March 9, 2007

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Three from the University of Missouri earned All-America honors Friday at the first day of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Chris Rohr and Tyler Dailey earned plaudits in the men's weight throw and Marcus Mayes earn the honor in the men's 800-meter run.

Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) became the first Tiger to earn multiple All-America honors in the men's weight throw. Improving from an 11th-place national finish a year ago, Rohr placed seventh with a personal-best toss of 69 feet, 4 inches (21.13m). Rohr's best throw, coming on his fifth attempt, was also a five-inch all-time improvement for the soph. On his third attempt, Rohr placed the weight on the door of the cage, but momentum carried the implement back into play and gave him a 68-11¾ measure that was needed to secure a spot in the final.

Junior Tyler Dailey (Joplin, Mo.) connected on a 68-5¾ (20.87m) toss on his second attempt to place ninth in the weight throw and earn his first career All-America honor. Dailey entered the event as the 13th-overall seed. Kansas' Egor Agafonov won with a 77-5¼ toss.

With both Rohr and Dailey earning All-America honors in the same event, it marked the first time since the 2003 indoor season (Christian Cantwell and Russ Bell in the men's shot put) in which Mizzou grabbed more than one All-America honors in the same event.

Senior Marcus Mayes (Sand Springs, Okla.) earned his second-consecutive All-America honor in the men's 800-meter. Finishing as the fifth-fastest American, and 12th overall, Mayes clocked a 1:50.35 in his preliminary heat but will not run in tomorrow's final.

In the women's shot put, junior Shernelle Nicholls (St. Andrews Parrish, Barbados) placed 13th with a throw of 50-10 (15.49m). Nicholls improved her personal best in the event by three-and-a-half feet over the season span to earn a spot in the championships. Arizona State's Sarah Stevens won the event with a 59-7 mark in a thriller over Texas' Michelle Carter (59-5½).

Senior Hans Uldal is in 12th place with 2,976 points after day one of the men's heptathlon. Uldal used a season-best clearance of 6-2¼ (1.80m) in the high jump to contribute to the score. Uldal also ran the 60-meter dash in 7.31, jumped to 22-5 (6.83m) in the long jump, and marked 45-7¼ (13.90m) in the shot put. Uldal is only 96 points from Duane Hynes of Princeton for eighth place and will compete tomorrow in the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000-meter run to complete his career as a Missouri Tiger.

Also competing tomorrow, junior Elisha Hunt will compete for Mizzou in the women's weight throw.

ESPN360 will air live coverage of the meet for the remainder of tonight's events and starting at 2:30 p.m., tomorrow. ESPN2 will air a 90-minute tape-delay broadcast of the championships on Tuesday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. (CT).