Tiger Women Win Bill Bergan Invite
1/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Jan. 29, 2011
AMES, Iowa - The Mizzou track and field team saw its women's team claim the Bill Bergan Invitational team title after finishing the event with 125.5 total points on Saturday (Jan. 29) at Iowa State's Leid Recreation Center. In all, Mizzou claimed five event titles on the day and dominated the women's team competition. The Tiger men also had a fine meet, placing third overall against some very good competition with 54 total points.
"The effort today was sensational," head coach Brett Halter said. "The task is to get to February, which is the championship season, and we really ended January by announcing that we are ready for February. I was very pleased today - we have a lot of work ahead of us but the kids are really focused and continue to show great effort."
Chris Holly (Topeka, Kan.) got things started for the Tigers in the men's weight throw as he threw another massive personal-best of 18.87m (61-11) while placing third in the event. It is the fourth straight week that Holly has reset his personal-best mark as he has improved his PR from 18.11m (59-5) to 18.87m (61-11) so far this season. Tim Opfer (Higginsville, Mo.) was eighth overall at 17.26m (56-7 ½) as they combined for seven points in the overall team competition.
The Tiger women were also impressive in the weight throw as freshman Kearsten Peoples (Ottawa, Kan.) placed second overall at 18.07m (59-3 ½). In fact, Mizzou placed five throwers in the top eight places as Megan Collins (Lee's Summit, Mo.) placed fourth with a personal-best throw of 17.31m (56-9 ½), despite throwing on a rolled ankle. Melissa Coil (Clark, Mo.) placed fifth at 17.16m (56-3 ¾) while Cortni Ervin (Marshall, Mo.) and Katie Evans (Powersville Mo.) finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Moving to the shot put, the Tiger men saw three throwers place in the top six as sophomore Brooks Mosier (Lee's Summit, Mo.) won the event with a toss of 17.15m (56-3 ¼). Classmate Corey Jones (Boonville, Mo.) was third at 16.78m (55-0 ¾) while Pat Fitzgerald (Eagleville, Mo.) was sixth at 15.33m (50-3 ½).
The women saw five throwers advance to the finals in the shot put and four placed in the top five and the Tigers claimed the top three spots in the event. Peoples won the event with a throw of 15.07m (49-5 ½) while Jill Rushin (Jackson, Mo.) placed second at 14.97m (49-1 ½), giving Mizzou a pair of freshman on top of the leaderboard. Evans was third at 14.40m (47-3) while Ervin was fifth at 14.05m (46-1 ¼).
The women also had a great performance in the high jump, highlighted by freshman Camille Hayes (Indianapolis, Ind.), who took first overall for her first collegiate event title. She cleared 1.70m (5-7) to earn 10 points in the women's team competition while senior Stacy Swineburg (Camdenton, Mo.) took fourth after clearing 1.65m (5-5). The two combined to score 15 points in the team competition. The men also had a fine day in the high jump as freshman Tim Williams (Waynesville, Mo.) placed second overall with a top clearance of 2.00m (6-6 ¾), good for his second-best mark of the season.
Staying in the jump events, Tiger freshman Erika Miller (Mexico, Mo.) took third in the women's long jump at 5.56m (18-3). Sophomore Tucker Bounds (Columbia, Mo.) led the Tiger men in the long jump as he turned in a top leap of 6.65m (21-10), earning sixth overall. In the triple jump, freshman Jeremy Lampley (Ballwin, Mo.) placed third at 13.63m (44-8 ¾).
Laura Roxberg (Overland Park, Kan.) was another event winner on the day for the Tigers as she set a personal-best time of 4:48.70 en-route to the event win. That time is just seven seconds off of the school record pace and shaves three seconds off of her previous personal-best in the event. Teammate Megan Kowalik (Florissant, Mo.) finished third in the event at 5:04.11, a personal-best by nearly 10 seconds. The two combined for 16 points overall in the team scoring.
Senior Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) placed second in the men's pole vault as well after clearing 5.20m (17-0 ¾), matching his second-best mark of the season. Teammates Kyle Wessel (Hannibal, Mo.) and Matt Krogman (Brookfield, Wis.) finished seventh and eighth, respectively, after clearing 4.60m (15-1). Matt Codling (Nixa, Mo.) placed ninth at 4.45m (14-7 ¼).
On the short track, the Tigers' Leslie Farmer (Jefferson City, Mo.) placed second in the women's 400m dash with a time of 56.62. Senior Lana Mims (Tulsa, Okla.) also finished fourth in the event after clocking in at 57.29. Chris Davis (Riverdale, Ga.) was the Tigers' top finisher in the 400m dash for the men as he placed fifth at 48.61.
The Tiger women also had a good day in the 800m run as three runners placed in the top six, highlighted by Layne Moore (Emporia, Kan.), who took fourth at 2:11.56. Landon Wachter (Jackson, Mo.) placed fifth at a personal-best time of 2:13.94 and Roxberg, who won the mile earlier in the day, placed sixth at 2:14.59. That trio scored seven points for the Tigers in the team competition.
Sophomore Bailey Belvis (Prosper, Texas) kept things going for the Tiger women as she placed third in the 3,000m run at 9:39.55, scoring big team points for the Tiger women. Her third-place finish kept the Tigers in first heading into the 4x400m relay. The 4x400m relay - comprised of Farmer, Moore, Mims and Wachter - put together a spirited run and claimed the event title with 3:47.84. That sealed the deal for the Tiger women in the team competition and was the second straight 4x400m relay title for the Tigers at the Bill Bergan Invitational.
Mizzou will be back in action at the Husker Invitational next weekend. For all the latest on Mizzou track and field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.
