University of Missouri
Drake Relays
Van Zyl Crowned Drake Relays Javelin Champion
4/28/2017 9:42:00 PM | Track & Field
Schweizer finishes eighth in 1500m heat full of professional and Olympian runners
DES MOINES, IOWA. – For the second time in as many days, Mizzou Track & Field walked away with a coveted champion white flag at the Drake Relays on Friday, as senior Reinhard Van Zyl (Hoedspruit, South Africa) was crowned the javelin champion. On a rainy, gloomy day, Mizzou had three individuals and two relay teams qualify for finals events on Saturday, while junior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) returned to her home state to race in a 1500m heat which featured six Olympians.
With the javelin victory, Van Zyl recorded his second event win of the season and fourth top-three finish. The Tiger senior used his second throw to record a mark of 66.57m (218-5) and secure the white flag. Teammate redshirt junior Alex Pascal (Cayman Islands) posted a throw of 58.45m (191-9) to finish third in the event.
"Coming in, I didn't see who was throwing against me," said Van Zyl after the victory. "But I was told that the Drake Relays is really an amazing meet and previous Olympians have competed here. That gave the little extra confidence I needed."
After originally being slated to compete in Saturday's collegiate 1500m run, Schweizer was elevated to the 1500m run "Rio Rematch" heat on Friday evening, joining a field 11 professional runners and six Olympians. The 2016 NCAA Cross Country and 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field 5000m run National Champion held her own against some tough competition, placing eighth with a time of 4:18.16. Schweizer ran near the back of the pack for a majority of the race before using her signature kick to pace several competitors over the final 200 meters.
In preliminary races, sophomore Maya Cody (St. Louis, Mo.) and senior LaQuisha Jackson (Chattanooga, Tenn.), each qualified for the 100m dash finals, finishing third and sixth, respectively. Cody checked in at 11.81, while Jackson crossed the finish line at 11.86. In the 100m hurdles, senior Valerie Thames (Milwaukee, Wis.) ran the seventh-fastest time of the preliminary heats, registering a time of 13.87.
In the 4x100m relay, Mizzou's women's team of Cody, Jackson, redshirt sophomore Tsai-Anne Joseph (St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago) and senior Sandrae Farquharson (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) posted the sixth-fastest time in preliminary competition, crossing the finish line at 46.39 to qualify for the finals. Joseph was subbed out for senior Sydney Wells (Fort Smith, Ark.) in the 4x400m relay, as Wells led the squad to a finals berth after running a 54.50 third leg. The team ended up finishing sixth with a time of 3:42.67.
In the men's 4x200m relay, redshirt junior Jerrad Mason (Bridgetown, Barbados), sophomore Kahmari Montgomery (Plainfield, Ill.), redshirt junior Jonathan Holder (Trinidad & Tobago) and redshirt junior Niager Mathis (Philadelphia, Penn.) finished third with a time of 1:26.62. The mark was the group's third race of the day, as the team competed in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays earlier in the day.
Mizzou returns to the track tomorrow for the final day of competition at the Drake Relays, with collegiate track events scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. CT and field events at 9 a.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
100m Dash, Women – 3. Maya Cody, 11.81q // 6. LaQuisha Jackson, 11.86q // 12. Tsai-Anne Joseph, 12.18 PR
100m Hurdles, Women – 7. Valerie Thames, 13.87q
800m Run, Women – 13. Valeska Halamicek, 2:19.65
1500m Run (Rio Rematch), Women – 8. Karissa Schweizer, 4:18.16
400m Hurdles, Women – 11. Valerie Thames, 1:02.67
4x100m Relay, Men – 12. Jerrad Mason, Niager Mathis, Kahmari Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, 43.67
4x100m Relay, Women – 6. Maya Cody, LaQuisha Jackson, Tsai-Anne Joseph, Sandrae Farquharson, 46.39q
4x200m Relay, Men – 3. Jerrad Mason, Kahmari Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, Noager Mathis, 1:26.62
4x400m Relay, Men – 12. Jerrad Mason, Kahmari Montgomery, Jonathan Holder, Niager Mathis, 3:17.48
4x400m Relay, Women – 6. Sandrae Farquharson, LaQuisha Jackson, Sydney Wells, Valerie Thames, 3:42.67q
Field Events
Shot Put, Men – 16. Will Fife, 15.57m (51-1)
Discus, Women – 7. Gabi Jacobs, 46.07m (151-1)
Javelin, Men – 1. Reinhard Van Zyl, 66.57m (218-5) // 3. Alex Pascal, 58.45m (191-9)
Javlein, Women – Jennifer Berilla, Foul
Players Mentioned
