COLUMBUS, OHIO – For the fourth-straight year, a Minnesota Gopher earned top honors in the hammer throw at the Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships as Micah Hegerle kicked off the conference competition with a win for Minnesota on Friday.

With a winning throw of 65.34 meters (214-04 ft.) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Hegerle earned his second career Big Ten title in the hammer throw as a senior after winning the event as a redshirt freshman in 2010.