Missouri Athletes Set to Compete at NCAA Outdoor Championships
5/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 28, 2002
Columbia, Mo. -- The University of Missouri men's and women's track & field teams will have eight representatives at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships this week at Louisiana State University -- four throwers, two high jumpers, one distance runner and one decathlete will represent the Tigers at the NCAA meet.
This season's collegiate leader in the shot put, junior Christian Cantwell, is one of the participants and will throw in that event. Senior Micah Shanks returns to the NCAA meet after just missing All-American honors in the weight throw during the indoor season. Sophomore Gary File makes his first appearance at the NCAA meet in the javelin. Junior Russ Bell, a two-time All-American, will compete in three events at the meet. He had automatic-qualifying marks in the discus and shot put and a provisional mark in the hammer. Also representing the men are freshman Jesse Sims and junior Knut Sommerfeldt. Sommerfeldt is a back-to-back Big 12 Champion in the decathlon and was ninth last year at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the decathlon. Sims will be participating at his first NCAA Championships. He cleared a personal best height of 7-2.5 on April 13.
Representing the women are senior Ann Marie Brooks and sophomore Christi Myers. Brooks is a three-time All-American in track and picked up All-American honors this fall in cross country. Her best time in the 5000m this season, 15:52.54, is the fourth-fastest time among collegians this year and ranks second on Missouri's All-Time Performance List as well as Brooks' personal-best time in the event. Myers was an NCAA qualifier in the event in the 2001 outdoor season. She was third this year at the Big 12 Championships and cleared a height of 6-0 this season.
Here is a schedule of events that include University of Missouri athletes:
Wednesday, May 29 4:00 p.m. Men's Hammer (Bell, Shanks) Thursday, May 30 6:30 p.m. Women's High Jump (Myers) 7:30 p.m. Men's Javelin (File) Friday, May 31 4:00 p.m. Men's Discus (Bell) 9:10 p.m. Women's 5000m (Brooks) Saturday, June 1 7:15 p.m. Men's Shot Put (Bell, Cantwell) 7:15 p.m. Men's High Jump (Sims) Decathlon Schedule Friday: 4:00 - 100m, 4:45 - Lon g Jump, 5:45 - Shot Put, 6:45 - High Jump, 9:00 - 400m Saturday: 2:30 - 110m Hurdles, 3:15 - Discus, 4:30 - Pole Vault, 7:30 - Javelin, 9:00 - 1500m
Around the world
Junior Christian Cantwell not only leads the national collegiate list in the shot put, but he is also currently ranked fourth in the event globally. Cantwell follows leader Adam Nelson (72-8), John Godina (72-2.75) and Kevin Toth, all of the United States (70-7.25).
Pit-ture perfect
With much excitement, the track team got a new pole vault pit April 8 that now sits in Walton Stadium.
The new pit cost $12,000 and surpasses the required dimensions for safety. Pits generally have to be replaced every five years as weather will break them down over time. The old pit met safety requirements but the new one is four feet longer and nearly two feet wider than the previous pit.
Cantwell named Athlete of the Week
Missouri Track & Field's Christian Cantwell was selected as the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week for April 1-7 and was again named the Male Athlete of the Week for April 15-21. It was the second award for Cantwell and the Tigers during the outdoor season thus far.
Cantwell, the Big 12's two-time defending outdoor men's shot put champion (2000, 2001), threw 68-2.5 April 6 at the Missouri Relays in Columbia for his first honor and his mark of 70-1.5 gave Cantwell the second honor of the month. His mark is currently the best throw in the collegiate ranks and fourth-best in the world.
The Eldon, Mo., junior holds the Walton Stadium and Missouri Relays records from his 68-2.5 throw and holds the MU outdoor record and the Kansas Relays meet record. In addition to his success in the shot put, Cantwell has turned in discus (180-1) and hammer (174-7) performances which are among the top ten conference marks in those events. Cantwell has now registered four NCAA automatic-qualifying marks this season.
Academic All-Big 12 Team Named
DALLAS -- The Academic All-Big 12 Team was named earlier this week in Dallas, and 15 Missouri athletes made the team. Better yet, those athletes were a part of the 208 first-team selections.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the track and field academic all-league squads consisted of 208 first-team members with 38 on the second-team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or better grade-point average, while the second-team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her/his team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible.
Missouri athletes to make the list are: senior Ann Marie Brooks (4.01 GPA), senior Lisa Buffington, senior Rebecca Froelker, senior Carla Grewe, senior Jennifer Leerssen, junior Amy Semith, sophomore Ann Snider (4.0 GPA) and sophomore Lyndsey Tait.For the men, senior Micah Shanks, senior Jason Franken, junior Knut Sommerfeldt, junior Chris McCurley, sophomore Jason Edmonds, sophomore Gary File and sophomore Ben Vrbicek were selected to the team.
Brooks Named to Verizon Academic District VII Women's Track and Field First-Team
Missouri Track & Field's Ann Marie Brooks has been selected as one of ten athletes to make the Verizon Academic District VII Women's Track and Field First-Team.
Brooks has a cummulative grade point average of 4.01 and is a four-time All-American in track and cross country. Brooks will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 5,000-meter run and has a provisional mark in the 1500m.
Brooks was a Verizon Academic All-American last year, a five-time Academic All-American and is a two-time GTE Academic All-District selection as a Tiger.
