Feb. 20, 2008
-24th Missouri All-Comers- Columbia, Mo. Quick Info and Links
-USATF Indoor Championships- Boston, Mass. Quick Info and Links
-UCM Classic- Warrensburg, Mo. Quick Info and Links
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COLUMBIA, Mo.—One week until the Big 12 Indoor Championships and the competition is starting to rise. Although most of the members of the Missouri Track & Field squads will take the week off, a lot of eyes will be on Boston this weekend for the USATF Indoor Championships. Former Tiger Christian Cantwell will take to the shot-put ring in hopes of bringing home his second-consecutive indoor title. Meanwhile, the Tigers will play host to the 24th Missouri All-Comers in the Hearnes Fieldhouse on Saturday and encourage all athletes and spectators to bring a teddy bear that will go to the Ronald McDonald House.
The teddy bear drive was a staple at the Tigers' annual triangular with Kansas and Kansas State, but with the disbanding of that contest, members of the Mizzou squad wanted to bring it back.
“We are so excited to be doing this for the Ronald McDonald House,” said Tiger senior Kate Greer. “Being able to touch these children's lives in even the smallest of ways is something we are honored to do. We also think this is also a great way to set an example of community service for those young ones that will be here in Columba and competing this weekend.”
The annual Missouri All-Comers provides entry to anyone, of any age for only $15. Last year nearly 500 athletes from around the Midwest competed.
Throwers Will Go To Warrensburg
A group of Tiger throwers will compete Friday in the UCM Classic in Warrensburg, Mo.
Cantwell Shipping Off To Boston
Former Tiger Christian Cantwell (Eldon, Mo.) is not new to the USATF Indoor Championships. In his five previous trips, Cantwell has finished first or second in the shot in four of those years (including in 2002 as a Missouri junior). His national titles came in 2004 and 2007. In 2004, Cantwell won a bid to the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where he would go on to take gold. Last year, Cantwell won the U.S. title for the second time and it came with a $25,000 bonus check for being the VISA Champion, USATF's all-around best athlete of the indoor 2007 season.
This season, a trip to the IAAF World Indoor Championships is once again at stake. A top-two finish will have Cantwell packing his bags to Valencia, Spain, for the games that will take place in two weeks.
Cantwell is the second-best performer in the world this year with his mid-January toss of 70 feet, ½ inch (21.35m) from a meet in Europe. Fellow American Adam Nelson has been the hot putter as of late, throwing to a best-for-the-decade at last weekend's Tyson Invitational with a 73-6 (22.40m) throw.
USA Track & Field wrote a great preview of this weekend's shot battle, read it here:
http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?duid=USATF_2008_02_20_11_03_55
ESPN2 will air live coverage of the shot competition along with other highlights from the weekend's meet beginning at 4 p.m., central, on Sunday.
Former Tigers Neville Miller and Timothy Dunne, now running for the N.Y. Athletic Club, will take aim at 800 meters while Amanda Bales, another Tiger post-collegian, will be in the women's 1500.
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