Feb. 23, 2002

LINCOLN, Neb. - Baylor's men's 4x400 relay team won the event for the fifth consecutive year to propel itself to fourth place finish at the Big 12 Conference Championships at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Saturday. Not to be overshadowed, the Baylor women matched the men's accomplishment also placing fourth overall, marking their best placing at the conference championships since the 1999 season when they finished third overall.

Host Nebraska claimed the men's conference title with 105.5 points, edging out both Texas (97) and Kansas State (93.5). Texas and Nebraska flip-flopped in the women's competition as the Longhorn's claimed first (107), Nebraska took second (103) and Kansas State rounded out the top-three (93.5).

"I'm delighted with the fourth place finishes," said Baylor head track and field coach Clyde Hart. "Realistically, with the injuries we've had and the people we have had out I figured if we had a good meet we would be in the top-six. It's a pleasant surprise to finish in fourth and I believe it's one of the better combined team efforts we've ever had at these championships."

31 of the men's 69 points came in the 400 meter final as Baylor's dominance in the event continued as it swept the top four spots and freshman Darold Williamson won the first Big 12 Championship of his career. Williamson's season-best time of 47.01 was a provisional qualifying mark and just edged out teammate Zsolt Szeglet's second-place, provisional time of 47.25. Senior Michael Smith and Joel Martin, also turning in season-best marks, finished third and fourth respectively with times of 47.69 and 47.71, while junior Charles Sterling placed seventh with a 48.53 clocking.

Baylor's top four performers in the 400 went on to claim the 4x400 relay crown in the final event of the day as lead-leg Zseglet, Smith, Martin and anchor Williamson combined for a season-best 3:08.15 outing.

For the women senior Barbara Petrahn had an amazing performance winning both the 200 meters and the 600 yards to claim the first individual indoor conference titles of her career. In the 600 Petrahn blew away the field by nearly 25 meters taking top honors with a time of 1:19.64, a mark that was over three seconds faster then her nearest competitor. Her time also ranks as the third fastest in Baylor school history. In the 200, Petrahn ran to a NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 23.87 while winning her second event of the day.

"The range of Barbara's running ability is remarkable," said Hart. "To be able to run the 200 and 600 so well and then come back and anchor the 4x400 relay is unbelievable."

Petrahn's anchor leg of the 4x400 relay secured Baylor's third place finish in the event as the Bears finished with a time of 3:40.58.

Senior Lanie Millar also had a career day setting a new Big 12 meet record in the 800 meters on the way to winning a conference title of her own Saturday. Millar's time of 2:07.83 was a PR and ranks as the third fastest 800 meter mark in school history.

"Lanie did a phenomenal job in the 800 today setting the meet record," said Hart. "We couldn't be more happy with her performance."

Additional scorers on the women's team included Tiffany Wise's fourth place outing in the 600 yards (1:24.23), Katherine Duncan's fifth place showing in the 1,000 meters (2:55.20) and Lakadron Ivery's seventh place finish in the 60 meters (7.63).

For the men other top performances came from seniors Jon Capron and Jim Autenreith, junior Ferenc Bekesi and sophomore Kyle King. All four recorded fifth place finishes in their respective events as Capron turned in a season-best time of 2:26.79 in the 1,000 meters, Autenrieth cleared a height of 16-6 in the pole vault, Bekesi ran the mile in 4:11.62, and King posted a time of 8:15.24 in the 3,000.

Baylor Second-Day Results:
Name	        Event	Time 	        Place

MEN:
Chris Gillis	60mH	8.17	        7th
D. Williamson	400m	47.01	        1st
Zsolt Szeglet	400m	47.25	        2nd
Michael Smith	400m	47.69	        3rd
Joel Martin	400m	47.71	        4th
C. Sterling	400m	48.53	        7th
Jordan Lewis	600 yds	1:12.05	        6th
Jon Capron	1,000m	2:26.79	        5th
Ferenc Bekesi	Mile	4:11.62	        5th
Kyle King	3,000m	8:15.24	        5th
Alex Adler	3,000m	8:30.63	        14th
Sam Bernal	3,000m	8:52.74	        37th
Zsolt Szeglet	4x400 	3:08.15	        1st
Michael Smith
Joel Martin
Darold Williamson
Jim Autenreith	PV	16-6	        5th
T.J. Henderson	PV	16-6	        8th
Sherman Harness	HJ	6-8	        12th

WOMEN:
Lakadron Ivery	60m	7.63	        6th
B. Petrahn 	200m	23.87	        1st
April Holliness	200m	24.55	        8th
Barbara Petrahn	600 yds	1:19.64	        1st
Tiffany Wise	600 yds	1:24.23	        4th
Lanie Millar	800m	2:07.83	        1st
K. Duncan	1,000m	2:55.20	        5th
S. Bennett	1,000m	3:01.65	        8th
Jessa Vacek	Mile	4:59.51	        8th
D. Thornhill	3,000m	9:48.50	        9th
Kara Newton	3,000m	9:54.43	        11th
Megan McCoin	3,000m	10:13.81	21st
Candice Kolb	3,000m	10:16.42	24th
Erin Dixon	3,000m	10:30.68	30th
Jasmine Esiere	4x400 	3:40.58	        3rd
Chava Demart
Tiffany Wise
Barbara Petrahn
April Holliness	TJ	38-7 ?	        12th
Rachal Roessler	SP	38-6 ?	        18th