May 10, 2000

A Look Ahead

A select few of the Tigers will be traveling to Emporia State this weekend to compete in the Emporia Invitational. The MU athletes making the trip to Kansas will be the throwers and a few of the jumpers. Those Missouri athletes not making the trip will take the weekend off as the team gears up for the Big 12 Championships that will be held May 19-21 here in Columbia at the Audrey J. Walton Track-Soccer Stadium.

The Fourth Running of the Big 12 Championships

Nearly 800 participants will be competing for both individual and team conference crowns in two weeks in Columbia, Mo. The University of Missouri's track and field have continued to perform well following the indoor league meet and will look to shine at the outdoor version of the Big 12 Championships.

Both the Tiger men's and women's teams finished in a tie for 10th at the 1999 outdoor championships and moved up significantly at the 2000 indoor meet. MU's men's squad placed third overall while the women finished 6th. For the men, it marked their highest finish under head coach Rick McGuire.

Missouri Invitational Rewind

MU hosted its final meet before the conference meet comes to town last Saturday, May 6. Despite the weather, the meet was quite a success for the Tigers. There were three athletes, Sunny Gilbert, Russ Bell and Christian Cantwell who all attained NCAA provisional marks. Gilbert smashed her previous best time in the 800m winning the event with the third best time in the conference to date, 2:06.03. Bell threw his second best distance in the discus, 185-11 while Cantwell claimed his fourth shot put title 59-1 ?.

There were several other Tigers who turned in season best and personal best performances. Those Tigers to achieve these marks were:

Jill Aholt - Javelin 121-2*, 100m Hurdles 14.90
Daarina Al-Uqdah - 100m Hurdles 14.34*
Cameron Ankele - Shot Put 38-7, Javlein 158-5
Shomari Benton - Long Jump 23- ?
Ann Marie Brooks - 1500m 4:32.81
Timothy Dunne - 800m 1:50.14
Brooke Ennen - Discus 136-8
Avis Evans - 100m 11.98*, 200m 24.61*
Ryan Fitzgerald - 5000m 15:02.41*
Sunny Gilbert - 800m 2:06.03*
Ada Ibe - 400m 57.64
Stewart Kimball - 800m 1:51.53
Joel McCune - 800m 1:53.00
Chris McCurley - 100m 11.23*
Michael McDevitt - Long Jump 21-8 ?, Triple Jump 46-9
Ashley McLeod - 5000m 17:54.92
Michelle Moran - 100m Hurdles 14.14*, Shot Put 36-6 ?*
Ekpere Ochuko - Long Jump 22-7 ?
Abbe Ohneck - Shot Put 37-2 ?
Derrick Peterson - 1500m 3:51.25
Ryan Pirtle - 1500m 3:53.69
Becky Rigel - 800m 2:12.29
Katie Sekinger - 5000m 18:16.90
Amy Semith - 1500m 4:48.51
Micah Shanks - Shot Put 55-3 ?
Eli Sommerfeldt - 100m 13.03, High Jump 5-2
Knut Harold Sommerfeldt - Shot Put 43-2 ?
Espen Strindeberg - 110m Hurdles 14.80, Pole Vault 16-2 ?*
Malinda Utterback - Discus 101-4, Hammer Throw 112-2*
Steve Wade - Steeplechase 9:29.30

*Personal Best Time