April 20, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - This weekend the Missouri Tiger track and field team will travel to Des Moines, Iowa to take part in the 90th annual Drake Relays, one the most prestigious track events in the country and an event which traditionally showcases many of the finest track athletes in the United States and the world. The 1999 Drake Relays will be aiming for its 34th straight sellout of the Saturday program in the 18,000 seat Drake Stadium-the longest streak in U.S Track History.
Missouri will take a select group of Tigers to the event in an effort to promote the very finest of Missouri's track and field program. Headlining the Tiger lineup will be three all-Americans, several national qualifiers and all-Big 12 selections. 1999 NCAA Indoor 800m National Champion Derrick Peterson, a four-time all-American and five-time Big 12 Champion, is the defending champion in the 800m at Drake, having upset 1996 Olympian Paul McMullen in last year's race. Peterson has already run two provisional qualifying times this season, posting a best mark of 1:48.28 in winning the Tom Botts Invitational April 10.
Two-time all-American and 1997 Big 12 javelin champion, Darin File will make his final appearance at Drake as a collegiate athlete this weekend. File has finished third in the javelin the last two years at Drake and will be looking to improve on his 1999 best thus far of 225-11.
Sophomore indoor all-American Ashley Wysong, has continued the success that led her to a sixth place finish a the indoor national meet in the 800m. Wysong posted the best 800m time overall at Mt. SAC, a provisional mark of 2:06.86, and has run strong races in a second place finish at Stanford and in winning the Tom Botts Invitational in Columbia.
Missouri's multi-event athletes have taken centerstage after teriffic performances last weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays Multi-Events. The Tiger heptathlon quintet of Rannveig Kvalivk, Jill Aholt, Eli Sommerfeldt, Michelle Moran, and Jill Osenbaugh claimed five of the top 15 spots at the multi-event, including a first place and provisional qualifying performace by Kvalivk with 5,378 points and a provisional mark by Sommerfieldt in third place with 5,083 points. Missouri's Espen Strindeberg finished atop the decathlon standings with 7,114 points at Mt. SAC, also provisionally qualifying him for the NCAA Championships.