Jan. 15, 2005
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri track and field teams opened their season Friday night by hosting the 18th Annual Missouri Invitational in the Hearnes Fieldhouse. Many of the Tiger first-year collegians showed their talents as an omnipresent force on the team against guests in Oral Roberts, UMKC, Drake, Missouri-Rolla, and Tulsa. Tiger post-collegian Christian Cantwell started his season on the right foot by winning the men's shot put with a throw reaching over 69 feet.
While key Tiger performers, Amanda Bales, Conrad Woolsey, and Hans Uldal either sat out or had limited action in the meet, many of the underclassmen Tigers showed what depth the Tigers will have across the board for the 2005 season.
Redshirt freshman Tyler Dailey (Joplin, Mo.) hurled the 35-lb. weight throw 60 feet, 3 inches (18.36m), winning in his first event as collegian, breaking his old personal best by nearly six feet and earning a spot in Mizzou's All-Time Top Five in the event. A list in which three Tigers, Cantwell, Russ Bell, and Micah Shanks, all threw for over 70 feet in 2002. Freshman Bobby Musil (DuBois, Neb.) placed second in the weight throw, with his chuck of 57 feet, 2¾ inches (17.44m), earning the fifth spot on the all-time list.
Tiger freshmen Elisha Hunt (Linn, Mo.) and Elizabeth Robe (Waukesha, Wisc.) went 1-2 in the women's 20-lb. weight throw, their first competition ever in the event. Hunt's best throw of 50 feet, 5¼ inches (15.37m) was just shy of a spot in the All-Time Top Five at Missouri. Robe threw for 48 feet, 2 inches (14.68m).
Youth also provide much entertainment in the women's 800-meter run. Freshman Kasey Kimball (Eureka, Mo.) won the event in 2:18.29 followed by freshman Ashley Guy (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge HS) at 2:20.19. Freshman Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) placed second in her first 600-yard race of her life in 1:24.31.
Tiger seniors Adam Burla (Ellisville, Mo.) and Brandon Goebbert (Hinsdale, Ill.) experienced a good first meet. Burla, a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier, earned PRs in the weight throw and shot put events. In the shot put, Burla's throw sailed 55 feet, 2¾ inches (16.83m), placing him as the first collegian, earning an indoor personal best. Decathlete Brandon Goebbert earned PRs in the 60-meter hurdles and pole vault events. Goebbert bettered his mark in the hurdles by nine-hundredths of a second to 8.42 and won the pole vault event, besting his overall best by six inches to 15 feet, 7 inches (4.75m). Senior Marquis Davis (O'Fallon, Ill.) won the men's 200-meter in 22.05.
The Tigers swept the mile and 3000-meter events. Ashley Patten won the women's mile in 4:56.4, Tipper O'Brien took the men's mile in 4:13.16, Kristen Hansen won the women's 3000-meter in 10:17.60, and Ryan Hampton took the men's 3000-meter in 8:17.17.
Tiger post-collegian Christian Cantwell (Eldon, Mo.) broke his own 2004 meet record in the men's shot put with a bomb of 69 feet, 1¼ inches (21.06), the world's longest throw thus far in 2005. Cantwell starts the season eight inches ahead of where he was to begin '04.
Another post-collegian Timothy Dunne (Jerome, Idaho) broke the meet record in the men's 1000-meter, clocking in at 2:26.90.
For complete results on the busy night for the Tigers at the Missouri Invitational, visit mutigers.com.