Missouri Track Hosts 1st Annual Audrey Walton Combined Event Carnival
5/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 12, 2004
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Walton event draws a crowd
by Joe Walljasper, Columbia Daily Tribune
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri will host the first annual Audrey Walton Combined Event Carnival, Thursday and Friday, May 13-14. Some of the best heptathletes and decathletes in America and from around the world will compete on Mizzou's home Audrey J. Walton Track.
The Field
What will be touted as one of the best combined event competitions in the country, the Audrey Walton Combined Event Carnival will feature three Olympians from 2000, several NCAA or USA Track and Field Champions, multiple all-Americans, and a huge list of conference champions. The field's individuals have many objectives. Some are trying to qualify for either the US Track and Field Olympic Trials or reach NCAA Championship qualifying marks. Some in the field are in training mode for the Olympic Trials while others are competing in the event for the first time. Here's who's in the field and a quick bio...
Men Post-Collegians and unattached athletes
Kip Janvrin, 2000 Olympian, 2001 U.S. Champion, finished in the top ten in the nation 14 of last 15 years
Casey Thom, 2003 NCAA all-American at Nebraska, now a coach at UCLA
Jason Williams, 1999 all-American, 1999 Big 12 Champion, 1998 NJCAA National Champion
James Cook, three-time all-American, ninth at 2003 USATF Championships
Ryan Olkowski, three-time all-American, Big Ten Champion in the 200-meter dash
Andrew Phillips, 2000 USATF All-American, 2001 California JC State Champ
Octavius Gillespie, 2000 USATF All-American, 2001 California JC State Champ
Aaron Moser, three-time Big East decathlon Champion, University of Miami (Fla.) record holder, played DB for Miami football team
David Lemen, 7th at the 2001 USATF Championships, 6th in 2003; twice finished third at NCAA Championships
Brendon Falconer, four-time USATF Championship qualifier, top American at the 1998 NCAA Championships
Alex Sprague, MAC Conference record holder, Bowling Green record holder in decathlon
Men Collegians
Bjorn Sommerfeldt, Missouri freshman, finished fifth at 2004 Big 12 Indoor Championships
Brent Hobbs, Clemson, 2004 ACC Runner-up in both the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon
Rick Hill, Clemson, three-time NCAA qualifier in decathlon, three-time ACC Champion
Ryan Thompson, CMSU, finished second at 2004 MIAA Championships
Lee Martin, Nebraska red-shirt freshman, first decathlon competition
Kyle Goerl, Nebraska junior, eighth at 2004 Big 12 Outdoor
Chris Richardson, Nebraska senior, finished 12th at the 2004 NCAA Indoor, 2004 Big 12 Indoor Heptathlon Champion
Darius Dradvula, K-State, sixth place at the World Junior Championships, finished fifth at 2004 Big 12 Championships
Allen Bulick, Texas A&M, fourth place at the 2004 Big 12 Championships
Women Post-Collegians and unattached athletes
Tracye Lawyer-Thomas, 1999 NCAA Heptathlon Champion, finished seventh at the 2000 Olympic Trials, three-time Pac-10 Champ
Austra Skujyte, finished third at the 2004 World Indoor Championships, 2001 and 2002 NCAA Champion, native of Lithuania
Shelia Burrell, 2000 Olympian, four-time reining US Champion in the heptathlon dating back to 1999
Aja Frary, finished third at the 2001 NCAA Championships, Mt. West Conference Champion in 2001
Michelle Moran, Missouri post-collegian, 2000 Big 12 Champion and all-American, finished second at the USATF Indoor Heptathlon
Fiona Asigbee, Missouri post-collegian, three-time Big 12 Champion, 2003 NCAA Qualifier, has USATF Olympic Trial "B" standard
Women Collegians
Tara Stephenson, Gardner-Webb, 2003 NCAA provisional qualifier
Jessie Kirkman, CMSU, finished third at the 2004 MIAA Championships
Sara Jane Baker, Nebraska sophomore, finished third at the 2004 Big 12 Championships, tenth at NCAA Indoor pentathlon
Ashley Selig, Nebraska sophomore, 2004 indoor pentathlon all-American with seventh place finish, finished fifth at Big 12 Outdoors
Casie Witte, Nebraska sophomore, in 2004, sixth at Big 12 Outdoors, seventh at conference indoor
Jennifer Johnson, Texas A&M
Erica Lynn, Iowa State, all-Big 12 in the heptathlon, tying for seventh at the Big 12 Outdoor
Kerry Ann Robinson, Lincoln Univ.
Logistics
The decathlon on both Thursday and Friday starts at 11:30 a.m., with the first event, the 100-meter dash. The heptathlon begins Thursday at 1 p.m. For more information on event timing and other meet logistics, visit mutigers.com.
Weather, or not
The weather at best looks dicey for Thursday. Some estimates have rain being in the Columbia area for most of the day on Thursday. Friday looks nicer, with just chances of rain sprinkling down.
Saturday's The Last Shot for NCAA Qualifying
On Saturday, nearly 35 Tigers will compete in Kansas State's Ward Haylett Invitational. The competition will include Big 12 teams, Kansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State's men's team. Also expected to compete will be several of the schools' best post-collegians. A better preview of the meet will appear later this week. Saturday also marks the final day that the Tigers can hit qualifying marks to participate in late May's NCAA Regional Championships to be held in Baton Rouge, La.
