Feb. 2, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - It was an absolutely thrilling day for the Missouri track and field teams Saturday as they completed competition at the Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup in State College, Pa. The Tiger men pulled out a 10-point victory in the 11-team meet, scoring 126 points, the most in the meet since 2003. Victories by junior Dan Hedgecock at 3000 meters and by the 4x400-meter relay squad propelled Missouri in the closing hour of the meet. The Mizzou women also had a successful weekend, placing second with 105 points, behind only No. 9 Penn State.
"This was outstandng," said Head Coach Dr. Rick McGuire. "We had so many kids doing so many good things this weekend, all working together for a common cause. This has to be one of the best moments I've experienced in my coaching career."
Scored meets in collegiate, NCAA Division I, competition had become scarce in the last decades, especially during the indoor seasons, but McGuire felt that this essential part of college athletics has been missed.
"Our team really became a true team this weekend," said McGuire. "This is really what track and field is about. I wish everyone from the State of Missouri could have been here to see it, they would be so proud."
The Tiger men entered the meet No. 27 in the national USTFCCCA standings, a show of national-mark status. Cornell, who took second to Mizzou with 113 points, is also a top-30 team. Penn State finished third with 84¾ points. In all, six teams were in the national top 40 entering the weekend.
Missouri and Cornell were neck-and-neck in the scoring throughout the day. But, after the scoring of the shot put, the Tigers placed themselves two points above Cornell. Three events to go were remaining and Cornell had a strong triple jump contingent that was competing during the final two events, the 3000-meter run and the 4x400 relay. Word spread that Cornell had the one and seven spots entering that final, which would have cut the lead to two.
In the men's 3000, three Tigers had to contend with two from Cornell. Running a perfect, tactical race, junior Dan Hedgecock (St. Louis, Mo.) pulled from fourth to take the lead with two laps remaining and eventually took the tape at 8:19.01. A super strong surge by Garett Jeffies (St. Louis, Mo.) gave the junior a third-place showing in clocking 8:25.78. Jeffries' racing helped push Cornell's Dale Taylor to sixth, netting the Tigers 13 points in the event.
The triple jump was still occurring during the 4x400-meter relay, so, with so many unknowns, the Tigers had to put up a "clubhouse" score.
The Tigers lead off sophomore Jerron Forte (Kansas City, Mo.) before running freshman Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.), who earlier won the 600-meter run easily in 1:19.81, in the second leg. Sophomore Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.), who would score 9½ points in the meet, handed to freshman Ryan Blackwell (Fenton, Mo.), who placed a surprising third in the open 400 (48.54), for the important anchor. With Cornell and strong teams East Carolina and Penn State on his heels, Blackwell carried the day with every bit of effort to take the title in helping the Tigers clock 3:12.99.
The win put Mizzou up 20 points, unreachable for the Cornell two left in the triple jump. As a result, the Tiger camp exploded with enthusiasm. Chants of MiZ-ZOU were at the epicenter of the final 30 minutes of the meet.
Both the Tiger men and women had inspired performances throughout the day. Like in the movie Groundhog Day, fantastic performances by Tiger underclassmen kept reoccurring.
In the men's 800, it was another Tiger freshman, Rick Scheff (Atlanta, Ga.) who would run to a PR 1:51.72 for third.
Sophomore Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) was second in the men's pole vault, clearing 17 feet (5.10m). Senior Steve Shimkus (Columbia, Mo.) scored vital points with a fifth-place showing.
Who could forget the men's shot put? The Tiger men scored 17 points in the event, bring the men's throws to 42 total for the weekend. But, it was sophomore Andy Oaker (Steelviile, Mo.) who was the star on this day. His throw in the finals of 56-11¾ (17.35m) put him second In the competition, topping his old PR by over two feet. Chris Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) jumped from sixth to third on his fifth throw of 56-3¾ (17.16m). Tyler Dailey went from eighth to fifth with a day-best of 54-4½ (16.57m).
Junior Brian Graybill (Liberty, Mo.) shaved five seconds off his PR in the 800-meter run to place fifth overall.
On the women's side, sophomore Emily Baker (Wildwood, Mo.) was again the comeback kid. Flying from sixth to second down the homestretch, Baker, in the second-straight weekend, bettered her PR in running 4:53.22. Junior Ellen Ries (Ryan, Iowa) ran for third in clocking 4:53.50.
In the women's shot, the Tigers took the 1-2-4 spots with good showings. Senior Shernelle Nicholls won again, topping the field with a 52-4 (15.95m) mark. Junior Krishna Lee, scoring 16 points on the weekend, took second at 50-8¾ (15.46m). Senior Elizabeth Robe was fourth at 48-7½ (14.82m).
Senior Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) recorded her first NCAA-provisional mark of the season in timing 2:08.02 in the women's 800 to place third. Penn's Jesse Carlin clocked 2:06.57, an early national-leading time, with the win.
Senior Kate Greer took fifth in the women's 3000 at 9:52.40. The Tiger women 4x400 team took fourth, running Blossom Nwaneri, Nickoley, Kaela Rorvig, and Layne Moore, who took eighth in the women's 800. Junior Tommie Powers added points in the placing seventh in the pole vault.
Penn State's women won the meet with 167½ points, the Tiger women was second with 105. Cornell and Princeton took third, and fourth with 79½ and 78 1/2, respectively.
Mizzou will compete next weekend in the Meyo Classic in South Bend, Ind.
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