May 25, 2000

The NCAA announced the field of athletes who qualified to compete at the 2000 outdoor national championships today, May 25. The eight participants that will all compete in individual events in Durham, N.C., May 31-June 3 marks the largest Missouri contingent in recent memory.

Those MU atheltes competing are seniors Jill Aholt, Derrick Peterson, Ryan Pirtle and Espen Strindeberg, juniors Michelle Moran, Sunny Gilbert and Ashley Wysong and freshman Christian Cantwell. Gilbert, Peterson and Wysong will all be running the 800m while Cantwell will be throwing the shot put. Aholt, Moran will be competing in the heptathlon while Strindeberg will be competing in the decathlon.

Peterson is making his sixth appearance at the NCAA Championships as he will be looking to defend his 1999 outdoor 800m title. The Jonesboro, Ga. native was the runner-up in the half mile at the 2000 indoor meet and hopes to close out his Tiger career with a third national crown.

For Pirtle and Strindeberg, they are both making their second appearance at the outdoor NCAA Championships. Pirtle earned his first All-American honor at the 2000 indoor NCAA meet in the mile and will be looking to garner All-America status in the steeplechase this season. Strindeberg placed 13th in the decathlon in 1998 and will be looking to close out his collegiate career in the top-eight.

Aholt is making her first appearance at the NCAA Championships. The senior posted a personal best in the heptathlon by 300 points at the Big 12 Championships last weekend and has been competing well all season.

Wysong is coming off her best performance to date in the 800m run and looks to close out the 2000 college season earning her fourth consecutive All-America honor. She has continued to move up in the national ranks each season and hopes to improve upon her fourth place performance at the 2000 indoor national championships.

Fellow juniors Gilbert and Moran will each be making their debuts at NCAAs. Gilbert ran the lead-off leg of Mizzou's DMR at the indoor NCAA Championships, but the outdoor NCAA meet marks the first time she will be competing individually as she will be running in the 800m. For Moran, 2000 has already been a banner year and she hopes to close out the season in grand fashion. The Wildwood, Mo. native is fresh off her Big 12 Championship title winning performance in the heptathlon that also saw her qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials later this summer.

Mizzou's final competitor is Cantwell who has already made quite a mark early in his Tiger career. The Eldon, Mo. native earned All-America honors at the 2000 indoor NCAA Championships in the shot put and will be looking to improve upon his seventh place showing during the outdoor meet.

Heading into the meet, the Tigers are ranked in their respective events as follows:

Jill Aholt - heptathlon 20th
Christian Cantwell - shot put 4th
Sunny Gilbert - 800m 13th
Michelle Moran - heptathlon 3rd
Derrick Peterson - 800m 6th
Ryan Pirtle - steeplechase 5th
Espen Strindeberg - decathlon 16th
Ashley Wysong - 800m 3rd