May 17, 2003
AUSTIN, TEXAS - University of Missouri track and field senior co-captain Russ Bell won his first Big 12 title by capturing the hammer throw title. Bell, has been a Big 12 runner-up four times. Missouri completed day one of the Big 12 Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas with the men's team tied for first place with Kansas State and the women in second place behind Nebraska. In all, the Tigers had four conference scorers today and five other Tigers are in scoring positions in the heptathlon and decathlon.
Bell won the hammer throw with a throw of 195 feet, 4 inches. It was Bell's first Big 12 title. Teammate Christian Cantwell also scored for the Tigers in the event, finishing seventh with a toss of 174-10. In the women's hammer throw the Tigers had two conference scorers. Amanda Moreley of Nebraska won the event; Holly Scherder finished third with a throw of 175 feet, 9 inches and teammate Ann Snider finished sixth with a throw of 173-11.
In the heptathlon and decathlon the Tigers have five athletes in scoring position after the first day of the two-day events. In the heptathlon senior Fiona Asigbee leads the competition with 3470 points, she leads Jordan Willman of Baylor by 132 points. Tiger freshman Jessica Stockard is in third with 3284 points and senior Abbe Ohneck is in fifth with 3252 points. Asigbee won the Big 12 indoor pentathlon earlier this season. In the decathlon two-time defending Big 12 decathlon champion Knut Sommerfeldt sits in seventh place after day one with a point total of 3785, 314 points out od first place. Teammate Hans Uldal is in sixth place with 3808 points. These two events conclude tommorrow.
The Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships run through Monday May 19th in Austin, Texas.