Missouri
SEC Indoor Championships
Schweizer Crowned SEC Indoor 3,000m Run Champion
2/24/2017 11:10:00 PM | Track & Field
Schweizer’s title vaults the women’s team to seventh place following the first day of competition
NASHVILLE – On the first day of competition at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, junior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) captured her first track and field conference championship, taking home the 3,000m run crown with a time of 9:18.32. With the win, Schweizer becomes the first SEC indoor 3,000m run conference champion in program history.
"There was a bit of a slow start to the race, but I had to just relax, because I have other races, so I need to conserve my energy," said Schweizer in an SEC Network + interview following the race. "I was near the back, but had to stay as calm as possible and just trust in my kick. I knew with two laps to go that I was going to make a hard move."
Through five of 17 events, the Mizzou Women's Track and Field team sits in seventh place with 11 points. Schweizer was awarded 10 points following her title, while redshirt sophomore Gabi Jacobs (Bloomington, Ill.) earned one point following an eighth place finish in the shot put where she recorded a personal record throw of 14.95m (49-0.75).
Schweizer's title was her second race of the day after she qualified for the mile run finals following a fifth place finish in the preliminary round. Schweizer crossed the finish line at 4:45.33 and will toe the line in Saturday's finals at 2:50 p.m. CT. Among other notable finishes for the women included sophomore Maya Cody (St. Louis, Mo.), who posted a personal-record time of 24.07 in the 200m dash, a time which stands as the third-fastest in indoor program history.
On the men's side, five athletes set personal records, including junior Rauno Liitmae (Estonia), who posted personal bests in all four heptathlon events he competed in. Liitmae started the day by shaving .13 off his previous 60m dash time with a mark of 7.33, then, in his first collegiate long jump competition, the Tiger junior posted a jump of 6.67m (21-10.75). Liitmae then moved to the shot put, where he recorded a mark 13.05m (42-9.75), which was over a half-meter better than he previous best mark of 12.48m (40-11.5). Liitmae's final performance of the day may have been his best, as he cleared 1.94m (6-4.25) in the high jump, improving on his previous best mark of 1.90m (6-2.75). After four heptathlon events, Liitmae sits in 12th place with 2,924 points.
In the 3,000m run, redshirt senior Drew White (Crystal City, Mo.) and redshirt junior Marc Dubrick (DeKalb, Ill.) each recorded personal bests finishing 12th and 13th at 8:17.15 and 8:21.31, respectively. In the weight throw, redshirt senior Ahren Bohanan (St. Charles, Mo.) recorded a personal record with a throw of 19.13m (62-9.25), while junior Jonathan Holder (Trinidad & Tobago) set his best 200m dash mark with a time of 22.50.
The Tigers continue competition at the SEC Championships on Saturday, beginning with Liitmae finishing up in the heptathlon with the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m run. Mizzou will then have four athlete compete in field events finals, nine in track individual finals and four relay teams to close the meet. The heptathlon is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT, while the field events will start at 11 a.m. CT and the track events at 2 p.m. CT. A live stream of the meet will be available on SEC Network + beginning at 1:55 p.m. CT.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
Track Results (Prelims unless noted, Italic signifies advancement to the finals)
60m Hurdles, Women – 15. Valerie Thames, 8.46
60m Dash, Women – 17. Maya Cody, 7.40 // 20. LaQuisha Jackson, 7.45
60m Dash, Men – 23. Niager Mathis, 6.98 // 26. Jonathan Holder, 7.07
200m Dash, Women – 12. LaQuisha Jackson, 23.77 // 20. Maya Cody, 24.07 PR, #3
200m Dash, Men – 13. Kahmari Montgomery, 21.21 // 21. Jerrad Mason, 21.62 // 29. Niager Mathis, 22.30 // 31. Jonathan Holder, 22.50 PR
400m Dash, Women – 17. LaQuisha Jackson, 54.50 // 23. Valerie Thames, 55.12 // 29. Sydney Wells, 55.91
400m Dash, Men – 14. Kahmari Montgomery, 46.80 // 19. Jerrad Mason, 47.29
800m Dash, Women – 10. Valeska Halamicek, 2:09.95
800m Dash, Men – 14. Cain Winebrenner, 1:52.06 // 18. Mark Sheridan, 1:53.58 // 21. Ben Goodman, 1:58.31
Mile Run, Women – 5. Karissa Schweizer, 4:45.33Q
Mile Run, Men – 11. Thomas George, 4:11.91 // 17. Zach Cook, 4:16.95 // 19. Luca Russo, 4:18.16
3,000m Run (Final), Women – 1. Karissa Schweizer, 9:18.32 (10 pts) // 12. Teylar Adelsberger, 9:38.85 // 20. Megan Cunningham, 10:04.95
3,000m Run (Final), Men – 12. Drew White, 8:17.15 PR // 13. Marc Dubrick, 8:21.31 PR
Field Results
Weight Throw, Men – 14. Ahren Bohanan, 19.13m (62-9.25) PR // 16. Patrick Kunza, 18.97m (62-5)
Shot Put, Women – 8. Gabi Jacobs, 14.95m (49-0.75) PR (1 pt)
Heptathlon Results
60m Dash – 14. Rauno Liitmae, 7.33 PR
Long Jump – 10. Rauno Liitmae, 6.67m (21-10.75) PR
Shot Put – 9. Rauno Liitmae, 13.05m (42-9.75) PR
High Jump – 7. Rauno Liitmae, 1.94m (6-4.25) PR
Heptathlon Overall – 12. Rauno Liitmae, 2,924 points
Players Mentioned
