University of Missouri
Big 12 Indoor, Day 1/2
Day One Gives Rohr First Individual Title
2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Feb. 27, 2009
College Station, Texas. - With already having made the field for the NCAA National Indoor Championships, all senior Chris Rohr had to do was win a Big 12 individual championship in either the weight throw, shot put, or both. After Friday, he was one step closer to accomplishing that feat, earning his first individual championship in the weight throw on the first day of the 2009 Big 12 Indoor Championships.
Rohr made it clear to 3,000 fans in attendance early that he was the one to beat, throwing the winning toss of 22.30 meters on his first attempt. He would finish ahead of Oklahoma's K.P. Singh, earning ten points for the Tigers on day one.
"I knew since I was leading the Big 12 and the nation, I was going to have to come out with a big throw, "Rohr said. "Now all I have to do is show up in nationals to get on the podium."
In one of the handful of finals of the day, senior Kaela Rorvig finished in third place in the women's pentathlon with an overall score of 3,922 points. The total is a new personal record for Rorvig and is also an NCAA qualifier, besting her score the last time in College Station in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Krishna Lee would finish third in the women's weight throw with a toss of 19.69.
Also scoring for Missouri on Friday would be pole vaulter Brian Hancock, who finished fourth clearing 5.15 meters in the men's pole vault.
The women's distance medley relay team of Ellen Ries, Lana Mims, Angela Potrykus and Emily Baker and the men's relay team of Tim Cornell, Jerron Forte, Blake Irwin and Garett Jeffries would finish in third place with the women clocking in at a time of 11:30, while the men finished in a time of 9:48.06.
Lars Rise has put himself in a good position heading into the final events of the heptathlon, sitting in second place behind Texas A&M's Trinity Otto. Rise is only 25 points behind Otto with three events remaining. Reigning champ Nick Adcock is currently sixth, 86 points behind the leader Otto.
Senior runner Brian Graybill made the finals of the men's mile, finishing in a time of 4:07.50, qualifying for the fourth spot in Saturday's finals. The time is also a new personal record for Graybill, who held the facility record with his previous time of 4:08.65.
Freshman Leslie Farmer continues to impress making the finals of the women's 600 yard run with a time of 1:21.76, and will be in lane five for tomorrow's finals. Chris Davis also advanced to the finals on the men's side, winning his heat with a time of 1:11.10.
Shannon Leinert blew away the field in her heat of the women's 800-meter run, winning with a time of 2:10.06. The time gives Leinert the top overall spot in the event with a favorable lane assignment. Blake Irwin and Rick Scheff would also qualify for the 800-meter race finals, finishing in the top three in their respective heats.
Ries also qualified for the women's 1000-meter run finals with a time of 2:52.25, while Aaron Dixon's time of 2:26.53 was good enough to have him run again in the finals.
