Feb. 28, 2003
The University of Missouri Tiger track and field team started the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships on a positive note today at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Two Tiger seniors, Fiona Asigbee and Christian Cantwell, won titles at the opening day of the championships.
Asigbee took her first Big 12 title in the pentathlon. Asigbee set career bests in the 60 meter hurdles (8.58), the high jump (5 feet, 9.75 inches), and the shot put (38 feet, 11.75 inches) en route to the title that she won by eight points. Missouri head track coach Rick McGuire said, "Fiona winning today was in a classic combined event, Fiona had three PR's today. Fiona has done everything right for four years and I'm so happy for her." Tiger teammate Abbe Ohneck finished eighth, scoring for the Tigers.
Christian Cantwell grabbed his fourth Big 12 title and his first in the weight throw. Cantwell threw 69 feet, 11 inches, his personal best of the season and was followed by teammate Russ Bell who threw 68 feet, 4.25 inches, also a season best. Coach McGuire said, "Russ and Christian are great champions. They were behind all year and took their lumps but when championship time came they dug in."
In addition to the champions the Tigers had other outstanding performances. Sophomore Amanda Bales is the top qualifier in the 1,000 meter run and the mile. Bales ran 2:52.12 in the 1,000, which is her only attempt of the year at the event. She also ran a 4:48.57 mile and teammate Jill Petersen also qualified for the final. Both of finals will be run tomorrow. Tiger freshman Ashley Patten made a splash in her Big 12 debut as she is the top qualifier for tomorrow's 800 meter final by turning in a personal-best time of 2:09.79. On the men's side Tiger junior Ryan Hampton qualified in the mile with a time of 4:10.83. In the men's 1000 meter race senior Timothy Dunne and sophomore Rem Moll qualified for the final.
Tiger senior and two-time Big 12 decathlon champion Knut Sommerfeldt is in second place after day 1 of the heptathlon, teammate Hans Uldal is in third and Tiger pole vaulter Jennifer Bennett finished third in the pole vault. The women's weight throw netted two Tiger scorers in Brooke Ennen who finished fifth and Ann Snider who finished eighth. Tim Ross started his Big 12 Championship career on a positive note by scoring for the Tigers and taking fifth in the 5,000 meter run. The scoring for the Tigers ended with the women's DMR team finishing fifth.
Coach McGuire said, "I'm absolutely thrilled. Right from the start our heptathletes and pentathletes were having their best performances of the year and we are in good shape in the other events. You feel so good about what we did today we are not going to mope about the things we didn't get."
The Big 12 Championships conclude tomorrow with the finals of 28 events including the much anticipated shot put showdown between Nebraska's Carl Myerscough and Tiger champion Christian Cantwell.