Jan. 24, 2002
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri Indoor Track & Field teams will take to the road for the first time this season for a very familiar triangular meet.
The Tigers will compete Jan. 26 in Manhattan, Kan., in the 13th Annual KSU-KU-MU Triangular meet. The meet is unique in that it is the only meet in the nation that is scored as one team (men and women) combined.
"It's a great rivalry," head coach Rick McGuire said. "It's not a hate rivalry -- it's a great one."
The meet is scored based on the top two finishers from each team for each event.
"This scoring system rewards depth and across-the-board talent," McGuire said. "It doesn't reward three great athletes in an event."
Missouri has not won the meet since 1998, and Kansas State will strive for the three-peat after winning the triangular the past two seasons.
Results from the meet will be available following the meet on-line at www.mutigers.com.
Co-Athletes of the Week Square Off
The men's weight throw at the KSU-KU-MU Triangular should be as exciting as it was at the Missouri Triangular a few weeks ago. Canadian record holder, Big 12 record holder and Kansas senior Scott Russell set the Hearnes Fieldhouse record in the weight throw with a toss of 77-9.5. Junior Christian Cantwell had his best throw of this season that day with a 69-8 mark in the weight throw. Both Russell and Cantwell were Big 12 Male Athletes of the Week after the Missouri Triangular.
Cantwell said having someone like Russell to compete with will make for great tosses on Saturday.
"We like Scotty a lot," Cantwell said. "It's good to be up against the best, because to be the best, you have to beat the best."
Cantwell said the rivalry does not just extend to one person or one event.
"Anytime you give a whole team a reason to do well, it's going to be good. It's a neat rivalry."
Up Next
The Tigers will travel to South Bend, Ind., for the Meyo Classic hosted by the University of Notre Dame Feb. 1-2.
Working Together Again
This year's KSU-KU-MU Triangular will mark the second year that the three teams will do something for the community.
Last year all three schools donated stuffed animals to the Ronald McDonald House. This year, the teams will again donate stuffed animals, but they will go to a shelter in Manhattan.
The teams plan on making a tradition of the donations and for good reason.
"This extends the connection of student-athletes beyond the competitive arena," McGuire said.