Feb. 14, 2008
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-Iowa State Classic- Ames, Iowa Quick Info and Links
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COLUMBIA, Mo.--The Iowa State Classic has become an annual part of the Missouri Track & Field schedule and this weekend the meet with an expected 90+ teams will take place in Ames. Yes, this is a big track meet, and, for a good reason. A bounty of NCAA qualifying marks in the mid-distance, distance, and relay events have always resulted from the Goliath-sized meet as the 300-meter, oversized course inside the Lied Recreation Center persuades teams of even the South origin to take notice.
Arizona, Arizona State, and Florida are among some of the warm-weather schools that will send representatives on the trip to Ames. No big worries, the temperature there Friday is expected to reach a balmy 6 degrees ... Fahrenheit. Don't worry folks, this is why we have an indoor season.
For the Tigers, this will be a weekend in which the team will begin to really take shape towards the Big 12 Indoor Championships that will begin two weeks from Friday.
Coming off her best performance of the year in running 2:06.99 at 800 meters last weekend at the Meyo Invite, senior Trisa Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) will be one to watch this weekend. Seemingly her favorite place to run, Nickoley has recorded all three of her previous indoor season's bests in Ames, running her current indoor PR of 2:06.54 last year in this meet. Although she improved her national mark by 1.03 seconds last weekend, she still fell a spot to rank No. 9 nationally, but is still No. 1 in the Big 12, coming into the weekend. Oh, that kooky ranking system. According to the handy-dandy heat sheets, Nickoley is listed to go head-to-head with Florida's Lorian McKenzie who ranks eighth in the NCAA with a 2:06.89 season best.
Speaking of that kooky ranking system, the Tiger women have been knocking on the door of the top-25 in the USTFCCCA "Power" Rankings all season. Mizzou slipped a spot to No. 29 this week, but with a big weekend from Nickoley and throwers that took last weekend off, the Tigers could make a claim to jump in the fray.
Senior Shernelle Nicholls (St. Andrew's Parrish, Barbados) ranks eighth in the country in the women's shot put, having thrown 53 feet, 8 inches (16.36m) a few weeks back. Senior Elisha Hunt is also eighth in the NCAA, but in the weight throw event with her Hearnes Fieldhouse-record-tying mark of 66-4¼ (20.23m) to start the season.
Here's a few quick hits from last weekend's action at the Meyo at Notre Dame:
- Freshman Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.) continues to impress. Running his first collegiate 800-meter race last weekend, Davis clocked a 1:50.77 to take sixth in a pretty legit field. Davis has the fourth-best time among his Big 12 friends entering this weekend. But, no 800 for Davis at the Classic, watch for his speed in the 600-yard and 4x400 events.
- The other fast frosh, Ryan Blackwell (Fenton, Mo.) clocked 1:03.94 at 500 meters in winning his heat, finishing fifth overall last weekend. The 500 meters is an event that is run by the Big East Conference, but is rarely seen by Big 12 schools. In fact in the last 20 years there have been only a handful of Tigers to have experienced the odd distance. From all we can find, Blackwell's time is the new school record.
- Davis, Blackwell, Jerron Forte, and Nick Adcock improved their season-best 4x400 time to 3:12.31 at the Meyo. The foursome will try to knock a few more ticks off the time this weekend in Ames.
- Junior Tim Cornell (Columbia, Mo.) ran a personal best 4:07.44 in the Meyo Mile last weekend; he now sits eighth in the conference in the event. Cornell is listed in the 3000 this weekend.