Jan. 24, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou track and field program had another great team meet at the Adidas Classic over the weekend as three Tigers claimed event titles at the meet. As the season continues, several Tigers have continued to impress as a pair of athletes remain ranked among the national elite in the top 25 in their respective events.
Highlighting the Tigers who are ranked in the national top 25 is senior pole vaulter Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.), who owns the nation's No. 8 pole vault mark this season after clearing 5.25m (17-2 ¾), winning the event title at last weekend's Adidas Classic. Hancock, who owns the Mizzou indoor pole vault record at 5.37m (17-7 ¼), is already a two-time All-American and is the highest-ranked Big 12 athlete in the pole vault and sits just a quarter inch back of sixth nationally
Sophomore shot putter Corey Jones (Boonville, Mo.) is also ranked in the top 25 on the national descending order list as he ranks 23rd with a throw of 17.66m (57-11 ¼). That mark is his personal-best in the event and has him ranked fifth in the Big 12.
Jones and Hancock are not the only Tigers to boast top five league rankings in their respective events this season; in fact, three Tigers rank second in their events. Sophomore Laura Roxberg (Overland Park, Kan.) owns the Big 12's second-best time in the 1,000m run at 2:52.35, which was clocked in her event-winning run at the MU-KU Border Dual. Roxberg, who is already an All-Big 12 honoree in the event, sits less than two seconds back of Nebraska's Ashley Miller for the top spot in the event.
Senior high jumper Stacy Swineburg (Camdenton, Mo.) checks in as the league's No. 2 jumper at this point of the season with her season-opening clearance of 1.75m (5-8 ¾). She is just a centimeter back of Texas' Victoria Lucas, who occupies the top spot after clearing 1.76m (5-9 ¼) at the Houston Leonard Invitational in the second weekend of the season.
Senior Chris Holly (Topeka, Kan.) put himself among the league's best as well last weekend after tossing an event-winning 18.69m (61-4) in the weight throw, a personal-best mark. He is now ranked second in the Big 12 behind only Oklahoma's KP Singh. Holly is already an All-Big 12 performer in the event and looks poised to make another run this season.
The women also have a big-time thrower ranked No. 4 in the Big 12 as freshman Kearsten Peoples (Ottawa, Kan.) finds herself among the league's best in the weight throw. She tossed a personal-best 18.49m (60-8) at the MU-KU Border Dual and is one of only two freshman in the conference to rank in the top 20 in the event. In fact, she is the fourth ranked true freshman on the national descending order list and is the top freshman in the conference.
Senior middle distance runner and defending Big 12 1,000m Champion Layne Moore (Emporia, Kan.) also ranks fifth in the league in the 800m run at 2:12.64, a time that was clocked at the Adidas Classic last weekend.
Mizzou will be back in action at the Bill Bergan Invitational this weekend in Ames, Iowa. The meet will begin on Saturday (Jan. 29) at 10:30 a.m. while the Bill Bergan Combined Events Challenge will be contested on Friday and Saturday (Jan. 27-28), beginning at 1 p.m. both days. For all the latest on Mizzou track and field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.
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