March 4, 1999
Columbia, Mo. - Two Missouri Tiger track and field stars will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. Derrick Peterson and Ashley Wysong will represent MU at the national meet. Both athletes will compete in the 800m race.
Many believe that this year's men's 800m race will be Peterson's to win, and why not. Derrick has been dominant in the Big 12 conference since coming to Missouri three years ago. The junior from Jonesboro, Georgia is undefeated in his Tiger career in conference races, 5-0 with three indoor conference championships and two outdoor conference first place finishes. This weekend, Derrick will compete in his third NCAA indoor meet. Last year as a sophomore, Peterson was the national runner-up, finishing less than a second behind David Krummenacker of Georgia Tech.
During the 1999 indoor season, Derrick won the 800m at the Cyclone Last Chance, Missouri/Kansas State/Kansas Triangular, and Missouri/Bradley/University of Missouri-Kansas City Triangular along with a conference championship at Ahearn Fieldhouse on the campus of Kansas State, in Manhattan, Kansas. Peterson's best time of the year was registered at the Cyclone Invitational where he finished third with a 1:48.37 time. He is the school's record holder in the event indoors at 1:47.94 and runs a leg of Missouri's 4x400m relay which provisionally qualified last weekend with a school record time of 3:09.53.
Ashley Wysong assured herself a spot at the NCAA meet by posting a 2:07.33 time at last weekend's Cyclone Last Chance. The sophomore had already provisionally qualified running 2:08.76 at the Cyclone Invitational February 6 and earned all-Big 12 honors for the second time in her career earlier this season by finishing fifth at the conference meet in 2:11.16. In 1999 Ashley has shown her versatility by qualifying at 800m, while also winning a race this season at 1000m and 600yd.
Schedule for Missouri's runners at NCAA Indoor Championships
Friday, March 5
Women's 800m Prelims 3:30pm
Men's 800m Prelims 3:45pm
Saturday, March 6
Women's 800m Finals 6:25pm
Men's 800m Finals 6:35pm