April 24, 2006

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri senior Sterlying Hayden and redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner were named this week's Lathrop & Gage Varsity M Student-Athletes of the Week for their exceptional contributions to their respective athletic teams, combined with their strengths in the classroom and time spent in the local community.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Hayden is a member of Mizzou men's track and field team. A secondary education major, he carries a 3.22 grade-point average. Hayden started his career at Missouri State then transferred to Missouri-St. Louis before coming to Mizzou. During the recent indoor track season, Hayden finished sixth in the 60-meter dash and seventh in the 200-meter dash at the Missouri-Kansas-Kansas State Triangular and recorded a fifth-place finish in the heptathlon at the Kansas State Invitational. Hayden also finished seventh at the Missouri All-Comers Meet in the 60-meter dash.

Minner, a communications major, is a member of Missouri's softball team. The Sanger, Texas, native carries a 3.15 grade-point-average and is tied with for Missouri's career home run record with 26 less than two years into her career.. As a redshirt freshman last season, Minner set the Tigers' single-season home run record with 17 en route to All-Big 12 Conference second team and All-Midwest Region honors. The outfielder was also selected as the league's Player of the Week in 2005 and recorded a .388 batting average and .497 on-base-percentage. Prior to the 2006 season, Minner was named to the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List and has responded with nine home runs, a .333 batting average and 38 RBIs this year.

Hayden and the rest of the Missouri track and field team will compete in the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday, April 26 though Saturday, April 29. The Mizzou softball team travels to Ames, Iowa, for a double-header against Iowa State on Wednesday, April 26. The team then returns home this weekend for a two-game set with Texas Tech at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 and 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.