Women's split squads struggle with elements

By David Edelman

Daily Sports Writer

When the Wolverines are divided, the women's track team cannot stand. This proved true last week when Michigan sent its top sprinters to compete in the prestigious Texas Relays, leaving the rest of the Wolverines to fend for themselves.

This past Saturday at Purdue, the remaining Wolverines competed in horrendous conditions - a struggle in its own. Not only did the partitioned team face some of the fiercest competition in the Big Ten, but Michigan faced some of the harshest weather that nature could have thrown.

The end result: An overall exhausting team performance with noble individual finishes from an array of athletes at both meets.

The battle of Purdue at the Rankin Outdoor Track and Field Complex seemed like more of a conflict between man versus nature than man versus man.

"We faced temperatures of 10 and 12 degrees below zero, and winds of incredible speeds," coach James Henry said.

Although Michigan finished a disappointing last out of the five teams at the Purdue Invitational, Henry remained at ease.

"Based on the circumstances of not having our whole team present, and considering the horrible weather conditions, the team got some good performances at the meet," said Henry.

The Wolverines, who scored 129.5 points, finished behind first place Ball State along with Central Michigan, Penn State and Purdue.

But aside from Michigan's finish, the invitational served more importantly as a first-class practice towards the ultimate goal - placing in the top three this season at the Big Tens; a feat which the Wolverines didn't accomplish at indoors.

"The meet was good practice for us," said Henry. "We got to compete against the horse that dethroned us during the indoor season."

Considering the team's struggles with the weather, Michigan had an impressive performance from freshman Rachel Sturtz, who took first place in the 800-meter run with her season best time of 2:14.71.

"She's been a very gutsy and determined athlete," said Henry. "It seems like she has been competing on the team for more than a year. She is the epitome of our freshman squad and is a leader of this team."

Other stellar performances came from Michigan's top athletes in the southwest, competing in the Texas Relays at Myers Stadium.

Enduring the elite competition, Brandi Bentley ran a personal-best time of 12.16 in the 100-meter dash and placed fifth in the long jump with a leap of 20' 2 1/2". The Wolverines also ran away with the second-fastest mile in Michigan history.

"We are still looking at the long run," said Henry. "It's going to be a big stretch, but we are motivated to place in the top three this season."