March 15, 2003
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Kenneth Baxter and Lindsay Lange have been named February Athletes of the Month.
Baxter, a junior sprinter from New York, N.Y., excelled at the Armory Invitational, held in his hometown on Feb. 14 and 15. Baxter won the 200-meter dash in 20.85, setting a school record while automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships with the nation's fastest time. Baxter also automatically qualified for the NCAA's with a 60-meter dash time of 6.70, breaking the previous school record of 6.71, set by current senior Prentice Stovall on Feb. 23, 2002. One day after the month ended, Baxter won the 200-meter dash and finished second in the 60-meter dash at the 2003 Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis.
Lange, a senior swimmer from Oak Harbor, Ohio, won the 100 breaststroke at the 2003 Big Ten Championships hosted by Purdue on Feb. 21. Lange's title, which came in 1:00.47, was the first for a Boilermaker since Kim Fritsch won the 200 butterfly in 1994. In the preliminary round, Lange set a Holloway Pool record with a personal-best time of 1:00.42 to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. Lange was a member of the runner-up 200 medley relay team, the third-place 400 free relay team, and the third-place 400 medley relay team, with the former two setting school records.
The NCAA Track and Field Championships are being held this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark. The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships will be held March 20 to 22 in Auburn, Ala.
The award is sponsored by WLFI-TV and Twin City Dodge-Chrysler.