Five MSU track athletes will represent the green and white in an attempt to attain All-America status.
The Spartans will begin competition today at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Baton Rouge, La.
The group is headlined by senior Paul Terek. Terek, the two-time Big Ten Men’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year, will compete in the pole vault and the decathlon.
Despite the clashing of the two events, Terek said he has a plan and is confident going into the national competition.
“The vault is going to be kind of tough because it’s right in the middle of the decathlon,” he said. “(MSU assistant coach Jim Stintzi and I) know we have to come in high. We can’t come in at the opening height and go back and forth. It just wears you out.
“We take like three or four jumps and see if we can win the vault in those three or four jumps, and we can get right back into the decathlon.”
As for the decathlon, Terek said he is looking to crack the 8,000-point barrier.
“If you look at the past year I’m peaking, but I don’t think I am right now,” he said. “I think there’s a lot more points I can get. I can jump a lot higher in the vault and I can run a lot faster in these other events.”
Terek’s career best - and an MSU record - in the decathlon is 7,926 points.
Joining Terek is senior Ann Somerville, sophomore Jamie Krzyminski and juniors Lynlee Phillips and Sherita Williams.
“I’m really excited,” said Krzyminski, who will run the 10,000 meters.
“It’s the first time I’m going to be going to nationals, so I’m excited to get the experience. I hope to just go out and compete and see what happens.
“It’d be great to be top eight.”
A top-eight finish is needed to claim All-America status.
Spartan head coach Angela Goodman said if Williams jumps to her capability she can become an All-American in the triple jump. At the 2002 Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Williams leaped 42’10 3/4” to take the title.
“I think she probably needs to at least be able to jump what she has jumped to get there,” Goodman said. “She’s jumping really well right now and I think she’s going to exceed the 43-foot mark.”
Goodman said Phillips has a good chance to reach All-America status in the javelin throw. Phillips is fully recovered from elbow surgery she had June 5, 2000. Goodman said her goal is to break the 170-foot mark. At the Big Ten Championships, Phillips tossed the javelin 167’8”.
“This past weekend was the first time she’s been able to throw from full approach at 100 percent,” Goodman said. “It’s pretty awesome she was able to qualify.”
Goodman said although her athletes have a good chance at doing well individually, a national championship is highly unlikely with the number of athletes she has competing.
“There are going to be some teams that will look like they have their entire squad there,” she said. And those will probably be the teams that will contend for the national championship.
“We will take baby steps to get there. Next year, hopefully, we’ll get a few more.”
