Badgers look to outrun pack at trackwomen Championship

The 1998 Big Ten women's indoor track season is approaching its final lap as the Big Ten Championships get underway at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in East Lansing, Mich., and conclude on Sunday.

Last year, Wisconsin took the title convincingly. The Badgers beat their closest competitor, Michigan, by 37 points. This year, the Wolverines and the rest of the Big Ten will look to take away their title.

The Badgers are currently ranked 20th in the Trackwire Top 25. They have lost last year's Big Ten Athlete of the Year Kathy Butler, but seniors and twin sisters Jenni and Janet Westphal are ready to step it up. Jenni and Janet are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the 800-meters.

Badger Angela Kujak, No. 1 in the 5000-meters, is confident Wisconsin can repeat.

If there is any weakness in the Badgers, it in their sprinters. They lacked sprinters last year as well but overcame it. It will be tougher this time around because Michigan is stacked in every event.

The 17th-ranked Lady Wolverines are looking for their first championships since 1994. They are led by all-everything Tania Longe, a senior who was the only Wolverine to win an event last year when she captured the pentathlon. This year, she will also compete in the 55-meter hurdles, triple jump and long jump.

"Tania will be the key for us," coach James Henry said. "If she goes, so goes the team."

Michigan also has senior Katie McGregor, ranked first in the Big Ten in the 3000-meters, and the No. 1 distance medley relay team in the nation.

Illinois comes into the championships as an underdog after a disappointing fourth-place finish last year. The Fighting Illini's strength is their sprinters. They lead the Big Ten in the 55-meter dash, the 55-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash. Seniors Benita Kelley and Yvonne Harrison and freshman Aleisha Latimer lead the Big Ten is those events, respectively.

The Illini's jumpers should also grab a lot of points. Last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tisha Ponder is looking to repeat a first-place finish in the long jump. Junior Stacy Ann Grant and senior Nora Weber should contend in the high jump.

The Lady Buckeyes can challenge the powerhouses, but they must be at their best. They will be led by juniors Shanda McJunkins and Tameika Porter.

McJunkins, ranked in the top 10 in both the 200-meter dash and 400-meters, is one of the best runners in the conference. Porters, one of the elite jumpers in the conference, is first in the triple jump and second in the long jump.

If these two can turn in their best performances and the rest of the team stays consistent, Ohio State may be the sleeper.

The Lady Boilermakers have had two straight weeks of highly competitive competition and could turn some heads.

Purdue is right up there in the Big Ten in short distance races and field events. Leading the way are sophomore Khadijah Conda, junior Meisha Wilson-Duval and senior Toyinda Smith. Conda is ranked second in the 400-meter dash, just in front of Wilson-Duval. Smith is ranked first in the Big Ten in the weight throw.

Purdue and Ohio State are the sleepers of the championships, but they have a big hill to climb if they are going to dethrone Wisconsin.