University of Missouri
Arizona State Clif Bar Invitational
Tiger Track Opens Season With 11 Regional Qualifiers
3/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
March 25, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - The University of Missouri track and field teams wrapped up weekend competition in the state of Arizona late Saturday night. As a result of competition at Arizona State's Clif Bar Invitational the last two days, Mizzou has already qualified 11 to the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships which will be held in Columbia in late May. In a meet that featured many elite squads from around the nation, senior Trisa Nickoley opened the outdoor season with a spectacular, 2:05.37 clocking in the women's 800-meter run as part of many highlights for the Tigers on the weekend.
Nickoley's (Tecumseh, Kan) time was the second-fastest of her career and only a 2:05.03 time, ran in a USA-qualifying meet last June, has been faster. In addition to qualifying for the NCAA regional, Nickoley earned a `B'-standard time for the USATF Championships to come in June. Also, Nickoley's time this weekend would have put her among the NCAA's top 12 last year in the event.
Nickoley placed second in the meet, finishing only behind Michigan's Katie Erdman (2:02.99) who was fourth in the event a few weeks ago at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Erdman and Nickoley will undoubtedly match against each other again in the NCAA Mideast Regional in a few weeks.
Columbia local Tim Cornell (Hickman HS) shaved five full seconds off his personal best in the men's 1500-meter to clock 3:47.30 and qualify for the regional. The sophomore placed fifth in the event and moves into Mizzou's all-time top 10 with mark.
Juniors Jason Morris and Nate Englin joined Bobby Musil in qualifying for the regional in the men's hammer throw. Morris finished fourth in the event with a throw of 205 feet, 10 inches (62.73m), eclipsing the 200-foot mark for the 10th time of his career. Englin added over nine feet to his previous all-time best to qualify for the regional in the event for the first time in his career with a mark of 190-10 (58.17m) to place 10th.
Englin also earned his regional qualifier in the shot put, throwing 56-8½ (17.28m) to place fourth.
In the women's shot put, the Tiger trio of Elisha Hunt, Krishna Lee, and Shernelle Nicholls, all earned NCAA-regional qualifying marks. Hunt (Linn, Mo.), fresh off a fourth-place national finish in the weight throw, once again added to her throwing prowess in gaining over six feet to her previous personal best for a 49-11¼ (15.23m) breakthrough to place third. In addition, Hunt leaped from ninth all-time in Mizzou history in the event to third. Nicholls, an NCAA Indoor qualifier, was fourth at 49-2½ (15.00m). Lee finished sixth in marking 47-4¼ (14.43m).
Jamie Wynn and Nicholls gained early regional qualifiers in the women's discus. Wynn was fifth at 159-10 (48.71m). Nicholls was ninth at 155-8 (47.45m).
Jim Click Combined Events
In addition to Friday and Saturday's Arizona State Invitational, five Tigers competed Thursday and Friday at the University of Arizona's Jim Click Combined Events in Tucson, Ariz.
Freshman Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.) finished second in the men's decathlon with a 6,612-point score amidst windy and rainy conditions. In his first-ever decathlon, competing in the discus, javelin, and 1500-meter run for the first-time ever, Adcock held his own in the two-day competition and is already seventh all-time at Mizzou in the event. Adcock also earned a USATF Junior Championship qualifier for the decathlon.
Adcock earned personal bests in the shot put (41-10) and pole vault (12-3½). During a downpour, Adcock won the 1500-meter with a 4:56.55 clocking.
In the women's heptathlon, junior Kaela Rorvig (Columbia, Mo.) finished fifth, scoring 4,580 points. Rorvig competed for the first time since suffering a hamstring-setback in early January. Freshman Lauren Begany was sixth at 4,502, frosh Lindsey Boldt was eighth with 4,298.
The Tigers will next host meets on three-consecutive weekends starting with the Missouri Relays on March 30 and 31. In addition, some distance-squad members will travel to the Stanford Invitational next weekend.
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Players Mentioned
