AUSTIN, Tx. - The No. 15 Tigers opened their 2015 outdoor season on Thursday (March 26) with competitors in both the Texas Relays and neighborhing Texas State's Bobcat Invitational. Included among the highlights from day one of three in Texas is the season's first record book performance, as freshman Ally Zerbe hit the seventh-best throw in school history for the javelin (43.46m // 142-7).
The women entered meet weekend at No. 15 in the preseason national rankings, the highest ever for the team since the weekly releases began in 2008. This continues the trend started during the indoor season, when they landed in the top 25 in seven of the eight releases before closing with the highest team finish at the NCAA Championships since 2001 at 15th overall.
BOBCAT INVITATIONAL
Results
The competitionin San Marcos, Tx., opened up Thursday's events with the men's and women's discus, featuring seniors Kearsten Peoples and Jill Rushin and sophomore Tanner Buschmann. Peoples and Rushin were up first in their first competition since the NCAA Indoor Championships two weeks ago. The pair closed their final indoor season in the black and gold with an NCAA title for Peoples in the weight throw, and an All-American honor for Rushin in the shot put after she placed fifth in the field.
Rushin led the way for the two women on Thursday, placing third overall in the discus field with a top throw of 51.97m (170-6), followed by Peoples in sixth overall. Peoples will return to competition on Friday in the women's hammer, joined by fellow-senior Camille Hackamack.
The men's hammer field will also boast a couple Tigers on Friday, as sophomore Ahren Bohanan and senior Brian Duncan, who will double-back after a competition at the Texas Relays on Thursday, will take the ring.
TIGERS' RESULTS - THURSDAY
Discus, Women - 3. Jill Rushin, 51.97m (170-6) // 6. Kearsten Peoples, 49.23m (161-6)
Discus, Men - 18. Tanner Buschmann, 47.21m (154-10.50)
TIGERS' LINE-UP: FRIDAY
1:00 p.m. - Hammer, Women (Camille Hackamack//Kearsten Peoples)
Following Women's Hammer - Hammer, Men (Ahren Bohanan//Brian Duncan)
TIGERS' LINE-UP: SATURDAY
11:00 a.m. - Pole Vault, Women (Maggie Givens)
2:30 p.m. - Triple Jump, Women (Shammai Ilis//Danielle Williams)
TEXAS RELAYS
Results
Highlighting day one for the Tigers at the Texas Relays was freshman Ally Zerbe, who opened up her career in the black and gold with a quick climb into the javelin record books. The young Tiger placed seventh in the competition with a top throw of 43.46m (142-7), good for the No. 7 spot in Mizzou history for the event.
Also taking to the field on day one was senior Brian Duncan, who made his final outdoor debut with a 13th-place finish in the men's weight throw (57.69m // 189-3). Duncan, who landed in the No. 6 spot on the All-Time Top Ten for the weight throw this past indoor season, is the No. 9 hammer thrower in school history with his PR from 2013 (62.55m // 205-2).
On the track, a trio of 400m hurdle specialists opened up their outdoor seasons with sophomores Valerie Thames and Jerrad Mason, and senior Andy Schuckenbrock taking to the blocks in the preliminary heats. Thames, who will return for Friday's 100m hurdles preliminaries, placed eighth in her heat, while Schuckenbrock and Mason placed fourth and sixth, respectively.
TIGERS' RESULTS - THURSDAY
Hammer Throw, Men - 13. Brian Duncan, 57.69m (189-3)
Javelin, Women - 7. Ally Zerbe, 43.46m (142-7) #7
400m Hurdles, Women - 74. Valerie Thames, 1:07.73
400m Hurdles, Men - 64. Andy Schuckenbrock, 55.72 // 67. Jerrad Mason, 56.10
TIGERS' LINE-UP: FRIDAY
4x100m Relay, Men
100m Hurdles, Women (Alyssa Felton// Valerie Thames)
100m Dash, Women (Alyssa Felton//LaQuisha Jackson)
100m Dash, Men (Jonathan Holder//Kwadarrius Smith//Markesh Woodson)
4x400m Relay, Women
High Jump, Women (Camille Hayes//Morgan Whitson)
Pole Vault, Women (Alyssa Applebee//Katrine Haarklau)
11:30 a.m. - Javelin, Men (Macauley Garton//Alex Pascal)
12:30 p.m. - Triple Jump, Men (Jonathan Ilori//John Warren)
High Jump, Men (Mitch Hatten)
TIGERS' LINE-UP: SATURDAY
4x200m Relay, Men
3:55 p.m. - 200m Dash, Women (LaQuisha Jackson)
4:00 p.m. - Shot Put, Women (Kearsten Peoples//Jill Rushin)
Events will continue tomorrow in Texas with the Tigers once again dividing their time between the Texas Relays and the Bobcat Invitational. A squad will also be donning the black and gold in Nashville, Tenn., opening up their season at Vanderbilt's Black and Gold Invitational. For the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
BLACK andGOLD INVITATIONAL
Meet Schedule//Live Results
TIGERS' LINE-UP: FRIDAY
4:00 p.m. - Shot Put, Men (Nick Sublett)
4:00 p.m. - Pole Vault, Men (Parker Brush//Luke Darrough)
Following Women's Hammer - Hammer, Men (Sean Harrell//Nick Sublett)
Following Women's Triple Jump - Triple Jump, Men (Thomas Taylor)
5:00 p.m. - 200m Dash, Women (Chelsie Stevens)
6:00 p.m. - 1500m Run, Women (Bailey Hession//Libby Luciani)
6:30 p.m. - 1500m Run, Men (Sam Dickerson//Chandler Dye)
7:00 p.m. - 5000m Run, Women (Sam Garrett)
TIGERS' LINE-UP: SATURDAY
TBA - Javelin, Women (Jennifer Berilla)
11:00 a.m. - Long Jump, Women (Keyoni Mbroh)
12:30 p.m. - 2000m Steeplechase, Women (Madison Waymire)
12:40 p.m. - 2000m Steeplechase, Men (Tim Johnson)
1:30 p.m. - 400m Dash, Women (Erika Lark//Emma Vickers//Sydney Wells)
2:00 p.m. - 100m Dash, Women (Chelsie Stevens)
2:30 p.m. - 800m Run, Women (Valeska Halamicek//Liz Reida)
2:45 p.m. - 800m Run, Men (Will Crocker//Chandler Dye//Ben Goodman//Mark Sheridan//Cain Winebrenner)
3:15 p.m. - 400m Hurdles, Men (Drake Stuedemann)
3:30 p.m. - 3000m Run, Women (Teylar Adelsberger//Becca Batliner//Courtney Brown//Megan Cunningham//Kaitlyn Fischer//Karissa Schweizer//Courtney Wood)
3:45 p.m. - 3000m Run, Men (Jordan Cook//Marc Dubrick//Sheldon Keence//Chris Mooneyham//Tyler Schneider//Drew White)
4:00 p.m. - 4x400m Relay, Women
4:15 p.m. - 4x400m Relay, Men