Jan. 26, 2008
Conferenc Challenge Results
NWU Invitational Results
LINCOLN, Neb. - The Missouri track and field teams contributed to a Big 12 victory over the Mountain West Conference Saturday at the Conference Challenge in Lincoln. The Tigers, along with Kansas State and host Nebraska topped the MWC, made of Air Force, Colorado State, and BYU, by the combined-gender score of 224-145. Mizzou scored with seven-individual titles on the afternoon, up from the three grabbed last season at the same event.
The most significant victory from a national standpoint was that from senior Shernelle Nicholls (St. Andrew's Parrish, Barbados) in the women's shot put. With her winning and indoor career-best mark of 53 feet, 8¼ inches (16.36m), Nicholls moved into the nation's top five for the season and came within two inches of breaking Mizzou's school record.
The best finish of the day may have come from Tiger sophomore Emily Baker (Wildwood, Mo.) in the women's mile. Baker was in sixth place and a large distance behind going into the backstretch, but a great kick that followed allowed Baker to push the pack on the final turn and eventually allowed her to cross the tape first. Baker would improve her previous best in the event by over seven seconds in running 4:54.60.
Senior Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) made the best of her first-ever 1000-meter race, toppling the field by a considerable margin in clocking 2:46.34 in becoming the third-fastest all-time at Mizzou in the event.
Three Tiger freshmen made some early impressions in middle-distance events. Kyle Rood (St. Peters, Mo.) and Rick Scheff (Dunwoody, Ga.) took the 1-2 spots in the men's 1000-meter run, besting the rest of the field by more than four seconds, with times of 2:28.97 and 2:29.24, respectively. Scheff came from fourth place before the final turn to pass two others on the way to the Mizzou sweep. Another freshman, Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.) won the men's 600-yard run with a 1:11.29 time.
Junior Chris Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) took top honors in the men's weight throw with a toss of 66-1 (20.14m). Tyler Dailey was third at 62-9½ (19.14m).
Junior JaNay Woolridge won the women's long jump in leaping to a 19-½ (5.80m) mark.
Sophomore Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.) continues to start his season strong. Today in the men's long jump, Adcock improved his previous overall best in the long jump by over 13 inches in marking 22-6½ (6.87m). Adcock also ran 8.21 in the 60-meter hurdles, solidifying his fifth of five races under the season-entering school record of 8.24.
Missouri also competed in the Nebraska Wesleyan Invitational immediately following the conclusion of the Conference Challenge.
Next weekend, the Tigers will compete in Penn State's Sykes-Sabock Cup in State College, Pa. Mizzou will take on several schools from the northeast in the two-day scored event.
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