May 1, 2004
NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Missouri track and field team completed the last day of the Big 12 Championships at Norman, Okla., on Saturday. Overall the women's team finished in fourth place, matching the placing in last year's championships. The men's team took 11th overall. Senior Janae Strickland once again broke the shot put school record, throwing for 55 feet, 6? inches (16.92m).
Strickland (Houston, Texas) with her second place finish in the women's shot is her best performance in a conference meet in her career. Today's toss broke her old career-best from the Nebraska Quadrangular by over a foot (54-2). The mark also places Strickland sixth on the national performers list for the 2004 outdoor season. The all-American from the indoor 2003 season is now a five-time all-Big 12 performer.
Also in the women's shot, junior Lindsey Markworth (Lexington, Mo.) hit an outdoor personal-best with an eighth place finish, throwing 47 feet, 6? inches (14.48m).
Sophomore Amanda Bales took fifth in the women's 1500. Bales was accidentally tripped by Colorado's Renee Metivier, the defending Big 12 Champ, at the end of the first lap. Bales got up, and at one time came back to challenged for second place. Bales settled with a time of 4:29.74.
Bales, less than three hours later, ran the only 5000 meters of her career, finishing in sixth with a time of 16:46.92. Bales now an eight-time all-Big 12 performer also earned an NCAA regional qualifying mark in her third event this season. Missouri now has three who have achieved the NCAA regional qualifying mark in the event.
Sophomore Ashley Patten finished third in the women's 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.63, earning her fifth all-Big 12 honor.
Jill Petersen (O'Fallon, Mo.) finished in third in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:40.04, a personal-best. Senior Sonya Yamnitz also reached a personal-best in the event with a time of 11:24.53.
Junior Whittney Stuart ran for another personal-best in the 400-meter dash, finishing in seventh-place. Stuart, earning her fourth all-Big 12 honor, timed in at 55.33. She set her previous personal-best in Friday's preliminaries (55.56).
Junior Jenny Bybee finished fifth in the women's high jump, clearing 5-6 (1.68m), for her fourth all-Big 12 honor.
In the men's discus, junior Conrad Woolsey (Excelsior Springs, Mo.) earned his second all-Big 12 honor in the meet with a seventh place finish. His toss of 176 feet, 2 inches (53.71m) was a personal-best and earned him his first NCAA regional qualifying mark in the event. Woolsey finished fourth in yesterday's shot put event. Also at the discus, freshman Bobby Musil hit a personal-best with a throw of 160-9 (48.99m).
Freshman Ben Stafford (Leawood, Kan.) threw for a collegiate personal-best in the javelin toss. His mark of 179 feet, 3 inches (54.64m) placed him 10th in the event.
Both the women's 400- and 1600-meter relays finished sixth for Missouri's women earning all-Big 12 honors. The 400-meter relay team comprised of Whittney Stuart, Jessica Stockard, Laura Brandt, and Comfort Ibe. The 1600-meter team was made up of Whittney Stuart, Jessica Stockard, Ashley Patten, and Laura Brandt.
Nebraska won the men's team title by a wide margin, gaining their fourth Big 12 outdoor title. The Texas women, edged out Nebraska for the top spot for the second year in a row and the fifth time overall. The Missouri women finished in fourth with 71 points; the Mizzou men took 11th place with 20 points, 14 points ahead of Kansas who finished with 6.
Television coverage can be seen on Fox Sports Net at varying days and times throughout the month of May on a tape-delay basis. The earliest will be on Fox Sports Midwest on Friday, May 6, at 11:00 a.m. central. Other times and locations on the Fox Sports Net will be posted on mutigers.com soon.
For complete results visit mutigers.com or recordtiming.com.