March 3, 2004
Local article:
Patten's 800 pattern works
By Justin Taylor of the Columbia Daily Tribune
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A handful of members of the Missouri track and field squad will travel to Ames, Iowa, this weekend for the Cyclone Last Chance Qualifier to be held Saturday. The last chance meet is one of eight meets certified by the NCAA to allow athletes to either improve or gain provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA Championships which occur March 13-14.
On average, only the top 14 to 16 athletes in each event will compete in the NCAA Championships. If an athlete has an automatic qualifying mark, they will be in championship field of 256 competitors. All slots remaining will be filled by those with provisional qualifying marks. The Iowa State track is prime for qualifying standards because of its oversized, 300-meter track which allow for more speed on the straight-aways and less turning on curves.
Tigers Holly Scherder and Ashley Patten earned provisional qualifying marks in last weekend's Big 12 Championships in the weight throw and 800-meter run, respectively. Scherder and Patten will be among the estimated 15 Missouri Tigers attending the meet, seven of which already have provisional marks.
For a full rundown of Missouri's qualifiers, check out mutigers.com.