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Silverston Invitational last chance for women's track NCAA hopefuls

By Jiten Ghelani
Daily Sports Writer

Final call for the flight to Indianapolis. Grab your spot now or wait until next year. Step on the accelerator or you'll never get there in sufficient time.

Some of the runners on the Michigan women's track and field team face this scenario heading into the Silverston Invitational. The Invitational will be held Saturday at the Track and Tennis Building.

Who will participate in the invitational? That is still up in the air.

"(We) don't know who all will be attending," Michigan coach James Henry said.

Numerous teams will send one or two runners to the invitational, Henry said. Each team will be represented by participants who are still trying to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Scheduled for March 8-9 in Indianapolis, the National Indoors are just over a week away.

This meet is a bit different from a normal race. The major focus of this invitational is to race against the clock, not against other runners. In terms of atmosphere, the events will be less tactical, with the make-it-or-break-it attitude dominating.

The runners, worrying solely about their own times, will only participate in one or two events each.

"They will be fresh. (It's) how motivated they are," Henry said.

The invitational will be somewhat laid-back, but don't expect any of the Wolverine runners to kick back and relax. Because the runners will not be preoccupied with placing, they will have to look elsewhere for motivation.

Overall, this weekend will more or less be an opportunity for every individual to do her best and pick out the event she is strongest in, Henry said.

Seniors Monika Black and Courtney Babcock are the only two from the Michigan squad who already have sopts waiting in Indianapolis. Babcock, a five-time All-American, will be sitting out this weekend. Black, on the other hand, will compete in the high jump even though she has already qualified.

The only member left from the 1994 NCAA Indoor Champion distance-medley team, Babcock may be running the medley again in Indianapolis. It all depends upon how other teams do this weekend. Babcock is certain to run the 3,000- and 5,000-meter and mile events at the championships.

Currently, two Wolverine distance-medley teams are ranked. The ninth-place relay is run by Babcock, junior Lamika Harper, and freshmen Sarah Hamilton and Katie McGregor. The 10th-place team features the same members except sophomore Michelle Slater runs in place of McGregor.

The top 10 ranked relays qualify for nationals, and as of right now one of the two teams would be running. Michigan's medley, however, will be idle because no other medleys are expected to enter.

One contender putting heat on Michigan will be Providence, which will run the medley at a different site. If Providence runs a faster qualifying time than either Wolverine tandem, the Michigan medley may be forced out of the top 10 by any other qualifying relay. All the Wolverines can do is wait and hope they are still in the top 10 by the end of the weekend.

Michigan has quite a few other runners on the bubble, hoping to achieve personal-best qualifying times.

Senior Tearza Johnson will run the 60 and 200 sprints. Freshman Nicole Forrester has a chance to qualify in the high jump. Sophomore Tania Longe will compete in the hurdles and triple jump. Hamilton and fellow freshman Angela Stanifer will run in the 800. McGregor will try to qualify in the 3000 or the mile. Slater is looking for a good showing in the 3000. Also, the mile relay team of Harper, Johnson, sophomore Brandy Taylor and freshman Sheryl Omar may be able to squeak in.

Sophomore Pauline Arnill will not be able to compete due to a sore leg. The diagnosis is presently unclear. Arnill qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championship in the mile as a freshman. Her date of return has not been determined, but she probably will not be back before the outdoor season.

The freshmen on the brink should be pleased with their progress and success whether their bubbles burst or not, said assistant coach Mike McGuire.

The team as a whole expects only its best effort.

"They know they are capable of running faster. (It's) time to put the pedal to the metal," McGuire said.