Feb. 25, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb.--The Missouri Track and Field squads completed competition at the Big 12 Indoor Championships on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb. A crowd of 5,162 over both days witnessed one of the best conference track meets in the country as many performances from this weekend will push many of the Big 12's best to the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Tiger women's middle-distance events (600 yards, 800 meters, 1000 meters, and Mile run) accounted for 30 total points to lead the Big 12 in that category with solid Mizzou performances all around. The Mizzou women placed seventh in the meet - the Tiger men were eighth.
Senior Ashley Patten (Clarkston, Mich.) won her third-consecutive Big 12 Indoor title, taking the women's 1000-meter in 2:49.53, defeating the rest of the field in a dominate fashion by three seconds. Patten, now a four-time overall conference champion, won the 1000 at the 2005 indoor championships and the 800 meter at the 2004 meet. Nicole Johnson added an eighth-place performance in the event, claming her first career All-Big 12 honor.
"Our middle-distance group is awesome," said Patten. "We've trained so well in the last few weeks and it's great to of had a training partner in this race (Johnson). Coach (Rebecca Wilmes) wanted me to run a certain type of race and I did just that and it was important to win again and I can't be more excited for both myself and our group."
In the women's mile run, senior Kristin Hansen placed fourth with a personal-best time of 4:51.88. Sophomore Kasey Kimball (Eureka, Mo.) was right behind Hansen running a PR 4:51.90 for fifth. Hansen later placed eighth in the 3000-meter run at 9:48.87 to claim three top-eight finishes on the weekend (adding in last evening's DMR finish) to push to five all-time All-Big 12 honors.
Sophomore Trisa Nickoley placed fourth in the women's 800, running in 2:08.08 to grab her sixth all-time All-Big 12 honor.
Junior Hans Uldal finished second in the men's decathlon, breaking the school record, previously held by Knut Sommerfeldt, by three points with a score of 5,639. Uldal earned a solid NCAA-provisional qualifying mark in the event and will likely qualify for his second-consecutive NCAA Championship in the event. Uldal started the day by breaking the school record in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking 8.25 on his way to a new personal best. In the pole vault, Uldal cleared 15 feet, 5 inches (4.70m) and followed with a 2:50.33 time in the 1000-meter run to take the heptathlon silver. Uldal became a five-time All-Big 12 performer with the meet finish.
Fellow junior Bjorn Sommerfeldt earned the bronze in the men's decathlon, finishing with a personal-best score of 5,417 points, also earning a solid NCAA-provisional qualifying mark.
In the women's shot put freshmen Krishna Lee (Kansas City, Mo.) and Kendra Richardson (Boonville, Mo.) showed big in their event. Lee placed fourth in the event to capture her first career All-Big 12 honor with a throw of 49-2½ (15.00m). Lee's throw bested her previous best by nearly a foot and moved her to third all-time in Mizzou history. Richardson also added a foot to her PR, throwing 47-4½ (14.44m) to place seventh. Richardson also placed seventh in yesterday's weight throw, scoring twice for the Tigers during the weekend.
In the team standings, Texas swept both titles for the first time since 1999. The Missouri women placed seventh with 58 points, finishing only seven points behind fourth place and 10 points behind third. On the men's side, the Tiger men placed eighth with 43 points.
For Missouri-Kansas Border Showdown, presented by Midwest Ford Dealers, points: the Tigers placed above the Kansas women and placed below the Kansas men. Each team will earn one point apiece in the all-sport competition.
USATF Indoor Championships recap - Cantwell second in Shot, moves to Worlds
Post-collegian Christian Cantwell placed second in the men's shot put at the USATF Indoor Championships in Boston, Mass., Saturday afternoon. His throw of 69-2¾ (21.10m) gains him a spot on the American IAAF World Indoor Championship team. That meet will be held in two weekends in Moscow, Russia.
Post-collegians Derrick Peterson and Timothy Dunne will run in the men's 800 tomorrow afternoon. ESPN will air live coverage of the meet tomorrow beginning at 2:30 p.m., central.
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