WMU News

Women's track concludes season at MAC Championships

May 22, 2000

KALAMAZOO -- The WMU women's outdoor track and field team completed its 2000 season with a 10th-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships held May 18-20 at the University at Buffalo. Ball State won the MAC title, and Kent finished second in the 11-team women's competition.

"I really felt that we could have finished in the top seven [teams]," said coach Diane Russo, "so I was disappointed."

The best overall performance for the Broncos was turned in by freshman Heather Johnson who placed sixth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.59. She also contributed on two relay teams that scored points.

The 400-meter relay team of Dorothea Game, Angela Cole-Curry, Devron Kennedy, and Johnson finished fourth (3:47.34), and the 100-meter relay team of Game, Cole-Curry, Johnson, and Alea Benston took eighth place (47.32).

Other top finishes for WMU were carded by senior Kim Lorenz, eighth place in the 5,000 meter run, 17:38.45; Allison Langworthy, eighth in the 800 meter run, 2:16.78; and Addy Radeliff, eighth in the discus, 136-4.

Seven Bronco seniors close their careers on Saturday: Marion Darch, Kim Edwards, Audrey Jelenek, Kim Lorenz, Justina Phillips, Jennifer Schmidt and Jill Vandercook.

Diane Russo (Iowa, 1983) compltered her 10th season at WMU with a career dual record of 36-34-1 (.514), including a 22-22 ledger outdoors. She has guided the Broncos to a pair of fifth-place finishes at the outdoor MAC Championships and has produced three All-Americans and nine NCAA qualifiers. Her assistant coaches are Terri Soldan and Phyllis Brooks.

2000 Mid-American Conference Women's Track and Field Championships

1. Ball State (157 pts)
2. Kent (151-1/2)
3. Eastern Michigan (137-1/2)
4. Central Michigan (106)
5. Akron (94-1/2)
6. Toledo (42)
7. Buffalo (41-1/2)
8. Bowling Green (35)
9. Ohio (20-1/2)
10. WMU Broncos (18)
11. Miami (13-1/2)

Media contact: Daniel Jankowski, 616 387-4122; daniel.jankowski@wmich.edu


Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
616 387-8400
univ-rel@wmich.edu

http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news