Michigan Women Unseat Ohio State With Balanced Performance
By David Woods for DyeStat
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Unseasonably hot and humid weather was accompanied by hot sprinting Sunday at the Big Ten Championships. There have been 122 of these meets, and let’s just say the venerable conference rarely features such fast times . . . or such long throws.
Whether it was Nebraska’s Darius Luff running 13.32 in the 110-meter hurdles or Iowa’s Austin Kresley hitting 20.26 in the 200 meters – or meet records of 38.87 by Minnesota’s men and 43.17 by Ohio State’s women in the 4×100 relay – Big Ten sprinters were dreaming big dreams.
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“I mean, I don’t feel like I have much limit,” Luff said. “Anything can happen. I’m looking to go win nationals.”
The Cornhuskers didn’t fight their way to the men’s title by throwing punches. Their throwers’ punch made this a runaway.
They were 1-2 in the shot put, discus and javelin, sending them to 151 points for the highest score in the Big Ten since 2006. Also, Nebraska’s Till Steinforth, in the middle of winning the decathlon, took the long jump Saturday.
Minnesota was second with 122 points. Iowa was third with 120, including 53 in six sprint/hurdle events.
It was Nebraska’s third Big Ten title and first since 2016. Through 11 of 21 events, Nebraska had already reached 100 points.
“There was a lot of motivation and energy from each event that kept elevating the efforts and the commitment each time,” said first-year head coach Justin St. Clair, who had been throws coach at Nebraska and North Dakota State.
On Friday, Denmark’s Arthur Peterson and freshman Dash Sirmon, the former top-ranked high school thrower, went 1-2 in the javelin at 252-8 (77.03m) and a PB of 247-2 (75.35m).
Then Jonah Wilson and Maxwell Otterdahl – transfers from Washington and North Dakota State, respectively – duplicated that 1-2 in the shot put Saturday with PBs of 69-11.50 (21.32m) and 69-7.50 (21.22m). Both exceeded the 41-year-old meet record of 68-8.5 (20.94m) held by Ohio State’s Kevin Akins. Wilson and Otterdahl rank Nos. 1 and 3 in the NCAA.
In Sunday’s discus, Otterdahl and Wilson switched podium places, throwing 192-0 (58.53m) and 185-10 (56.64m).
Nebraska had a fourth 1-2 from high jumpers Mayson Conner and Tyus Wilson, both at 7-2.5 (2.20m).
“Coach St. Clair preached it all year,” Luff said. “We’ve got to work as an army and not as individual…
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