Jan. 24, 2006

COLUMBIA, Mo.--The Tiger Track and Field team prepares this week for another installment of their 2006 indoor campaign, shipping off to Manhattan, Kan., this weekend for the two-day Wildcat Invitational. The scored meet at K-State has another twist, all men's events will be held Friday with women's events held Sunday. Also on the this weekend's docket is Tiger post-collegians Christian Cantwell and Derrick Peterson's opener at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games.

 

The Early-Bird Rankings

What can be taken from rankings and descending order lists from this point in the season? Not much, actually. But, as a member of the sports information community it's important to at least present some fun facts about the team's progression so far this season.

 

When looking at the first few events on the Big 12 Performance List its hard not to notice the youth around the conference either leading early in the season or in prime scoring positions.

 

On the men's side, four Tigers occupy top 10 spots in 1000-meter run, with junior Marcus Mayes at fourth, junior Tipper O'Brien in sixth and freshmen Blake Figgins and Tim Cornell at seven and eight. Freshman Garett Jeffries is an early top-five performer in the 3000-meter after his 8:27.07 clocking at last weekend's MU-KU-KSU Triangular. The next three weekends will be vital to the stacking of the list as many will be jockeying for NCAA qualifying marks at great-distance meets around the country.

 

In the men's shot put Tiger sophomore Nate Englin still is in second place on the conference list with senior Bill Hobson at sixth and freshman Chris Rohr at ninth. Tigers take spots three, five, and six on the weight throw list with sophomore Tyler Dailey leading the way with his 64-10 mark from two weeks ago. Englin and sophomore Bobby Musil are five and six, respectively.

 

In the women's mile, sophomore Kasey Kimball has ran the conference's second-fastest time so far this season with junior Kristen Hansen at third. The women's shot put list has freshman Krishna Lee at fifth, sophomore Elizabeth Robe at ninth and freshman Kendra Richardson at tenth. Sophomore Elisha Hunt is the Tiger leader in with the women's weight, standing fourth with Richardson at sixth and sophomore Denise Gilmore at tenth in the event.

 

Cantwell and Peterson Begin Seasons With Reebok Boston Indoor Games

Tiger post-collegians (that's a term we will use a lot this season, by the way, it means Tigers that have completed collegiate eligibility but still train at Mizzou and are coached by the current team's coaches) Christian Cantwell and Derrick Peterson will start their season Saturday, participating Saturday in the Reebok Boston Indoor Games.

 

Cantwell will begin the trek to defend his reign as the IAAF World Indoor Champion in the shot put (he won in 2004, that event is only held in even-numbered years). But, it won't be easy to repeat as World Indoor Champ, especially when four U.S. shot putters are in the top 10 of the IAAF World Rankings once again. Cantwell is currently ranked fourth in the world, winning the 2005 USATF Outdoor Championship, with Americans Reese Hoffa at third and Adam Nelson tied for the lead in the point system. Nelson won the IAAF World Outdoor Championship in 2005 in Helsinki. Hoffa was second at last season's U.S. Indoor Championships. Both Nelson and Hoffa are in this year's event along with John Godina who is sixth in the world rankings and the winner of 2005's USATF Indoor.

 

Peterson was one of four current or former Tigers to make the field of 24 in the 800-meter run at the 2005 USATF Outdoor Championships. Peterson along with post-collegian Timothy Dunne made the final in 2005, with Peterson placing fourth. Peterson will be running in the 1000-meter run in Boston with a serious, competitive contingent to face. Peterson was also just elected, on the first ballot, into Missouri's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. The six-time All-American at Mizzou, Peterson also swept all eight possible Big 12 Championships in the 800 meter as a Tiger.

 

The meet held Saturday, will be aired in a 90-minute tape-delayed broadcast Sunday on ESPN2, starting at 2 p.m., central. For more information on the event, go to bostonindoorgames.com.

 

The Team Digest, A Way To Pin-Point Hometowns

It was promised last week, so here it is. A listing of all track and field Tigers based on hometowns and their locations. Enjoy. If you are seeing this on mutigers.com, simply click on the Tigers' name to find out more.

 

Name	Events	Hometown	High School/Last School
Mid-Missouri (15)
Jennifer Smith	Throws	Auxvasse, Mo.	North Callaway HS
Kendra Richardson	Throws	Boonville, Mo.	Boonville HS
Will Drover	Pole Vault	Camdenton, Mo.	Camdenton HS
Anne Case-Halferty	Distance	Columbia, Mo.	Rock Bridge HS
Tim Cornell	Distance	Columbia, Mo.	Hickman HS
Ashley Guy	Distance	Columbia, Mo.	Rock Bridge HS
Kaela Rorvig	Combined Event	Columbia, Mo.	Hickman HS
Erin Shryock	Pole Vault	Columbia, Mo.	North Callaway HS
Daniel Hunter	Jumps	Hallsville, Mo.	Hallsville HS
Sara Burbee	Throws	Jefferson City, Mo.	Jefferson City HS
Liz Peterson	Combined Event	Jefferson City, Mo.	Helias HS
Elisha Hunt	Throws	Linn, Mo.	Linn HS
Kristina Werner	Distance	Moberly, Mo.	Moberly HS/Bradley
Laura Brandt	Sprints	New Haven, Mo.	New Haven HS
Rachel Stollings	Distance	Osceola, Mo.	Osceola HS
Colten Green	Distance	Roach, Mo.	Macks Creek HS
Kansas City Area  (16)
Matt Noonan	Distance	Baldwin City, Kan.	Baldwin HS
Chris Feitz	Combined Event	Carrolton, Mo.	Carrolton HS
Brad Coomes	Jumps	Kansas City, Mo.	Oak Park HS
Montel Evans	Jumps	Kansas City, Mo.	Hickman Mills HS
Aaron Henderson	Jumps	Kansas City, Mo.	Ruskin HS
Rickey Leathers	Sprints	Kansas City, Mo.	Ruskin HS
Krishna Lee	Throws	Kansas City, Mo.	O'Hara HS
Ben Stafford	Throws	Leawood, Kan.	Blue Valley North HS
Adam Noteis	Throws	Lee's Summit, Mo.	Lee's Summit HS
Chris Rohr	Throws	Lee's Summit, Mo.	Lee's Summit North HS
Jamie Wynn	Throws	Lee's Summit, Mo.	Lee's Summit HS
Josh Davis	Distance	Liberty, Mo.	Liberty HS
Tim Fritson	Sprints	Liberty, Mo.	Liberty HS
Brian Graybill	Distance	Liberty, Mo.	Liberty HS
Dan Taylor	Jumps	Liberty, Mo.	Liberty HS
Trisa Nickoley	Distance	Tecumseh, Kan.	Shawnee Heights HS
St. Louis Area (19)
Billy Bell	Distance	Chesterfield, Mo.	Parkway Central HS
Nicole Johnson	Distance	Chesterfield, Mo.	Marquette HS/Marquette Univ.
Garett Jeffries	Distance	Clarkson Valley, Mo.	Marquette HS
Adam Burla	Throws	Ellisville, Mo.	Marquette HS
Kasey Kimball	Distance	Eureka, Mo.	Eureka HS
Tipper O'Brien	Distance	Kirkwood, Mo.	St. Louis Univ. HS
Chris Horn	Jumps	O'Fallon, Ill.	O'Fallon Township
Bryce Malloy	Distance	Potosi, Mo.	Potosi HS
Ben Wade	Distance	St. Charles, Mo.	St. Charles West
Amber Warren	Distance	St. Charles, Mo.	Lutheran HS
Dave Borchardt	Throws	St. Louis, Mo.	Vianney HS
J.C. Butler	Distance	St. Louis, Mo.	Ladue HS
Sterling Hayden	Combined Event	St. Louis, Mo.	McCluer North HS
Dan Hedgecock	Distance	St. Louis, Mo.	Ladue HS
Jake Koons	Sprints	St. Louis, Mo.	Chaminade HS
Neville Miller	Distance	St. Louis, Mo.	Vianney HS
Jason Morris	Throws	St. Louis, Mo.	Priory HS
Laura Ortinau	Throws	St. Louis, Mo.	Oakville HS
Mike Oldroyd	Distance	Wildwood, Mo.	Eureka HS
Northwest Missouri (2)
John Lenhart	Sprints	Bethany, Mo.	South Harrison HS
Chris Pullen	Distance	St. Joesph, Mo.	Central HS
Southwest Missouri (1)
Tyler Dailey	Throws	Joplin, Mo.	Joplin HS
Southeast Missouri (2)
Daniel Willingham	Pole Vault	Cape Girardeau, Mo.	Cape Girardeau HS
Austin Kerkhover	Sprints	Chester, Ill.	Chester HS
Arizona (1)
Blair Crawford	Sprints	Paradise Valley, Ariz.	Chaparral HS
Colorado (1)
Angela Potrykus	Distance	Evergreen, Colo.	Conifer HS
Illinois - outside St. Louis (3)
Austin Kerkhover	Sprints	Chester, Ill.	Chester HS
Andy Welker	Sprints	Wheaton, Ill.	Wheaton Warrenville South HS
Summer Owens	Distance	Dix, Ill.	Mt. Vernon Township
Iowa (5)
Amanda Bales	Distance	Bettendorf, Iowa	Pleasant Valley HS
Allison Werner	Distance	Danville, Iowa	Mt. Pleasant HS
Kate Greer	Distance	Marshalltown, Iowa	Marshalltown HS
Kristin Hansen	Distance	Milford, Iowa	Okoboji HS
Ellen Ries	Distance	Ryan, Iowa	North Linn HS
Kansas - outside KC area  (1)
Denise Gilmore	Throws	Manhattan, Kan.	Manhattan HS
Kentucky (1)
Maddie Schueler	Distance	Louisville, Ky.	Sacred Heart Academy
Maryland (1)
JaNay Woolridge	Throws	Jessup, Md.	Long Reach HS
Michigan (4)
Tim Ross	Distance	Alto, Mich.	Caledonia HS
Ashley Patten	Distance	Clarkston, Mich.	Lake Orion HS
Blake Figgins	Distance	Detroit, Mich.	Mumford HS
Jimmie Jones	Distance	Detroit, Mich.	Mumford HS
Michael Barrows	Distance	Flint, Mich.	Powers Catholic HS
Minnesota (2)
Nate Englin	Throws	Shoreview, Minn.	Mounds View HS
Mallory Van Ness	Distance	Shoreview, Minn.	Mounds View HS
Nebraska (2)
Bobby Musil	Throws	DuBois, Neb.	Pawnee City HS
Melanie Uher	Throws	Wilber, Neb.	Wilber-Clatonia HS
Ohio (1)
Carolyn Rauen	Distance	Cincinnati, Ohio	Turpin HS
Oklahoma (4)
Laura Frye	Throws	Ada, Okla.	Ada HS
Marcus Mayes	Distance	Sand Springs, Okla.	Charles Page HS
Chase Hall	Distance	Tulsa, Okla.	Jenks HS
Rem Moll	Distance	Tulsa, Okla.	Jenks HS
Tennessee (1)
Sarah Zigler	Pole Vault	Franklin, Tenn.	Franklin HS
Texas (6)
Valerie Lauver	Distance	Allen, Texas	Allen HS
Erin Moses	Sprints	Humble, Texas	Humble HS
Bill Hobson	Throws	Katy, Texas	James E. Taylor HS
Michael Madison	Sprints	Lubbock, Texas	Lubbock Cooper HS
Tommie Powers	Pole Vault	North Richland Hills, Texas	Birdville HS
Darby Kelly	Pole Vault	Southlake, Texas	Southlake Carroll HS
Virginia (1)
Jason Miller	Jumps	Stafford, Va.	Colonial Forge HS
Wisconsin (4)
Greg Bracey	Sprints	Milwaukee, Wisc.	Vincent HS
Emily Ramsey	Distance	Waukesha, Wisc.	Waukesha West HS/Northern Illinois
Serena Ramsey	Distance	Waukesha, Wisc.	Waukesha West HS
Elizabeth Robe	Throws	Waukesha, Wisc.	Waukesha West HS
Norway (2)
Hans Uldal	Combined Event	Arendal, Norway	Barbu VGS
Bjorn Sommerfeldt	Combined Event	Krokstadelva, Norway	St. Hallvard VGS