May 13, 2006

Results | Scores below

WACO, Texas--The Missouri track and field team completed day-two competition Saturday at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in Waco, Texas. The Tigers, for the second-consecutive day, earned scoring that was both expected and pleasantly surprising to head into the final day Sunday. The Mizzou men picked up second- and third-place finishes in the men's decathlon via Hans Uldal and Bjorn Sommerfeldt, and qualified nine for tomorrow's track finals.

 

After day two, with six of 21 events scored on both sides, the Tiger men are in second with 46 points, trailing Texas by four. Mizzou's women are in fourth with 26.

 

Saturday also marked the final day of the men's decathlon, an event where the Tigers picked up 14 more team points. Senior Hans Uldal finished second, scoring 7,484 points. Uldal finished relatively strong considering a debilitating upper-leg and lower-back injury he suffered yesterday during warm-ups for the high jump. In fact, Uldal still won the discus (141-8) and javelin (203-2) events to cap the heroic effort.

 

"I don't really like to blame my performance on what happened (the injury) in the high jump," said Uldal. "Honestly, I felt as though it took me out more mentally than physically. During the pole vault my hip was feeling pretty sore, but I still felt like I could have done better overall."

 

Observers noticed that Uldal was barely able to get off the ground during his first two attempts in the high jump, but somehow pulled together enough to clear his third attempt at 5-10¾ (1.80m). The Tiger athletic training staff had to work on Uldal before and after each attempt to keep him in contention. Despite Uldal's swell attitude towards his injury, many would say his ability to get through day one, and then an eight-hour-long day two, was courageous.

 

Junior Bjorn Sommerfeldt equaled his 2005 conference finish with a third-place performance. His score of 7,337 eclipsed his previous personal best by a point, but more importantly added to his NCAA-provisional qualifying mark that is now more likely to gain him entry into the NCAA Championships.

 

In the women's heptathlon, Mizzou took fourth and fifth, respectively, as both Liz Peterson and Kaela Rorvig scored career-bests in the event. Peterson, a senior from Jefferson City, Mo., scored 4,908, helped by a six-inch personal best in the long jump with an 18-7¼ (5.67m) mark. Rorvig (Columbia, Mo.) tallied 4,825, grabbing day-two personal bests in the long jump (18-1¾) and javelin (94-4). In all, Rorvig earned new career bests in four of the seven events. The Tiger duo ran strong in the final event, the 800 meters, in 85-degree midday heat, to help Rorvig jump from seventh to fifth in the final standings. Peterson ends her career as a four-time All-Big 12 performer while Rorvig is now a two-time conference scorer.

 

The Tigers qualified nine to tomorrow's track finals, three of which came from the men's 800-meter run. In a two-heat preliminary, the top seven finishers were separated by only three-quarters of a second. Senior Neville Miller (St. Louis, Mo.) was second in his heat to qualify automatically at 1:49.65. NCAA indoor mile-champion, Christian Smith of Kansas State, won the heat at 1:49.49.

 

Junior Marcus Mayes grabbed an automatic-qualifying spot in a blanket finish with a third-place heat finish at 1:49.64. Junior Jimmie Jones qualified by time in his fourth-place finish at 1:49.97.

 

Sophomore Trisa Nickoley was one of two Tiger qualifiers in the women's 800-meter run. Nickoley led the field with a 2:07.35 preliminary clocking, marking a new collegiate personal best. Defending champ Ashley Patten qualified with a 2:08.26 time, placing second in a photo-finish heat with Texas' Janine Davis.

 

The Tigers found more successes in the women's 1500-meter run, qualifying three to the eight-person final. Senior Amanda Bales, sophomore Kasey Kimball, and junior Kristin Hansen all earning spots in the final.

 

Junior Greg Bracey qualified for the 100-meter dash final, clocking a personal-best 10.48 in his heat in which he finished second. The Mizzou wide receiver was the fourth-fastest in the preliminary.

 

Freshman Krishna Lee (Boonville, Mo.) already is a three-time All-Big 12 performer, placing fifth today in the women's shot put, throwing an outdoor personal best of 48-10 (14.88m).

 

Junior Bobby Musil scored for the second time in the weekend with a sixth-place finish in the men's discus, throwing 179-1 (54.59m). Musil also finished third yesterday in the hammer throw.

 

Senior Chris Horn (O'Fallon, Ill.) garnered All-Big 12 honors for the first time in his career with an eighth-place showing in the men's long jump, tying his personal best with a 24-5¾ (7.46m) leap.

 

Sophomore Jason Miller earned All-Big 12 honors in the men's high jump with a seventh-place showing and a 6-8¾ (2.05m) leap.

 

The final day of the Big 12 Championships will commence tomorrow beginning at 11:00 a.m., with field events and at 5:30 p.m. with track events. Fox Sports Net will air tape-delayed coverage beginning May 19, check local listings or mutigers.com for a complete listing of affiliates, dates, and times.

 

Team scores ... after 6 of 21 events ... (# of track final qualifiers - doesn't count 5000m or 3000 steeple)

WOMEN

Nebraska 48 (3)

Kansas State 42 (4)

Texas 29 (12)

Missouri 26 (5)

Texas Tech 20 1/2 (2)

Kansas 18 (1)

Texas A&M 15 1/2 (7)

Oklahoma State 15 (2)

Colorado 9 (1)

Iowa State 8 (2)

Oklahoma 3 (5)

Baylor 0 (12)

 

MEN

Texas 50 (11)

Missouri 46 (4)

Kansas 30 (3)

Nebraska 27 (4)

Iowa State 16 (1)

Colorado 16 (3)

Baylor 15 (7)

Kansas State 13 (2)

Texas A&M 12 (5)

Oklahoma State 5 (2)

Texas Tech 4 (8)

Baylor 0 (7)

 

 

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