March 1, 2008
LINCOLN, Neb. - The University of Missouri track-and-field teams completed competition in the Big 12 Indoor Champioships in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday. Three Tigers won individual titles on the day, including senior Trisa Nickoley who won her third-career indoor 800-meter crown. Sophomore Nick Adcock took top honors in the men's heptathlon with a school record and the second-best winning score in conference history. And, senior Nate Englin was tops in the men's shot put and became the meet's co-male top scorer, gaining 15 total points for the Tiger cause. In addition, Krishna Lee added to an intense women's shot with a school record. The men finished fifth in the league while the women took eighth.
Nickoley (Tecumseh, Kan.) won the 800-meter title with a 2:08.60 clocking, and becomes the first three-time indoor champ in a single event in Mizzou women's history and the Big 12's first three-time champion at 800 meters.
"Before the race, I actually didn't feel very good at all," said Nickoley. "But, somehow, about seven minutes out, I started to feel good."
Nickoley took the lead early and led throughout, but ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Texas' Temeka Kincy in the final lap.
"I wasn't sure how the pace would go out, but it went pretty slow," Nickoley continued. "I knew Kincy is a very good runner, so it was no surprise that she would come up to challenge."
With Kincy to her outside, Nickoley overpowered, coming down the homestretch to win by 34 hundredths of a second.
"I just felt determined in my senior race not to let her beat me," said Nickoley. "Winning this for the third time is a really good feeling."
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Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo. / Oak Park HS) was crowned as the Big 12 Champion in the men's heptathlon, claiming a final score of 5,795. Adcock topped his school record set two weeks ago by 151 points and reclaims the No. 3 spot on the NCAA list.
Adcock is the second Tiger to have won a conference title in the event, joining Knut Sommerfeldt who won the 2003 title with 4,850 points. In addition, Adcock recorded the second-best winning score in Big 12 history, behind only two-time NCAA Champion Donovan Kilmartin's meet record of 5,876. Adcock became only the second sophomore to ever win the event, joining Kilmartin who won his first of three titles as freshman in 2005 with a 5,791 score.
"It is so hard to explain how happy today made me," said Adcock. "The thought of being a Big 12 Champion never crossed my mind until two weeks ago when I [broke the school record at Iowa State]."
Adcock's score two weeks ago of 5,644 originally reset the Missouri standard. After recording a day one score 102 points better than his previous best on Friday, Adcock felt confident.
"I felt like I was on autopilot yesterday in the high jump," said Adcock. "Everything felt really good and flowing. But, I woke up this morning feeling like I got hit by a bus."
Adcock may have felt sub-par, but he went on to have a great start to the second day, recording a new school-record in clocking the field's best time of 8.12 in the 60-meter hurdles to take the overall lead.
"The hurdles really got me going on the right track," said Adcock. "After my vault, I knew I had pretty much locked it up [the title], so I was able to relax."
The "leap" weekend continued for Adcock, as he would improve his personal best in the pole vault by nearly a foot in clearing 14-11 (4.55m) to widen his lead. In the 1000, Adcock cruised in running 2:45.91 and crossed the finish line in elation. Last year, Adcock scored 5,129 points in this meet to place 10th.
A pair of Kansas State freshmen, Moritz Cleve (5,655) and Rok Derzanic (5,594) took second and third respectively. Tiger freshman Lars Rise placed ninth in scoring 5,267, to become sixth best in Mizzou history.
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Missouri senior Nate Englin (Mounds View, Minn.) won his first career Big 12 title in the men's shot put, throwing for a season's best of 59-7 (18.16m). Englin is Mizzou's third indoor titlist in Big 12 history, joining Christian Cantwell (2001) and Conrad Woolsey (2005). In addition, he is the ninth from Mizzou to have ever won an indoor conference crown with the shot.
Englin was the Big 12's co-male top scorer as he and Texas A&M's Julian Reid scored 15 points for each team's causes. Englin added 10 points today to his five for finishing fourth place in the weight throw yesterday.
"It's pretty awesome," said Englin when asked about winning the Big 12 Championship. "I had a slow start to the year, but coming around to do this has been worth it. I've been working hard in practice and knew I had the capability to do it."
Englin was part of a 1-4-5 Mizzou finish, scoring another 19 points for the Tiger throwers that contributed 42 points overall to the men's team score.
Junior Chris Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) was accounted for 13 points, adding five points in today's shot put event with a fourth-place showing in claiming a season's best of 56-7½ (17.26m). Rohr was second place yesterday in the men's weight throw.
Senior Tyler Dailey (Joplin, Mo.) claimed 10 points on the weekend, adding a fifth-place notch with the shot, having a season's best toss of 56-2½ (17.13m). Sophomore Andy Oaker (Steelville, Mo.) was ninth.
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In the women's shot put, it was another show of Mizzou strength, as the Tigers took the 3-6-7 spots. Junior Krishna Lee (Kansas City, Mo.) broke Shernelle Nicholls' school record, set earlier this year with a put of 54-9½ (16.70m).
Lee was sitting in fourth place before her final attempt. On that throw, Lee competed her day's best, coming within 10 centimeters of the leader at that point to put a huge scare in the field, but, after the measure, she was only third as a back-and-forth battle between eventual winner Patience Knight of Texas Tech and Stephanie Horton of Kansas ensued. Knight, trailing by a mere centimeter to Horton, let sail a throw of 56-4½ (17.18m) on the event's final attempt to reclaim the lead and take the title. All three of the top three in the event recorded marks in the nation's top 10.
Senior Shernelle Nicholls would finish sixth at 52-4¾ (15.97m) while senior Elizabeth Robe placed seventh, also claiming an NCAA-provisional mark with a toss of 49-11¾ (15.23m).
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Junior Ellen Ries (Ryan, Iowa) clocked 2:49.55 in the women's 1000-meter run to place fourth in gaining her second All-Big 12 honor. Ries' personal best by nearly two seconds places her in Mizzou's all-time top five.
Sophomore Brain Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) took fourth in the men's pole vault, clearing 17-¾ (5.20m).
Freshman Layne Moore (Emporia, Kan.) placed fourth with her PR run of 1:22.73 in the 600-yard run. Sophomore Blossom Nwaneri took eighth at 1:26.56.
Senior Jason Miller tied for fifth with two others in the men's high jump, clearing 6-9¾ (2.08m) to become a two-time All-Big 12 performer.
Junior Tim Cornell (Columbia, Mo.) took seventh in the men's mile at 4:10.05. Sophomore Emily Baker took eighth in the women's Mile.
Freshman Rick Scheff (Atlanta, Ga.) earned his first All-Big 12 honor with an eighth-place finish in the men's 800. Senior Brian Graybill (Liberty, Mo.) was eighth at 1000 meters.
The men's 4x400-meter relay of Jerron Forte, Chris Davis, Nick Adcock, and Ryan Blackwell took sixth with a 3:13.02 time.
Final Results TEAM SCORES Women 1) Texas A&M, 119¼ 2) Nebraska, 95 3) Kansas, 93 4) Texas, 79 5) Texas Tech, 70½ 6) Baylor, 68¼ 7) Oklahoma, 59 8) Missouri, 55 9) Kansas State, 54 10) Iowa State, 30 11) Oklahoma State, 13 12) Colorado, 5###Men 1) Texas, 106 2) Nebraska, 104 3) Texas Tech, 93 4) Texas A&M, 76 5) Missouri, 67 6) Oklahoma, 65½ 7) Colorado, 54 8) Kansas State, 46 9) Baylor, 38 10) Kansas, 37½ 11) Iowa State, 32 12) Oklahoma State, 22
SATURDAY'S FINALS Men's 60m Dash 1. Julius Walker, Texas Tech, 6.63
Men's 200m Dash 1. Trey Harts, Baylor, 20.90
Men's 400m Dash 1. LeJerald Betters, Baylor, 46.67
Men's 600yd Run 1. Tevan Everett, Texas, 1:09.64
Men's 800m Run 1. Jacob Hernandez, Texas, 1:48.96 8. Rick Scheff, Missouri, 1:55.60
Men's 1000m Run 1. Kyle Miller, Texas, 2:26.78 8. Brian Graybill, Missouri, 2:31.76
Men's Mile Run 1. Leonel Manzano, Texas, 4:01.39 7. Tim Cornell, Missouri, 4:10.05
Men's 3000m Run 1. Ryan Vail, Oklahoma State, 8:06.58 27. Garett Jeffries, Missouri, 8:32.74 28. Dan Hedgecock, Missouri, 8:32.84 43. Tim Cornell, Missouri, 8:46.67 44. Dan Quigley, Missouri, 8:47.04
Men's 60m Hurdles 1. Shawon Harris, Texas Tech, 7.77
Men's 4x400 Relay 1. Baylor (Harts, Boyd, Boyd, Betters), 3:06.96 6. Missouri (Forte, Davis, Adcock, Blackwell), 3:13.02
Men's High Jump 1. Scott Sellers, Kansas State, 7-6, 2.29m t5. Jason Miller, Missouri, 6-9¾, 2.08m
Men's Pole Vault 1. Jordan Scott, Kansas, 18-½ (5.50m) 4. Brian Hancock, Missouri, 17-¾ (5.20m)
Men's Triple Jump 1. Shardae Boutte, Oklahoma, 52-10, 16.10m 15. Jason Miller, Missouri, 47-¾, 14.34m 18. Chris Feitz, Missouri, 45-9¼, 13.95m
Men's Shot Put 1. Nate Englin, Missouri, 59-7, 18.16m 4. Chris Rohr, Missouri, 56-7½, 17.26m 5. Tyler Dailey, Missouri, 56-2½, 17.13m 9. Andy Oaker, Missouri, 53-2¼, 16.21m 13. Patrick Fitzgerald, Missouri, 45-11¾, 14.01m
Men's Heptathlon 1. Nick Adcock, Missouri, 5,795 (Missouri school record) [7.09, 6.85m, 13.78m, 2.12m, 8.12, 4.55m, 2:45.91] 9. Lars Rise, Missouri, 5,297 [7.33, 6.69m, 15.55m, 1.85m, 8.61, 4.15m, 2:49.55]
Women's 60m Dash 1. Nickesha Anderson, Kansas, 7.22
Women's 200m Dash 1. Porscha Lucas, Texas A&M, 22.86
Women's 400m Dash 1. Jessica Beard, Texas A&M, 52.61
Women's 600yd Run 1. Sheryl Morgan, Nebraska, 1:20.63 4. Layne Moore, Missouri, 1:22.73 8. Blossom Nwaneri, Missouri, 1:26.56
Women's 800m Run 1. Trisa Nickoley, Missouri, 2:08.60 (Three-time Champion)
Women's 1000m Run 1. Nichole Jones, Baylor, 2:46.57 4. Ellen Ries, Missouri, 2:49.55
Women's Mile Run 1. Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, 4:36.31 8. Emily Baker, Missouri, 4:54.82
Women's 3000m Run 1. Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech 9:17.01 23. Kinsey Farren, Missouri, 10:07.97 26. Kate Greer, Missouri, 10:09.31 --. Carolyn Rauen, Missouri, DNF-L --. Kasey Kimball, Missouri, DNF-L --. Emily Baker, Missouri, DNF-L
Women's 60m Hurdles 1. Latoya Greaves, Oklahoma, 8.21
Women's 4x400-meter Relay 1. Texas A&M (Wooten, Lucas, Williams, Beard), 3:36.45 9. Missouri (Nwaneri, Nickoley, Rorvig, Moore), 3:47.73
Women's High Jump 1. Epley Bullock, Nebraska, 6-½, 1.84m 9. Lauren Begany, Missouri, 5-6, 1.68m
Women's Triple Jump 1. Crystal Manning, Kansas, 13.35m, 43-9¾
Women's Shot Put 1. Patience Knight, Texas Tech, 56-4½, 17.18m 3. Krishna Lee, Missouri, 16.70m, 54-9½, 16.70m (Missouri school record) 6. Shernelle Nicholls, Missouri, 52-4¾, 15.97m 7. Elizabeth Robe, Missouri, 49-11¾, 15.23m