Feb. 21, 2013
Columbia, Mo. – The history-making season continues this weekend as the Mizzou Track & Field squads prepare for their first Indoor SEC Championship in Fayetteville, AR. The Tigers are entering the nation's most competitive track & field conference with an already-successful season, and will hope to continue the trend against some of the best in Arkansas.
“[The SEC] is a super-conference, but we've known that since day one and that's what we're excited about. This is a different beast and we're really excited to climb this mountain,” said third year Head Coach Brett Halter. “Our expectations are always to go in and do our very best, and have everybody walk away knowing that they gave it their all. The only things we can control are our emotions and our efforts, and that's our intention.”
The Missouri men will face off against five of the top 25 programs in the nation at the Championships this weekend, including No. 1 Arkansas, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 16 LSU, and No. 19 Ole Miss. The Tigers are bringing their own firepower to the conference as well, as they enter with six top-ten ranked athletes in the SEC, and six currently breaking into the national rankings, as released by the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS).
The Lady Tigers will also face some steep competition, with the SEC boasting six of the top 25 programs in No. 1 LSU, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 6 Florida, No. 7 Georgia, No. 9 Texas A&M, and No. 14 South Carolina. But, like the men, the Mizzou women are bringing in some ammunition of their own with eight top-ten ranked in the SEC and four taking up spots in the national rankings.
“It's a team effort. Everyone has to go in there and do their part,” said Halter. “We're going to go down there and we're going to fight hard, and when the dust settles we are where we are and we'll continue to get better.”
Events kick off Friday with sophomore Tim Gilman first up with the heptathlon and freshman Katrine Haarklau and sophomore Morgan Whitson following in the pentathlon. For the latest updates on your Tigers, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
SEC Top Ten Ranked
60m Dash Markesh Woodson, FR 6.63
Mile Laura Roxberg, SR 4:34.59
Pole Vault Heather Green, SR 3.87m (12-8.25)
Long Jump Malcolm Pennix, SR 7.78m (25-6.25)
Triple Jump Jonathan Ilori, FR 15.53m (50-11.5)
Shot Put Brooks Mosier, SR 18.30m (60-0.5)
Kearsten Peoples, SO 16.87m (55-4.25)
Jill Rushin, SO 16.23m (53-3)
Weight Throw Jacob Bullinger, SR 19.89m (65-3.25)
Brian Duncan, JR 19.01m (62-4.5)
Kearsten Peoples, SO 19.57m (64-2.5)
Cortni Ervin, SR 18.55m (60-10
Bethany Pfeiffer, JR 18.43m (60-5.75)
Pentathlon Katrine Haarklau, SO 3,699
Morgan Whitson, SO 3,563
Nationally Ranked
60m Dash Markesh Woodson, FR 6.63
Mile Laura Roxberg, SR 4:34.59
Long Jump Malcolm Pennix, SR 7.78m (25-6.25)
Triple Jump Jonathan Ilori, FR 15.53m (50-11.5)
Tony Carodine, FR 15.32m (50-3.25)
Shot Put Brooks Mosier, SR 18.30m (60-0.5)
Kearsten Peoples, SO 16.87m (55-4.25)
Jill Rushin, SO 16.23m (53-3)
Weight Throw Jacob Bullinger, SR 19.89m (65-3.25)
Kearsten Peoples, SO 19.57m (64-2.5)
Pentathlon Katrine Haarklau, SO 3,699
Senior Laura Roxberg talks new Mile record, upcoming SEC Championships
Freshman Tony Carodine on the upcoming SEC Championships