Women cede big race to Badgers

Michigan harriers finish second

By Rhonda Gilmer

Daily Sports Writer

MADISON - The Big Ten championships for women's cross country brought Michigan to Madison yesterday as the Wolverines attempted to solidify their power ranking.

The Wolverines met their match, battling Wisconsin for the team title.

Wisconsin responded to Michigan's challenge with its best meet of the season. The Badgers won the Big Ten team title with 34 points. Wisconsin boasted the top two finishers, Erica Palmer and Bethany Brewster. As the defending Big Ten and NCAA champion, Palmer was the favorite going into the race and did not disappoint.

In the face of a Wisconsin onslaught, Michigan held its own with a second-place finish of 89 points, staving off Minnesota by 10 points.

"Our initial goal from the beginning of the year was to be in the top two in the Big Ten," Michigan coach Mike McGuire said.

Junior Katy Radkewich led the Wolverines, finishing 11th in the meet. This was an unexpectedly good result, considering Radkewich's health going into the meet.

"Radkewich has had a really bad back for a couple of weeks since the home meet so we've been really in and out," McGuire said. "She raced at about 130 percent, but physically she wasn't at 100 percent."

Senior Katie Jazwinski was Michigan's next best finisher at 16th, and senior Lisa Ouellet followed in 17th. Erin White also ran in the top 20 for the Wolverines.

"This is probably Erin's best race ever since she's been here," McGuire said.

Other finishers for the Wolverines were junior Katie Ryan, who came in 25th and Jane Martineau, who placed 30th. "Martineau's race was okay, but after that we had a drop-off," McGuire said.

The team title seemed within Michigan's grasp going into the race, but those hopes were dashed when Wisconsin placed four runners among the top 10 finishers.

Jazwinski, who had been Michigan's best runner this season, did not run as well as expected in the meet.

"Jazwinski was very much affected by the first mile. In particular, it is common that in cross country running when you really get dropped abruptly it's quite a shock to the system," Wisconsin coach Peter Tegen said. "Mentally, you just have the tendency to throw in the towel.".

The Wolverines might not have run their best race, but they did manage to reach their overall goal of finishing in the top two.

"I think we ran really great, as a group," Radkewich said. "It wasn't the finish we had hoped for. But, we ran about as fit as we are - we ran a good race, and we have two more important races to go."

The course in Madison was just five kilometers in length. Most coaches in the Big Ten favor the 5K race over the 6K. This is in part due to the frequent injuries that are incurred over the longer distance.

"It costs a lot of wear and tear, and it does not promote, contrary to some coaches' beliefs, distance ability and distance training," Tegen said. "It does not do anything for you other than beat you into the ground."