-American in 2003, will look to improve on her Big Ten best 4:36.12 mile she posted on Feb. 14.
Another fourth-year junior, Michelle Lilienthal, hopes to provide a boost to the team in distance running events. The Big Ten Championships will be a homecoming for Lilienthal, who is an Iowa City native.
In the high jump, senior Angie Kolanko mirrors the team in her quest for improvement. Like the team, she placed fifth during last year’s event and will hope to improve on that solid performance.
With some of the more experienced athletes leading the way, the Badgers have enjoyed success from their younger athletes as well.
At UW’s previous competition, the UNI Open, freshman Shuntia Lucas gave an excellent performance. She placed third in the 60-meter sprint and first in the 200-meters. Lucas is hoping for a solid performance to go along with the experience of her first Big Ten Championship appearance.
Representing the sophomore class, Melissa Talbot has also enjoyed a successful season to this point in both the hurdles and the long jump for the Badgers.
The Big Ten Indoor Championships are clearly important as far as team success and pride. Capturing the Big Ten Championship is a rare feat that commands respect.
While the overall goal is a team championship, there promises to be many exciting individual competitions as well. The plethora of top notch athletes makes each event important with plenty of opportunities for glory.
However, the individual performer has much more on the line than a Big Ten Championship, which is a huge honor in itself. A great performance could lead to an invitation to the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The Big Ten Indoor Championships provide great competition and an opportunity to act as a stepping stone for a team going into the outdoor season.
With all the special athletes coming together in Iowa City, the Badger women hope to show that they are the cream of the Big Ten crop.
