With arrival of Pac-12 powers Washington, Oregon, Southern California and UCLA next year, it is plausible 2024 will be the last year a Midwest school can win a Big Ten championship in outdoor track and field.
Nebraska’s men and Minnesota’s women made the most of it, rolling to titles Sunday at Ann Arbor, Mich.
It was fitting to hold the last such gathering in Ann Arbor, the site of the Big Ten’s most memorable meet, in 1935, when Jesse Owens set four world records in 45 minutes.
There were no world records this time, but there were four men meriting worldwide attention:
>> Nebraska’s Tyus Wilson high jumped to a collegiate lead of 7 feet, 6 inches (2.29m). That is tied for fourth in the world and second among Americans behind world leader JuVaughn Harrison (7-8/2.34m). It was Wilson’s third jump this season of 7-5 or higher.
>> Purdue’s Cameron Miller ran 200 meters in a wind-aided 19.97 seconds (+3.1). Miller, a transfer from Louisville, ranks seventh in the world under all conditions and third among Americans. He has a wind-legal 20.17 in finishing eighth at last year’s NCAA Championships.
>> Nebraska’s Darius Luff repeated as champion in the 110 hurdles in 13.25. That equals his No. 2 collegiate time and ranks sixth in the world, fifth among Americans.
>> Iowa’s Mike Stein set a meet record of 266 feet, 4 inches (81.19m) in the javelin. That ranks No. 2 in the NCAA, No. 4 among Americans and just outside the world top 20.
The Cornhuskers repeated as men’s champions with 136 points. In eight field events, they scored 91, enough to win without a single point on the track.
Iowa was second with 86, Wisconsin third with 78 and Michigan fourth with 72.
Minnesota’s Devin Augustine, of Trinidad and Tobago, tied the meet record of 10.05 in the 100 meters. He was third in the 200 in 20.17.
Other winners in the throws were Ohio State shot putter Hayden Tobias, 65-7.50 (20.00m); Purdue discus thrower Seth Allen, 199-11 (60.95m), and Minnesota freshman Angelos Mantzouranis, of Greece, 246-6 (75.15m) in the hammer. Allen, who won on his final attempt, was a Pan American under-20 gold medalist last year.
Minnesota’s Zak Urlacher won the pole vault with a first-attempt PB of 18-1 (5.51m), beating Illinois freshman Cody Johnston (17-11/5.46m). Indiana’s Nathan Stone, a five-time Big Ten champion, failed at his opening height of 16-11 (5.16m).
Wisconsin’s Adam Spencer, the NCAA indoor mile runner-up from Australia, won the 800 in 1:47.96 over Cameron Marshall of Indiana. Marshall, the defending champion, was second in 1:48.17. Spencer’s splits were 55.09/52.87.
Michigan’s Trent McFarland and Nick Foster were 1-2 in the 1,500 in 3:43.59 and 3:43.64.
Gophers dig deep, come out on top
Minnesota won only three of 21 events but scored in 16, taking its first women’s title since 2018 and third in the past eight Big Ten meets.
…
CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at RunnerSpace News…