April 25, 2008

DES MOINES, iowa - In what has seemed to be an uncanny spring, another day of cold, high winds, and clouds followed the Missouri track & field squads to the third day of the 99th Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. After a high temperature in the 60s at 8 a.m., conditions worsened to the 40-degree range with 30 mile-per-hour gusts for the late morning and afternoon.

Sophomore Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) may have been the Tiger that had to deal with the conditions the most in the men's pole vault. With stiff cross winds and on the open-end of the stadium, Hancock managed a clearance of 16 feet, ¾ inch (4.90m) to place fourth overall. Tennessee frosh Joe Berry was the winner after clearing the next height at 16-6¾ (5.05m).

The men's 4x1600-meter relay team of Garett Jeffries, Dan Hedgecock, Kyle Rood, and Tipper O'Brien placed eighth in their race with a 17:04.72 clocking. The Tigers challenged Notre Dame, who won their third-straight title in the event, during the second leg when Hedgecock went side-by-side with the Irish's Dan Clark.

In the women's discus, senior Shernelle Nicholls placed sixth with a toss of 158-1 (48.18m).

Senior Trisa Nickoley placed 10th in the college race of the women's 800-meter with a 2:11.62 time.

Saturday's action for the Tigers will include both men's and women's squads in the sprint medley relays, the men's team in the distance medley relay, and a host of field events including post-collegian Christian Cantwell's attempt at record-breaking sixth Drake Relays title in the invitational men's shot put.

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