Outdoor Track and Field Weekly Release #2

April 5, 2005

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Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week
Nick Wichert, UW-Milwaukee, Junior, Milwaukee, Wis.
Wichert became the first Panther to qualify for the NCAA Regionals this season by breaking his own school record in the hammer throw, at the non-scoring Purdue Invitational last weekend. In the event, he threw 182' 8" to take third, and top his former mark of 171' 9" by almost 11 feet. Wichert also qualified for the regional meet by eclipsing the 182' 6.25" qualifier.

Women's Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week
Angela Machaj, Detroit, Senior, Stoney Creek, Ontario
Machaj won the discus at the Nikoloff Invite with her throw of 45.04-meters, beating her nearest competitor by almost two meters. Her win was her second straight to open an outdoor season. Machaj also came in fifth in the shot put.

Men's Other Top Performers
Tom Grant, Detroit, Junior, Farmington Hills, Mich.
Grant won the long jump at the Nikoloff Invite with a jump of 6.91 meters to capture his first outdoor event of the season. He also placed fifth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.22) and seventh in the 400- meter hurdles (58.30).

Mike Savegnago, UIC, Freshman, Winfield, Ill.
Savegnago picked up a pair of first-place finishes at the Elmhurst Invitational. The Winfield, Ill., native won the high jump with a mark of 1.88 meters and followed that up with a winning performance in the pole vault (4.27 meters).

Women's Other Top Performers
Kristi Hertzler, Butler, Freshman, Carmel, Ind.
Hertzler won the 100-meter hurdles at the DePauw Quad meet and broke the meet record in the process. She won the race in 15.62, topping the previous meet record of 16.01, set by Ashley Palmer of Indiana Wesleyan in 2002.

Adaeze Chuma-Okorafor, UIC, Freshman, South Holland, Ill.
Chuma-Okorafor garnered UIC's top mark at the Elmhurst Invitational with a second-place finish in the high jump (1.55 meters).

Timeka Walker, UW-Milwaukee, Sophomore, Milwaukee, Wis.
At the non-scoring Purdue Invitational, Walker ran to a third-place showing in the 200-meter, while also taking sixth in the 100-meter. In the 200-meter, she ran the fastest time by a Panther since 1985, while also posting the third-fastest time in school history of 24.78. She also just missed a personal record in the 100-meter, crossing the line in 12.21.

Stephanie Francis, Wright State, Junior, Versailles, Ohio
Francis posted the Raiders' best finish on Saturday at the UC Nikoloff Invitational. She finished the 400-meter dash in fourth place with a time of 1:00.66.