March 29, 2002

Columbia, Mo. -- The University of Missouri track & field teams will travel different directions this weekend to compete in outdoor meets.

Middle distance and distance runners will go west to Palo Alto, Calif. for the 28th Annual Stanford Invitational. Everyone else is headed down to Houston, Texas, for the Tom Tellez Invitational hosted by the University of Houston.

Last year's Stanford Invitational produced more than 180 NCAA Division I automatic or provisional qualifiers.

In women's events, one of America's top distance runners, Kim Fitchen of Nike, is expected to run the 10,000 meters, while Nicole Teter will compete in the 800 meters. Teter recently won the 800 meter title at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships, breaking the 20-year American record in a time of 1:58.71.

On the men's side, Stanford's Jonathon Riley, David Kimani of Alabama, Canada's Jeff Schiebler and former Cal standout Bolota Asmeron will help headline the field in the men's 1500 meters. Kimani also is entered in the 5000 meters along with Riley and Alistair Cragg of Arkansas, the 2002 NCAA indoor national champion.

The sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers will compete at the University of Houston this weekend.

Results from both meets will be posted at www.mutigers.com.

Setting Records and Shivering at the Saluki Spring Classic

The track & field meet last weekend at Southern Illinois was the first meet of the season of spring, which started March 21. But, based on the conditions in Carbondale, it seemed more like the middle of winter.

The temps, which dipped down into the 20s, made no difference to senior thrower Micah Shanks, a native of Casey, Illinois. Shanks set the school record in the hammer throw with his toss of 210-1. His mark was nearly six feet over the previous record, which was set by teammate Russ Bell a week earlier in College Station, Texas.