Jan. 11, 2006

COLUMBIA, Mo.--This Friday the Missouri Track and Field team will begin their 2006 campaign by hosting the 19^th annual Missouri Invitational beginning at 3 p.m., in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. Oral Roberts, Tulsa, UMKC, Wichita State, and Drake will provide NCAA Division I competition.

 

Local schools such as NCAA Division II perennial powerhouse Lincoln University out of Jefferson City, Mo., will be in attendance. Athletes from Central Missouri State will be joining the meet along with teams from Missouri-Rolla and Lindenwood University. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville is also slated to have team members competing at the Friday night meet.

 

Field events will begin at 4 p.m., with the track schedule beginning at 5 p.m.

 

Some of the Tigers scheduled to compete include sophomore Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.). The Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Nickoley, who won the 800-meter championship at the Big 12 Indoor meet, will take flight in the 600-yard run.

 

Three-time Big 12 Champ Ashley Patten (Clakrston, Mich.) will be running in her signature event, the women's 800.

 

Quite a battle seems to be shaping up in the men's 1000-meter run. Scheduled to be run in the seven o'clock hour, Tiger juniors Marcus Mayes (Sand Springs, Okla.) and Tipper O'Brien (Kirkwood, Mo.) will challenge former Tiger All-American Timothy Dunne in what is sure to be a competitive race. Dunne broke his own meet record in 2005 with his second event win in three years, claming last year's title with a 2:26.90 clocking. Mayes qualified for the 2005 USATF National Championships with his 1:47.78, dizzying 800-meter dash at last season's Big 12 Championships in Manhattan. O'Brien came from nowhere to qualify for the NCAA Championships last outdoor season in the 1500 meters after running one of the fastest metric miles in recent Tiger history.

 

Missouri Olympian Derrick Peterson will not be entered into this year's men's 1000-meter race because he will be inducted into the Missouri Intercollegiate Hall of Fame on Friday evening.

 

The Tigers will have several new, local faces taking their first shot at collegiate competition. Freshman Daniel Hunter (Hallsville, Mo.) will take to the high jump apron around 7:30 p.m. Hunter enters Missouri as a 2005 Track & Field News High School All-American, having jumped over the seven foot bar this summer. Freshman Kendra Richardson (Boonville, Mo.) was in the national high school top 10 with the shot her senior year at Boonville High School and will be in her first collegiate event Friday.

 

Admission is free for those with a valid Missouri student ID and for those who have purchased a KMIZ-ZOU Spirit Pass. Otherwise admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors.

 

REVISED MEET SCHEDULE

 

FIELD EVENTS:
3:00 p.m.	Weight Throw	M	Prelim/Final

3:00 p.m. Long Jump W Four Attempts 3:00 p.m. Pole Vault W Men to Follow 4:30 p.m. Weight Throw W Prelim/Final 5:00 p.m. Long Jump M Four Attempts 5:00 p.m. High Jump W Men to Follow 6:00 p.m. Shot Put M Prelim/Final 7:00 p.m. Triple Jump W Four Attempts 7:30 p.m. Shot Put W Prelim/Final 8:00 p.m. Triple Jump M Four Attempts TRACK EVENTS: 4:00 p.m. 60 Meter Hurdles W Prelim 60 Meter Hurdles M Prelim  4:30 p.m. 60 Meter Dash W Prelim  60 Meter Dash M Prelim  5:00 p.m. 60 Meter Hurdles W Final 60 Meter Hurdles M Final 5:15 p.m. Mile Run W Final Mile Run M Final 5:45 p.m. 60 Meter Dash W Final 60 Meter Dash M Final 5:55 p.m. 400 Meter Dash W Final 400 Meter Dash M Final 6:25 p.m. 600 Yard Run W Final 600 Yard Run M Final 6:40 p.m. 800 Meter Run W  Final 800 Meter Run M Final 7:00 p.m. 1000 Meter Run W Final 1000 Meter Run M Final 7:10 p.m. 200 Meter Dash W Final 200 Meter Dash M Final 7:45 p.m. 3000 Meter Run W Final 3000 Meter Run M Final 8:20 p.m. Distance Medley Relay W Final Distance Medley Relay M Final 8:45 p.m. 4 x 400 Meter Relay W Final 4 x 400 Meter Relay M Final