on the SIDELINES

Women's track and field athletes will join their male counterparts at two separate competitions this weekend for one last try to qualify for the NCAA Champion-ships. Five Hoosiers are traveling to Iowa to compete in the Cyclone National Track & Field Qualifier at Iowa State. \nThese women include Christina Archibald, who will compete in the high jump, Tandra Foster and Rose Richmond, who both aim to qualify in the long jump, weight-throw participant Kelley McKinney and Tia Trent, who will compete in the 400-meter dash. The meet takes place today, beginning at 12:30 p.m.\nAt Notre Dame Friday and Saturday, five other women will attempt to get qualifying times and heights. Courtney Bell, Audrey Giesler and Mindy Peterson will all compete in the 800-meter run qualifier. Giesler and Peterson will also attempt to qualify in the mile and the 3,000-meters. The trio is joined by Charlene Maddox, a competitor in the 400-meters, and Emily Tharpe, competing in the pole vault.\nWater polo player receives award \nIU freshman Sharna Nelson was named water polo Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 20. Nelson was awarded the title by the Collegiate Water Polo Association.\nNelson, an Australian-native, was given the award after scoring eight goals on 20 attempts at the Princeton Invite Feb. 16-17. She also had four assists and one steal.\nHer game best came against Princeton in the tournament. She scored three goals on eight attempts.\nThe water polo team is back in action March 9-10 at the CWPA Conference Weekend.\nFirst round of women's Big Ten championships concluded\nOhio State beat Michigan State 89-82 in double overtime Thursday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. Ohio State (14-14) faces Penn State, the tournament's second seed, today in the quarterfinals.\nThe Buckeyes' Lauren Shenk, who scored 25 total points, helped OSU stay ahead for good in the second overtime with a free throw. That made the score 78-77. The Buckeyes had scored seven of the first nine points in the second overtime before the Spartans cut the lead to 82-80 following a MSU three pointer.\nIn other games, Michigan was a winner over Illinois, 84-63. Wisconsin squeaked by Northwestern 60-58. Both victors play today.