May 21, 2010
Declared Male Athletes | Declared Female Athletes
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The NCAA announced the field for the first round of the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday (May 21). In all, 19 Tigers earned a spot at the first round Championships which will be held in Austin, Texas, next weekend. The first round of the Championships will be held at two different sites as the other first round site is in Greensboro, N.C. Sophomore Blake Irwin (Bettendorf, Iowa) boasted the Tigers' top seed at the first round of the championships as he is seeded ninth in the 800m run with his time of 1:48.40, which he set while winning the Big 12 title last weekend.
Also advancing in the men's 800m run are Aaron Dixon (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and Ricky West (Scarborough, Ontario) as they have posted season-best times of 1:50.11 and 1:50.18, respectively, this season.
Aside from Irwin and the other 800m runners, the Tiger men qualified seven additional student athletes for the first round of the Championships. Andy Oaker (Steelville, Mo.) will compete in the shot put as the No. 21 seed in the event. Also advancing to the Championships in the throws events are Chris Holly (Topeka, Kan.) and Asa Wyatt (Poplar Bluff, Mo.). Holly will compete in the hammer throw after he tossed a season-best mark of 61.42m (201-6) while Wyatt will compete in the javelin after throwing 61.72m (202-6) this season.
Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.) highlights the rest of the qualifiers on the track and he will compete in the 400m hurdles as he posted a top time of 51.96 this season. Also qualifying in the track events are Phillip King (Columbia, Mo.) and Tim Cornell (Columbia, Mo.), who will compete in the 10,000m and 1,500m runs, respectively. Also, senior combined event specialist Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.) earned a spot at the first round of the championships, doing so in the 110m hurdles as he owns a season-best time of 14.07 in the event. In addition to his berth at the first round, Adcock has also punched his ticket to the final round of the NCAA Championships as he is currently the nation's second-ranked decathlete after claiming the Big 12 title last weekend. Teammate Lars Rise has also qualified for the final round of the NCAA Championships as he ranks third in the nation in the decathlon, just behind Adcock.
On the women's side, sophomore Leslie Farmer (Jefferson City, Mo.) highlights the qualifiers as she is seeded 15th with her school-record time of 59.30 in the 400m hurdles. Also on the women's side, a slew of middle-distance and distance runners will be making the trip to Austin. Layne Moore (Emporia, Kan.) will compete in the 800m run as she posted a season-best time of 2:08.22. Also in the middle-distance events will be senior Ellen Ries (Ryan, Iowa) as she will compete in the 1,500m run. Also, freshman Kaitie Vanatta (Littleton, Colo.) and senior Angela Potrykus (Evergreen, Colo.) will run in the 5,000m run and 3,00m steeplechase, respectively.
Sprinter Lana Mims (Tulsa, Okla.) has qualified for the first round of the championships in both the 200m run and the long jump. Her top mark of 6.27m (20-7) earns her the No. 21 seed heading into the preliminary rounds. Staying in the field events, freshman Katie Evans (Powersville, Mo.) highlights the rest of the group as she qualified in both the shot put and the discus, joining Mims as the only Tiger athletes to qualify in two events. Also in the throws events, Laura Greenfield (Liberty, Mo.) and Megan Collins (Lee's Summit, Mo.) qualified in the shot put and discus, respectively.
2010 marks the first year that the NCAA Championships field has been selected in this format. It replaces the old regional qualifying system and the two sites will now be referred to as the first round of the NCAA Championships. That means each of the 19 athletes that will participate in Austin - along with Adcock and Rise - are all NCAA Championship qualifiers.
For a complete preview of the Preliminary Rounds of the NCAA Championships, please stay tuned to MUTigers.com.
NCAA First Round Qualifiers - Women
Lana Mims - 200m Dash - 24.09
Layne Moore - 800m Run - 2:08.22
Ellen Ries - 1,500m Run - 4:26.38
Kaitie Vanatta - 5,00m Run - 16:41.72
Leslie Farmer - 400m Hurdles - 59.30
Angela Potrykus - 3,000m Steeplechase - 10:42.11
Lana Mims - Long Jump - 6.27m (20-7)
Katie Evans - Shot Put - 14.83m (48-8)
Laura Greenfield - Shot Put - 14.50m (47-7)
Katie Evans - Discus - 49.33m (161-10)
Megan Collins - Discus - 49.44m (162-2)
NCAA First Round Qualifiers - Men
Blake Irwin - 800m Run - 1:48.40
Aaron Dixon - 800m Run - 1:50.11
Ricky West - 800m Run - 1:50.18
Tim Cornell - 1,500m Run - 3:45.56
Phillip King - 10,000m Run - 29:42.39
Nick Adcock -11m Hurdles - 14.07
Chris Davis - 400m Hurdles - 51.96
Andy Oaker - Shot Put - 17.54m (57-6 ½)
Chris Holly - Hammer Throw - 61.42m (201-6)
Asa Wyatt - Javelin - 61.72m (202-6)