May 22, 1999
Waco, Texas - Four Misssouri heptathletes scored over 5,000 points at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships Saturday earning two all-Big 12 honors and three career bests. In doing so Missouri became the first collegiate track and field team to have four athletes score 5,000 points in the heptathlon in the same year. Senior Rannveig Kvalvik finished second for the second year in a row scoring 5,528 points, a career best, her second NCAA provisional total, and just twenty-two points short of automatic qualification. Sophomore Michelle Moran had a breakthrough performance with a career best 5,206 points and seventh place for her second all-Big 12 outdoor award as well as her first career NCAA provisional mark..
MU's Eli Sommerfeldt was tenth at 5,064 followed by teammate Jill Aholt who posted a career best mark of 5,012 for eleventh place. Missouri's Jill Osenbaugh scored 4,887 for twelveth place overall. It is believed that these championships marked the first time in the history of NCAA competition that 5,000 points scored in a conference meet did not earn all-conference distinction. Eleven athletes in total went over the 5,000 points, including four Tigers, while only the top eight earn all-Big 12 honors. Tiger decathlete Espen Strindeberg who began the day in sixth place, registered a no height in the pole vault, but finished strong in the javelin and 1500m, ending in tenth place with 6,312 points.
Adam Ford is an 1999 Outdoor all-Big 12 Conference high jumper after finishing sixth in the high jump at 6-11 1/2 and Missouri junior, long jumper William Hopson leaped 24-3, landing in third place for all-Big 12 honors rounding out the Tiger awardees on Saturday.
Missouri runners who qualified for Sunday's final races were Joel McCune (3:50.37;1500m;7th), a career best by five seconds, Ashley Wysong (2:12.58; 800m;3rd), Sunny Gilbert (2:11.31;800m;5th), Becky Rigel (2:12.02; 800m; 7th); Tim Dunne (1:50.32;800m; 1st), a career best, Derrick Peterson (1:50.42;800m;2nd)
Other Missouri participants Saturday included Nicki Webber (pole vault;13th, 800m; 13th), Micah Shanks (shot put;12th), Ada Ibe (15th;400m), Christina Page (16th;400m), Dan Dellegrazio (17th; 1500m), Joe Hofeditz (18th; 1500m), Jeff Strong (28th;1500m), Katie Meyer (13th; 1500m), Jessica Patton (26th; 5:07.91), Thomas Woods (9th; 400m, 16th; 200m ), Chad Shade (11th; 200m), John Cunningham (16th; 200m), Damian Dean (23rd; 100m), Jason Franken (28th;800m), Damien Smith (11th;800m), Jennifer Leerssen (10th;800m), Kristian Fagerland (;400m Hurdles)
Full results of today's action can be found at www.baylorsportsnet.com or www.big12sports.com. Competition continues tomorrow with the running event fianls and field events begining at 12 noon with the men's javelin featuring MU all-American Darin File the 1997 Big 12 Champion.
QUOTING THE TIGERS
On the heptathlon overall: "Our kids did teriffic overall in the deepest, highest scoring heptathlon in the history of conference compeition in the NCAA. We are really proud of their effort, not only today, but all year long." Head Coach Rick McGuire
On 4 5,000 point scorers: "It is really hard to score 5,000 points in the heptathlon, so to have four kids do it is just tremendous for our team and the scored of all the athletes show what a great, great conference this is for the heptathlon" Head Coach Rick McGuire
On Kvalvik's performace: "Rannveig has been here before and really gave the competition all they could handle up to the very end. She got a PR (personal record) by 150 points and that is difficult to do when you have already scored as high as she ahs in her career. She's a senior in her last Big 12 Championships, so to do that today is great. It's how storybooks are supposed to be written." Head Coach Rck McGuire
On Moran's provisional mark: "This is really big for Michelle. To make the national list is great for her, particularly when she makes it by getting a PR by over 250 points." Head Coach Rick McGuire
Espen Strindeberg-Decathlon 100m Dash 11.46 746pts Long Jump 23-7 1/4 859pts Shot Put 39-1 601pts High Jump 6-2 1/4 705pts 400m 51.65 740pts Day 1 Total Points 3666 (6) 100m Hurdles 15.13 834pts Discus 124-6 623pts Pole Vault NH ------- Javelin 163-8 587pts 1500m 4:52.74 602pts Day 2 Total Points 2646 Decathlon Total Points 6312 (10)
Rannveig Kvalvik-Heptathlon 100m Hurdles 14.12 960pts High Jump 5-6 1/2 842pts Shot Put 37-7 3/4 626pts 200m Dash 25.59 833pts Day 1 Total Points 3261 (1) Long Jump 19-1 1/4 798pts Javelin 127-5 770pts 800m 2:19.30 833pts Day 2 Total Points 2392 Heptathlon Total Points 5528 (2)
Michelle Moran-Heptathlon 100m Hurdles 14.63 891pts High Jump 5-6 1/2 842pts Shot Put 34-3 558pts 200m Dash 25.88 808pts Day 1 Total Points 3099 (6) Long Jump 17-7 660pts Javelin 122-8 617pts 800m 2:19.49 830pts Day 2 Total Points 2207 Heptathlon Total Points 5206 (7)
Eli Sommerfeldt-Heptathlon 100m Hurdles 14.75 875pts High Jump 5-0 1/2 666pts Shot Put 38-5 642pts 200m Dash 26.94 717pts Day 1 Total Points 2900 (12) Long Jump 18-3 717pts Javelin 138-11 712pts 800m 2:26.70 735pts Day 2 Total Points 2164 Heptathlon Total Points 5064 (10)
Jill Aholt-Heptathlon 100m Hurdles 15.01 840pts High Jump 5-1 3/4 701pts Shot Put 35-5 3/4 583pts 200m Dash 25.29 860pts Day 1 Total Points 2984 (9) Long Jump 17-6 1/2 657pts Javelin 108-5 534pts 800m 2:19.03 837pts Day 2 Total Points 2028 Heptathlon Total Points 5012 (11)
Jill Osenbaugh-Heptathlon 100m Hurdles 15.97 718pts High Jump 5-6 1/2 842pts Shot Put 39-4 660pts 200m Dash 26.81 728pts Day 1 Total Points 2948 (11) Long Jump 17-6 1/4 654pts Javelin 101-6 494pts 800m 2:22.39 791pts Day 2 Total Points 1939 Heptathlon Total Points 4887 (12)