62 // VARSITY February 27, 2014
INSIDE
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Young Badgers head to
Big Ten Championships
UW looks to build on eighth-place finish
BY AJ HARRISON @BADGER_TRACK
T
he Wisconsin women's
track and field team,
coming off of a strong
performance at the Red &
White Open, will travel to the
SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio,
to take part in the 2014 Big Ten
Indoor Championships.
Wisconsin finished eighth at
last year's meet and saw many
of its conference scorers grad-
uate, including last year's pen-
tathlon champion, Jessica Flax,
last year's 5000 meters cham-
pion, Caitlin Comfort, and Tay-
lor Smith, who finished third
in the weight throw at the con-
ference meet.
This year's squad is one of
the youngest in recent mem-
ory, as only half of the com-
petitors enter the conference
championship with previous
Big Ten meet experience.
However, the Badgers have gotten
some great marks out of their young
athletes. Freshman Molly Hanson has
the league's third-best mile time, while
Emma-Lisa Murphy, an All-American in
cross country last fall, has the confer-
ence's eighth-best 5000 meters time.
In addition, freshman Kim Azie has the
school's third-fastest 60 meters time,
which ranks 11th in the conference.
The Badgers do have some veterans
coming back, headlined by junior Dean-
na Latham, who looks to continue the
Badgers' success in the multi-events. UW
has won the last four pentathlon titles at
the Big Ten meet.
Latham enters the weekend with the
conference's best score in the pentath-
lon and has the league's third-best 60
hurdles time.
Fellow junior Angela Boushea also
looks to score again at this year's meet,
as she finished sixth in the weight throw
last year.
For the second straight year, the meet
will be held at the SPIRE Institute, a
300-meter oversized track, which is
something that many of the Badgers will
be seeing for the first time.
"It's unusual," UW Director of Cross
Country and Track & Field Mick Byrne
said. "Our kids aren't always familiar with
it. They're not familiar with the zones.
They're not familiar with the markings.
"But when you get there and get into
the heat of the battle, being on the 300
meter track can be fun."
SCHEDULE
LAST WEEK
Friday Red & White Open W, 239 pts
COMING UP
Fri. Big Ten Championships 9 a.m.
Sat. Big Ten Championships 9 a.m.
