Site: Ohio Stadium, Ohio State University
Event: 1998 Big Ten Outdoor Championships
Michigan Team Finish: 4th, 97 points
Next Meet: Wed.-Sat., June 3-6 - at 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Buffalo, NY

Wolverines Ride Four Individual Titles
to Fourth Place Finish at Big Ten Outdoor Championships

Columbus, OH -- Two more Michigan individual titles highlighted the final day of competition at the 98th annual Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships. A total of four conference titles led Michigan to a fourth place finish with 97 points. Like the indoor championship meet, Minnesota out-performed the rest of the conference with 134.50 points.

Adding to the two crowns already won by two-time All-American John Mortimer (Londonderry, NH/Londonderry HS) , were two championships accomplished by a pair of senior co-captains. Kevin Sullivan (Brantford, ONT/North Park) won the 12th Big Ten crown of his illustrious career as he blazed past the rest of the field in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3:47.69. Sullivan barely edged out teammate Jay Cantin (Sarnia, ONT/St. Claire Secondary) who came in second with a pace of 3:48.18. Sullivan's bid for a thirteenth conference title came up just shy as he finished second in the 800-meter run in 1:48.55, only .25 seconds off the winning pace. Senior Don McLaughlin (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer HS) also scored in the 800-meter run when he gained a fourth place slot in 1:49.44.

Michigan's other senior to earn a Big Ten championship is Brian Theisen (Ft. Wayne, IN/Homestead HS), who won the 110-meter hurdles in a personal record time of 13.87. Theisen's pace is also a NCAA provisional qualifying time. In addition to his triumph in the 110-meter hurdles, Theisen was one of two Michigan athletes to score in the 400-meter hurdles with a fifth place finish in 52.15. Joining Theisen as a Maize and Blue scorer in the 400-meter hurdles was Josh Sellers (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee HS) with an eighth place finish (54.27).

Notes:

-- Sullivan has earned more Big Ten championships (12) than any other Michigan distance runner.

-- Theisen is only the fourth Wolverine to claim the Big Ten title in the 110-meter hurdles and the first since Neil Gardner in 1995.

-- After winning two MAC conference titles for Central Michigan, this is Theisen's first Big Ten championship since transferring to Michigan in 1996.

-- The Wolverines have finished fourth at the Big Ten outdoor championships three times in the 90's. Their other fourth place finishes came in 1991 and 94

-- Michigan's point total of 97 is the same amount that they earned at last year's outdoor meet when they finished third.

1998 BIG TEN OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS

1) Minnesota 		134.50
2) Wisconsin		120
3) Iowa			103
4) Michigan		97
5) Purdue		65
6) Indiana		58.50
7) Ohio State		57
8) Illinois		54.50
9) Penn State		53
10) Michigan State	36.50

100-METER DASH
(trials) heat 1
1) Dwight, Tim (Iowa)			10.72
5) Molnar, Steve (UM)			11.27
heat 3
1) Branch, Tony (Iowa)			10.73
3) Jenkins, Steve (UM)			10.81
6) Niedzinski, Jim (UM)			11.23
(finals)
1) Rogers, Fred (Minnesota)		10.44

110-METER HURDLES
(trials) heat 2
1) Yeager, Ty (Indiana)			14.06
3) Theisen, Brian (UM)			14.25=
(finals)
1) Theisen, Brian (UM)			13.87

200-METER DASH
(trials) heat 1
1) Armstrong, Sherman (Ill.)		21.39
4) Bowman, Kevin (UM)			21.78
5) Jenkins, Steve (UM)			22.15
7) Molnar, Steve (UM)			22.64
(finals)
1) Yamini, Bashir (Iowa)		21.10

400-METER DASH
(trials) heat 2
1) Pierce, Andrew (Ohio St.)		46.68
7) Fuqua, Dwayne (UM)			49.66
heat 3
1) Griggs, Brad (Indiana)		47.71
6) Turner, Ricky (UM)			49.20
(finals)
1) Rodgers, Matt (Wisc.)		46.73

400-METER HURDLES
(trials) heat 1
1) Smith, Sekou (Ohio St.)		50.65
8) Moffat, Steve (UM)			55.16
heat 2
1) Theisen, Brian (UM)			51.31=
4) Sellers, Josh (UM)			53.00=
(finals)
1) Smith, Sekou (OSU)			50.11*
5) Theisen, Brian (UM)			52.15
8) Sellers, Josh (UM)			54.27

800-METER RUN
(trials) heat 1
1) True, Bobby (Illinois)		1:50.89
6) Brown, Cory (UM)			1:53.29
heat 2
1) Sullivan, Kevin (UM)			1:52.00=
heat 3
1) McLaughlin, Don (UM)			1:50.37=
(finals)
1) True, Bobby (Illinois)		1:48.30#
2) Sullivan, Kevin (UM)			1:48.55#
4) McLaughlin, Don (UM)			1:49.44

1500-METER RUN
(trials) heat 1
1) Cantin, Jay (UM)			3:49.89=
3) Sullivan, Kevin (UM)			3:50.82=
8) Swan, Ryan (UM)			3:53.29
(finals)
1) Sullivan, Kevin (UM)			3:47.69
2) Cantin, Jay (UM)`			3:48.18

3000-METER STEEPLECHASE
1) Mortimer, John (UM)			8:50.77#
15) Bunt, Chris (UM)			9:43.75
16) Dorri, Sam (UM)			10:11.11

5000-METER RUN
1) Schoenfelder, Jay (Wisc.)		14:14.36
3) Snyder, Todd (UM)			14:16.25
4) Mortimer, John (UM)			14:18.51

10,000-METER RUN
1) Mortimer, John (UM)			30:17.30
4) Snyder, Todd (UM)			30:26.14
13) Bunt, Chris (UM)			31:31.20

4 X 100-METER RELAY
(trials) heat 2
1) Michigan		40.55=
(finals)
1) Iowa			40.27
3) Michigan		40.65

4 X 400-METER RELAY
1) Ohio State		3:06.48
6) Michigan		3:12.91

LONG JUMP
1) Audu, George (Penn St.)		25-4 (7.72m)#

HIGH JUMP
1) Strand, Steffan (Minnesota)		7-4 1/4 (2.25m)*

TRIPLE JUMP
1) Turner, Mike (Purdue)		52-2 1/2 (15.91m)#

POLE VAULT
1) Miller, Randy (Purdue)		17-4 1/2 (5.30m)#
9) DeWildt, Charles (UM)		15-7 (4.75m)

DISCUS
1) Allen, Jeremy (Iowa)			185-9 (56.62m)#
15) Rogers, Nick (UM)			148-8 (45.32m)

SHOT PUT
1) Flemming, Zach (Indiana)		59-2 1/4 (18.04m)#
11) Rogers, Nick (UM)			51-7 (15.72m)

JAVELIN
1) Burkholder, Troy (Penn St.)		210-11 (64.30m)
5) Derr, Andy (UM)			185-3 (56.46m)

DECATHLON
1) Gill, Greg (Wisconsin)		7325 pts.#
7) Yonkoski, Blair (UM)			5950 pts.

= Qualify for finals

* NCAA Automatic Qualifier

# NCAA Provisional Qualifier

! Michigan record

@ Meet record

^ Field record