March 8, 2011

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou track and field program saw two of its student-athletes earn a spot at the NCAA Championships as the fields were announced by the NCAA last night (March 7). Seniors Lars Rise (Trondheim, Norway) and Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) will both represent the Tigers at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held in College Station, Texas, on March 11-12. Rise is the fifth overall seed in the men's heptathlon while Hancock is seeded 10th in the pole vault.

Both Rise and Hancock are already three-time All-Americans and will look for a fourth such honor this weekend. Rise posted a career-best point total of 5,756 points in the heptathlon at the 2011 Big 12 Indoor Championships last month, earning him the No. 5 overall seed at the Championships. Clemson's Miller Moss is the top overall seed with a season-best mark of 5,903, which is just 147 better than Rise. The competitors ranked second through fourth all have the same season-best mark of 5,816, making this weekend's heptathlon competition one of the most competitive in recent memory as there is no clear-cut favorite.

Hancock owns the nation's 10th-best mark in the pole vault this season with his school-record clearance of 5.38m (17-7 ¾) which was set at the Mizzou Collegiate Challenge. Similar to the heptathlon, the pole vault also appears to be a very wide open competition as nearly all 16 competitors are ranked within one progression of each other. Washington's Scott Roth is the top seed heading into the event with a season-best mark of 5.51m (18-1).

For a complete preview and as well as a recap of this weekend's action, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and be sure to follow the team on twitter @MIZ_TrackField.