Jan. 9, 2008
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22nd Missouri Invitational Columbia, Mo. Quick Info and Links
Latest USTFCCCA Rankings
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COLUMBIA, Mo.—Tiger sophomore Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) and Missouri assistant Dan Lefever traveled this past weekend to Reno, Nev., for the annual Pole Vault Summit, a part-clinic, part-competition that spotlights the techniques and personalities that are part of the niche field event. During the competition portion, Hancock placed third amongst the top-seeded group of collegiate vaulters in claiming an indoor personal best mark of 16 feet, 10¾ inches (5.15m), inching closer to the 16-year-old school record of 17-¾ (5.20m). Hancock and the entire Tiger contingent officially kick off the season Friday in hosting the 22nd Missouri Invitational in the Hearnes Fieldhouse.
With his leap Saturday, Hancock already matched his 2007-collegiate season best that occurred at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships where he earned his second All-Big 12 honor. In August, Hancock flew above the bar at 17-5¾ (5.33m) at a street-festival in Henderson, Ky., coming close to the OUTDOOR school record of 17-6¾ (5.35m). Both the indoor and outdoor school records are held by Tom Jordan, who is currently a coach in the Lee's Summit school district outside of Kansas City.
When asked by a reporter from the Columbia Daily Tribune about his focus on the school record, he said, “My goal is way above that.” Look for Hancock's story in Thursday's edition, and, look for Hancock, and, what is now an army of vaulters from Mizzou, to start their home season Friday. The men's pole vault will begin after the women's, which begins at 1 p.m.
Among that army of vaulters are newcomers Scott Betsher (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and Matt Willingham (Cape Girardeau, Mo.). The duo accounts for the past two MSHSAA Class 4 pole-vaulting titles as Willingham won in 2006 and Betsher in 2007. Betsher vaulted for Jordan at Lee's Summit North and Willingham's brother, Daniel, is also a pole vaulter. It's definitely vaulting madness!
The Meet
The Missouri Invitational will feature competion from NCAA Division I's, Ark.-Pine Bluff, Drake, Missouri State (women), Oral Roberts, and UMKC. Local Division II power, Lincoln University, will also be on hand. Both the running and field slate will begin at 1 p.m., and is expected to be complete by 6 p.m.
Tiger Tales …
Senior Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) will get her season started Friday in the women's 800. The last time Nickoley was on the track, she set a career best 2:04.07 in the semifinal at the USA Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, coming within a shaving of qualifying for national final. The two-time 800-meter Big 12 Champ will face, among others, Angela Makaha of Oral Roberts in her pursuit of a second-straight title in the event. The 800 is slated for a 3:40 p.m., start Friday.
Senior Elisha Hunt (Linn, Mo.) is looking for a four-peat in the women's weight throw. Last year the Missouri Invite, where she broke a then-Fieldhouse record and a meet record in winning her third-straight, was only the beginning of a fantastic season. Hunt went on to become the first Mizzou female to win All-America honors in the event, placing fourth at last March's NCAA Indoor Championships.
The men's mile and the men's 1000 have the potential to be exciting races. In the mile, Tipper O'Brien (Kirkwood, Mo.), who was awarded a sixth year by the NCAA for the OUTDOOR season will have some strong competition nipping on his 4:02.55-heels. Former Tiger Marcus Mayes, freshman Kyle Rood (St. Peter's, Mo.), and junior Garett Jeffries (Clarkson Valley, Mo.) are among those who will likely be in a highly-contested race. Oral Roberts' Shaun Smith, who enters the season having the second-best 800-meter time last year in the nation among returners, is also a threat to steal the race.
In the 1000, it looks to be a battle between former Tigers Neville Miller and Timothy Dunne, both of whom are members of the N.Y. Athletic Club. Dunne won the event in 2006 and with the 2:26.90-meet record in 2005. Miller, Columbia's favorite meteorologist, placed in the final of the USATF Indoor Championships a year ago.
Oh yeah, did we mention the Tiger men enter the season in the nation's preseason top-25 according to the USTFCCCA's power rankings? A huge chunk of those rating points (actually 71.1% of them) is directly from the returning powers of men's weight throwers Chris Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and Tyler Dailey (Joplin, Mo.). Rohr won his second All-America honor in the event a year ago as a sophomore and returns having the fourth-best mark among returners a year ago. Dailey won his first career All-American honor in the event last year as well, and with a PR of 68-5½ (20.87m), he comes back with the nation's sixth-best mark among those expected to return.
Thompson Tidbits …
From the desk of Missouri Media Relations Student Assistant, McClain Thompson
Oral Roberts
The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles enter the 2008 indoor season ranked 24th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) pre-season rankings, one spot behind the host Missouri Tigers. Senior Shaun Smith, who enters the season as the nation's No. 2 800-meter runner, leads the Golden Eagles along with sprinters Andretti Bain and Kevin Cave.
On the women's side, coaches of the newly formed Summit League tabbed Oral Roberts as the favorite to bring home the indoor conference title. The ORU women won each of the last three Mid-Continent Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Lincoln
Since 2003, Lincoln (Mo.) University has staked a claim as one of the NCAA's best Division II track and field programs. In the past five seasons, the Blue Tiger men claimed four outdoor national titles (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) while the women won two indoor titles (2004 and 2006) and enter the Missouri Invitational as the reigning outdoor national champions. Hailing from Jefferson City, the Blue Tigers are known for their sprinting prowess.
Keown
One UMKC distance runner will be competing in a familiar setting on Friday. Sophomore Jimmy Keown, a 2005 graduate of Rock Bridge High School, is scheduled to run in the 3000-meter run at the Missouri Invitational. Keown, who missed all of track season last year with an injury, was the Kangaroos top performer in each of UMKC's six cross-country races this fall. He capped his season with a 49th-place showing at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
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