Missouri
Big 12 Indoor Championships
Tigers Wrap Up Day One at Big 12s
2/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Feb. 26, 2010
AMES, Iowa - The Mizzou track and field program wrapped up day one of the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships inside the Lied Recreation Center on Friday (Feb. 26) and received several notable performances that have set the Tigers up for what should be a great day two on Saturday (Feb. 26). Most notably, the Tiger men shined in the heptathlon as a pair of Tigers - Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.) and Lars Rise (Trondheim, Norway) - finished the day ranked in the event's top three through the first four events. Adcock found himself in first place overall with 3,250 points with his best event - the 60m hurdles - still to come tomorrow morning. Rise also had a fine first day, totaling 3,203 points to place third through the first four events.
Adcock's day was accentuated by a first-place high jump mark of 2.04m (6-8 ¼), earning him 840 points in the event. He scored at least 835 points in three of the four events on the day. He clocked in at 7.12 in the 60m dash and leapt 7.09m (23-3 ¼) in the long jump to round out his top marks in the competition. Rise's top mark came in the long jump where he was measured at 7.22m (23-8 ¼) to earn 866 points in the combined competition. He also totaled 836 points in the shot put after throwing an event-winning 15.76m (51-8 ½). The two will continue the men's heptathlon tomorrow at 11 a.m. with the 60m hurdles.
Senior middle distance runner and defending Big 12 Indoor and Outdoor Champion Shannon Leinert (Eureka, Mo.) began the defense of her title in the women's 800m run by clocking a time of 2:09.06 in the preliminary heats to own the field's top time heading into tomorrow's finals, scheduled for 3:40 p.m. Following the lead of Leinert, sophomore Blake Irwin (Bettendorf, Iowa) posted an event-leading time of 1:49.77 in the men's 800m run heading into tomorrow's finals, which is slated for a 3:50 p.m. start.
The 800m run was not the only middle distance event that the Tigers saw success in as the 600-yard run was another high point for the black and gold. Sophomore Leslie Farmer (Jefferson City, Mo.) advanced to the event finals with a time of 1:22.19, just missing her personal-best in the event. She won her heat and stands fifth overall heading into the finals, which are scheduled for tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Junior Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.), an All-Big 12 performer from a season ago in the 600-yard run, turned in a fine performance at the distance in Friday's preliminary heats. Davis clocked a time of 1:10.19, qualifying him for tomorrow's finals with the second-best overall time in the event.
The middle distance runners kept things going in the 1,000m run as well, highlighted by Layne Moore (Emporia, Kan.) and Laura Roxberg (Overland Park, Kan.) who both advanced to tomorrow's finals. Moore and Roxberg were locked in a dead heat as they finished just six hundredths of a second apart. Moore took second in the heat with a time of 2:48.75 while Roxberg clocked in at 2:48.81 and both were within two tenths of a second of first-place finisher Gladys Kipsang of Texas Tech, setting up what should be an interesting final race tomorrow, which is scheduled to begin at 3:20 p.m.
Melissa Coil (Clark, Mo.) was the Tigers' first scorer on the day as she turned in a weight throw of 17.34m (56-10 ¾) to earn eighth overall and one total point in the overall team competition for the Tiger women. The finish earned her All-Big 12 honors as well. Following Coil's lead, junior Chris Holly (Topeka, Kan.) also scored in the men's weight throw after turning in a toss of 18.11m (59-5) to earn sixth overall. His sixth-place nod earned the Mizzou men three points in the team competition and earned him All-Big 12 honors.
Also scoring on the day for the Tigers was the women's distance medley relay team, which was comprised of Angela Potrykus (Evergreen, Colo.), Lana Mims (Tulsa, Okla.), Esther Vermue (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Bailey Belvis (Prosper, Texas). The foursome clocked in at 11:36.62 to take sixth overall, earning three points for the Tiger women in the team competition. The time is Mizzou's second-best during the 2010 season. The men's DMR, which included Tyrell Everett (Wichita, Kan.), Ryan Blackwell (Fenton, Mo.), Michael Barrows (Flint, Mich.) and Aaron Dixon (Lee's Summit, Mo.), also finished sixth overall, clocking in at 9:48.81. That event earned the Tigers three more points in the men's competition. Each member of the Tigers' relay teams earned All-Big 12 honors on the day.
Lauren Begany (Fenton, Mo.) rounded out her indoor season by placing 11th in the pentathlon with 3,316 total points, highlighted by a 9.26 in the 60m hurdles, which earned her 856 points in the competition, her most in any of the five events. Freshman Heather Green (Jefferson City, Mo.) finished 11th in the pole vault after clearing 3.73m (12-2 ¾) in her first Big 12 Championships. Senior Lana Mims (Tulsa, Okla.) also turned in an 11th place nod, doing so in the long jump after leaping 5.84m (19-2). Kaitie Vanatta (Littleton, Colo.) was another 11th place finisher for the Tigers as she clocked in at 16:47.17 in the 5,000m run, just shy of an NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
After day one, the Tiger men and women each stand in 11th place overall with six and four points, respectively. With the majority of the event finals coming tomorrow, Mizzou will have plenty of opportunities to rack up the points as the competition continues.
The meet will resume at 11 a.m. tomorrow with the running of the men's heptathlon 60m hurdles as both Adcock and Rise look to secure All-Big 12 honors in the heptathlon. Also, Leinert and Irwin will look to back up their top seeding after day one in the 800m run, giving the Tigers plenty to look forward to tomorrow. For all the latest on Mizzou track and field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.
All-Big 12 Honorees - Day One - Women
Angela Potrykus - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Lana Mims - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Esther Vermue - Sixth Place -Distance Medley Relay
Bailey Belvis - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Melissa Coil - Eighth Place - Weight Throw
Event Finalists - Women
Leslie Farmer - 600-yard Run - Fifth (1:22.19)
Shannon Leinert - 800m Run - First (2:09.06)
Layne Moore - 1,000m Run - Second (2:48.75)
Laura Roxberg - 1,000m Run - Third (2:48.81)
Event Finalists - Men
Chris Davis - 600-yard Run - Second (1:10.19)
Blake Irwin - 800m Run - First (1:49.77)
Nick Adcock - Heptathlon - First (3,250 points)
Lars Rise - Heptathlon - Third (3,203 points)
All-Big 12 Honorees - Day One - Men
Aaron Dixon - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Ryan Blackwell - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Tyrell Everett - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Michael Barrows - Sixth Place - Distance Medley Relay
Chris Holly - Sixth Place - Weight Throw
Players Mentioned
