Missouri
NCAA Mideast Regional
Strickland Brings Home NCAA Regional Shot Put Title
5/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
May 29, 2004
BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of Missouri track and field team competed Saturday in the final day of the NCAA Mideast Regional in Baton Rouge, La. The Tiger women finished the meet in ninth place with 23 points; the men finished 27th with seven points. Senior Janae Strickland won her first regional title with a new region record in the women's shot put. Junior high jumper Jenny Bybee became the fifth Tiger this weekend to advance automatically to the NCAA Championships.
Janae Strickland won her first NCAA Regional title with a region record toss of 55-1? (16.80m) in the women's shot put. Strickland's throw was just three inches off her school record personal best.
"It felt good to win," said Strickland. "I just wanted to win and I feel very prepared for the national championships. The close competition got my competitive spirit working."
The contest went back-in-forth with Strickland opening up with a leading toss of 53-6? (16.32m) followed by Western Illinois' Aubrey Martin who took the lead with an inch-better throw of 53-7? (16.34m). Martin added to her lead on her fourth toss of 54-0 (16.55m). On the fifth toss, Ohio State's Amarachi Ukabam became the new leader with her toss of 54-7? (16.65m). Martin followed by regaining the lead with her meet-best toss of 54-10? (16.73m). Winning the meet on her next toss, Strickland hit her best of 55-1? (16.80m).
Junior Jenny Bybee earned a trip to the NCAA Championships after finishing fourth in the women's high jump. Once initial completion was over Bybee was tied with four other jumpers at 5-8? (1.74m). A jump-off was held to break the tie and determine the two to qualify from the region. Bybee cleared 5-9? (1.76m), a season-best, and was the only to do so, securing her fourth place finish. Bybee also qualified for last year's NCAA Championships.
Also in the women's shot, junior Lindsay Markworth improved on her personal-best with a throw of 47-10 (14.58m), finishing in 17th place. Senior Gary File finished sixth in the men's javelin throwing for 208-6 (63.55m). Freshman Bobby Musil threw the discus 165-4 (50.40m), tying for 17th place. Sophomore Matt Noonan finished 21st in the steeplechase with a time of 9:28.45.
Yesterday, Amanda Bales, Conrad Woolsey, and Holly Scherder finished in the top five in their events to advance to the NCAA Championships. Bales will advance to her first NCAA Track & Field Championship; she earned all-America honors at the 2003 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Scherder will also participate in her first national championship after her fifth place regional finish in the women's hammer.
The final qualifying list for the NCAA Championships will be announced early next week. Eight Tigers are expected to be on the list for the meet that will be held June 9-12 in Austin, Texas.
Complete results of this meet can be found on LSUsports.net.
