Feb. 25, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, IN -

Junior Shane Maier became Iowa's third Big Ten indoor shot put champion and it's 73rd conference event winner in school history Sunday at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Bloomington, IN. Maier threw a season-best 60-11 1/4 to win his first Big Ten title. The Hawkeyes finished seventh with 46.50 points. Wisconsin won its fifth-straight Big Ten indoor team title, scoring 120.

The Hawkeyes picked up over half of their team points in the shot put and high jump. Maier and sophomore John Hickey went 1-2 in the shot put. Hickey threw a collegiate-best 60-2 1/4 for second place, making him only the sixth Iowa shot putter in school history to throw over 60 feet. In the high jump, redshirt freshman Trey Stross, junior Jeremy Petsche and sophomore Ryan Kelly placed fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively. Stross, who competed in his first Iowa track meet Feb. 16 and is a wide receiver on the Iowa football team, jumped a collegiate-best 6-9 3/4. Petsche also jumped 6-9 3/4, while Kelly jumped 6-8 1/4.

Hawkeye senior Micah VanDenend and sophomore Blake Schlotzhauer were Iowa's other runners-up at the meet. VanDenend placed second in the seeded 5,000 meters (14:09.35), while Schlotzhauer placed second in the unseeded 5,000 meters (14:43.75).

Freshman Paul Chaney, Jr., was Iowa's only double-event scorer, finishing seventh in the 200 meters (21.67) and eighth in the 60 meters (6.91). Chaney, Jr. is a wide receiver on the Iowa football team who redshirted the 2006 season.

Other Hawkeyes to finish in the top 10 were seniors Adam Hamilton (5th-weight throw) and Jeff Kent (10th-5,000 meters), junior Aaron Reed (9th-long jump), sophomore Prince Riley (7th-400 meters), and freshmen Adam Hairston (8th-800 meters) and Ray Varner (9th-400 meters).

Members of the Iowa track team will have one more chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships, to be held March 9-10 in Fayetteville, AR. The team will send competitors to the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, IN, March 2-3 and the Last Chance Qualifier in Ames March 3.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Wisconsin - 120
2. Minnesota - 93
3. Michigan - 89
4. Ohio State - 84
5. Indiana - 72
6. Purdue - 71.50
7. Iowa - 46.50
8. Penn State - 46
9. Michigan State - 43
10. Illinois - 36

MEET RESULTS (Event Winner Plus Top 10 Iowa Placers)
60 Meters
1. Demi Omole (WIS) 6.63
8. Paul Chaney, Jr. (I) 6.91

200 Meters
1. Anthony Cole (OSU) 21.18
7. Paul Chaney, Jr. (I) 21.61

400 Meters
1. Aaron Buzard (MINN) 46.64
7. Prince Riley (I) 48.01
9. Ray Varner (I) 48.14

800 Meters
1. Andrew Ellerton (MICH) 1:50.91
8. Adam Hairston (I) 1:53.22

5,000 Meters (Unseeded)
1. Antonio Vega (MINN) 14:31.06
2. Blake Schlotzhauer (I) 14:43.75

5,000 Meters (Seeded)
1. Lex Williams (MICH) 14:04.43
2. Micah VanDenend (I) 14:09.35
10. Jeff Kent (I) 14:37.17

High Jump
1. Ryan Fritz (PSU) 7-3
4. Trey Stross (I) 6-9 3/4
5. Jeremy Petsche (I) 6-9 3/4
7. Ryan Kelly (I) 6-8 1/4

Shot Put
1. Shane Maier (I) 60-11 1/4
2. John Hickey (I) 60-2 1/4

Long Jump
1. Kiwan Lawson (IND) 25-4 1/2
9. Aaron Reed (I) 22-6 1/4

Weight Throw
1. Leonard Jatsek (OSU) 66-9 3/4
5. Adam Hamilton (I) 61-10 1/2

Click HERE for complete results.