March 12, 2009
Columbia, Mo -
College Station will be the hub for this year's NCAA Indoor National Championships, and six Missouri Tigers will hope to return to Columbia a national champion in seven different events. A catapult to the beginning of the outdoor season in two weeks, this will be the third time Missouri has participated in a major event at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium, with the other events being the Big 12-SEC Challenge and Big 12 Indoor Championships. Here's a look at how Mizzou stacks up against the country's best this weekend.
Chris Rohr, Sr. Weight Throw
Rohr is the top seed in the men's weight throw, and has been the number one competitor in the event since his monstrous throw of 22.71 meters at the ISU Classic in early February. On his heels will be a sophomore out of LSU, Walter Henning. Henning was also at the Big 12-SEC challenge and got the best of Rohr that day, but with a couple of weeks to hone their skills, this could be one of the better matchups to watch.
Nick Adcock, Jr. Combined Events
Last year's Big 12 Champion in the heptathlon, Adcock is the fourth best in the country after automatically qualifying for the event at the conference championships. Finishing second with a score of 5747 at Texas A&M, Adcock finished fourth last year at nationals and was named an all-American.
Lars Rise, So. Combined Events
The sophomore made a huge splash at the Big 12 Indoor Championships finishing fourth overall in the Heptathlon. His score of 5639 was good enough for fourth then and puts him ninth nationally going into this weekend's events. If he has the same success he had two weeks ago, the all-American in the Decathlon might add the same honor in the Heptathlon to his resume.
Krishna Lee, Sr. Weight Throw, Shot Put
Lee is the only Tiger to be in two events this year, and will have her work cut out for her in both events. In the shot put, Lee ranks 13 among other throwers with a best toss of 16.09 meters, a mark she got last weekend at the Cyclone National Qualifier at Iowa State. In the weight throw, Lee comes in at the 15th best in the country at a mark of 19.69 meters. Lee has had a provisional throw in almost every event this year in both specialties and if she has another productive weekend, could be an all-American in both.
Brian Hancock, Jr. Pole Vault
Needing to put everything into one last competition, Hancock was on the outside looking in going into the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier. Although his best jump of the year was a school record 5.22 meters, he would need to clear at least 5.30 meters to get into the championships. Not only would he do that, but break his own record twice, clearing 5.37 meters and is 11th nationally.
Shannon Leinert, Jr. Mid-Distance
Leinert had one of the more thrilling race comebacks at the conference championships, where after leading half of the race, fell behind and needed to make up ground. Going into the final lap, Leinert turned on the burners and caught Gladys Kipsang after the final turn and won the women's 800-meter run. It was the third year in a row that a Tiger female runner won the event. But the time that qualified her for the event would come in the ISU Classic in Ames, Iowa where she finished the race with a time of 2:05.99 making her the 15th fastest in the country. If Leinert can rise to the occasion on the same track where she won the conference title, she might make it two-for-two in College Station.