January 12, 1999
Columbia, MO - On January 16, the University of Missouri will begin its 99th season of track and field with an indoor event at the Hearnes Building Fieldhouse. The 1999 edition of the Missouri team will feature a mix of both veteran experience and youthful talent. They will open the season in the newly resurfaced confines of the Hearnes Building Fieldhouse, which has been updated to provide a top notch facility for the Tigers.
All-Americans Darin File (javelin) and Derrick Peterson (800m) are two top returners for 1999. Peterson finished second in the nation at the 1998 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 800m, gained a fourth place finish at the 1998 NCAA Outdoor Championships, and enters 1999 having never lost a Big 12 Conference race. File finished sixth in the nation in the javelin at the 1998 NCAA Championships earning hin All-American honors for the second consecutive season. In his final season in the black gold, File returns for another shot conference and national awards.
Senior Rannveig Kvalvik was a national qualifier and All-Big 12 selection last year in the women's combined events. Eli Sommerfeldt, Jill Aholt, and Michelle Moran also earned All-Big 12 honors in the women's combined events in 1998 and are back, along with Jill Osenbaugh to defend those honors. Distance duties are to be taken care of by senior Erin Windler who will atempt to earn her third All-American award.
Ryan Pirtle, a national scorer a year ago, runs in his senior season for the Tigers in the 3,000 steeplechase. Heather White also returns as a strong contender for conference honors in the hammer throw and discus events.
1999 WOMEN'S PREVIEW
As mentioned above, the combined events will be one of the strenghs on the women's side this season. Four all-conference performers return and Jill Osenbaugh was a solid athlete in 1998. The Tiger middle distance and distance corps will be an additional strengh for the women. Sophomore Katie Meyer was an all-conference runner in the 3,000m and is the MU record holder in the women's steeplechase. Meyer was followed closely by Sunny Gilbert, whose speciality is the 800m but she also competes in distance events. Becky Rigel returns as an indoor conference scorer from a year ago in the 800m. Jessica Patton won all-conference honors indoors in 1998 in the 1,000m.
Ashley Wysong recorded one of the strongest indoor seasons on the team last year. Overall she won four middle distance races in three different events last season and ran to all-conference honors at 800m. White will attempt to follow up her record setting season with more success in 1999. The senior set the school record in the hammer throw in 1998, tossing the implement 180-6.
In her freshman season, Tracey Holloman set a school record for the javelin throw with the 161-10 distance. She will look to qualify for her second NCAA Championships in as many seasons. Kelley Conway is back for her senior season throwing javelin. She along with Holloman will form a dangerous duo in this event for the Tigers.
Lindsey Miller leads the jumping events for MU. She is the school's triple jump record holder with a distance of 40-3 1/4. Miller was an all-conference jumper in '98. The sprinters are moving up in the conference with the tandem of Christina Page and Odessa Roberts. These quarter-milers compete on several relays along with newcomer Ada Ibe.
1999 MEN'S PREVIEW
The All-American pair of of javelin thrower Darin File and 800m specialist Derrick Peterson gained valuable experience at the USA Track and Field Championships last June and at the NCAA Championships in Buffalo, New York in May.
Also competeing in Buffalo was Espen Strindeberg, the Tiger's top returner in the combined events. He was an all-conference pentathlete during the indoor season and received all-conference status in the decathlon outdoors as well. Espen also set the school record in the decathlon in '98.
The 4x400 relay returns its team that earned all-Big 12 distinction last season. That group includes Chad Shade and Thomas Woods, two sprinters who are poised for the season. Woods is a five-time letter-winner at MU and a four-time all-conference selection. Shade has also earned four all-conference awards while at MU.
Judd Price, Darrell Meinke, and Micah Shanks are top returners for the throwing corps. Meinke, a junior, began to see his hard work pay off last year with several top performances, including a sixth place finish at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in the discus throw. That all-conference showing will be a stepping stone for Darrell in '99. Price is the school's record holder in the hammer throw and a three-year veteran of Missouri track.
In the distance department for the men, Pirtle, Adam McDowell, Joel McCune, and Matt Stauffer, join the track side after helping the cross country team to a 27th place finish at the NCAA men's cross country chanpionships in November. Dan Dellegrazio will add depth for the Tigers in the 1,500m in his second MU season. High jumper Jay Meystedt was an All-Big 12 selection indoors last year and is hoping for a solid season in 1999.
MISSOURI COACHING STAFF
Head coach Rick McGuire begins his 16th season at Mizzou. He came to Columbia in 1983 as the women's coach and assumed the men's team responsibilities as well in 1988. While at Mizzou, McGuire has coached 47 All-Americans, two NCAA individual champions and 47 conference individual and relay champions. Assistant coach Jeff Pigg is in his nineth year at Missouri, coaching the distance runners and cross country teams. This past fall he led both the men's and women's cross country teams to the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history. Pigg is a three-time NCAA Midwest Region Cross Country Coach of the Year. Assistant Coach Natasha Brown is now in her sixth year as a full-time assistant coaching the Tiger sprinters. As a Mizzou athlete, Natasha was a six-time All-American and a five-time Big 8 champion. She also brings her experience from international competition as a silver mealist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and as a World Champion as a member of the 1,600m relay team at the 1993 World Championships. Assistant coach Brett Halter coaches MU's throwers for the second season as a full-time assistant, his sixth with the Missouri program. In just the last three years, Mizzou's throwers have established eight school records, have earned two conference championships and earned All-American honors three times.
HEARNES FIELDHOUSE RENNOVATED
In late 1998, the Hearnes Building Fieldhouse received a major facelift for track seasons to come. It now features a Martin ISS-2000 enscapulated, polyurethane surface for a six lane, 200 meter track. The resurfacing and updating of the facility has escalated it into a top-notch indoor track environment. Now along with the Audrey J. Walton Track and Soccer Complex, Missouri Tiger track has two teriffic homes for its program.