Two Individual Titles Highlight Day One of Big Ten Championships

Two Individual Titles Highlight Day One of Big Ten Championships

2/22/2019 9:02:00 PM | Track and Field

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Indiana Track & Field completed day one of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday in spectacular fashion as Ben Veatch and Jenna Jungels grabbed individual Big Ten titles. Overall, the women's team holds the top spot with 36 points and the men's team sits in second place with 27 points to end day one.

Holding steady pace throughout the men's 3000m, Ben Veatch picked up the stride in the final lap to take control of the top spot and earned his first Big Ten Championship with a time of 8:26.3. Kyle Mau picked up second place with a time of 8:26.76. In the women's field, Maggie Allen and Katherine Receveur went 2-3. Allen clocked a time of 9:23.44 while Receveur followed in a time of 9:25.38.

It was a lifetime best for Jenna Jungels as she took home a Big Ten Championship of her own after jumping a distance of 6.12m (20' 1"). Eric Bethea picked up a point on the men's side after jumping a distance of 7.08m (23' 2.75").

In the men's high jump, Jyles Etienne earned Bronze after breaking a U-M Indoor Track Building record with a height of 2.16m (7' 1").

Nycia Ford and Princess Brinkley combined for five points towards the women's team score. Ford placed sixth with a distance of 20.71m (67' 11") while Brinkley three a distance of 19.95m (65' .5") to take seventh. Nick Lane picked up a podium finish in the men's weigh throw after nabbing a distance 19.80m (64' 11.5").

Hope Purcell competed in her first Big Ten Championships pentathlon where she scored 3,870 points to take fourth overall. The fourth-place finish earned the women's team five points.

Rikkoi Brathwaite qualified for the finals of the 60m after winning his heat in a time of 6.69, just .01 shy of his personal record in the event.

Zubin Muncherji had the fourth fastest time of the day in 600m, clocking a time of 1:18.60 to advance to the finals. The sophomore also tacked on a personal record. On the women's side, Natalie Price (1:31.18) and Mallory Mulzer (1:31.32) advanced to the finals after placing second and third, respectively.

Adam Wallace and Cooper Williams are headed to the final in the 800m. Wallace took the third qualifying second in a time of 1:50.57 while Williams qualified sixth after nabbing a time of 1:50.67. Kelsey Harris led the Hoosiers as she clocked a time of 2:08.77 to take the fifth qualifying spot in the women's 800m. Joely Pinkston qualified eighth with a time of 2:08.43.

Hannah Stoffel (4:45.81) and Claire Hamilton (4:46.77) grabbed new PR's on their way to the finals of the women's mile while Haley Harris also nabbed a spot in the finals with a time of 4:48.86. On the men's side, Kyle Mau grabbed the top qualifying spot with a time of 4:02.88 while Joe Murphy notched the seventh spot in a time of 4:05.51.

The distance medley relays capped off night one of Big Ten Championships as the women's squad took sixth in a time of 11:28.89. On the men's side, they were seeded second going into the meet but due to a fall in the leadoff leg, they were unable to make up lost ground.

Indiana will return tomorrow at 11 a.m as Eric Beathea will compete in the men's long jump. The first event on the track will be the finals of the 60m hurdles beginning at 1:15 p.m..