FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The No. 17-ranked Mizzou Tigers crossed into the second half of the regular season on Saturday (April 11), closing the two-day John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., with five All-Time Top Ten performances and 15 personal records.
"It was a great weekend, we were blessed with good weather. It was a nice opportunity to have the whole team together and travel as a full squad," Head Coach Brett Halter said. "Some of our athletes are still making that transition from indoor to outdoor, but they look strong. We saw some great performances across the board, and had some newcomers really step up."
The day started with a pair of wins out of the hammer throw competition, as seniors Brian Duncan and Kearsten Peoples set the tempo for what would be an exciting day in the field events for the Tigers. Duncan wasted no time, taking the lead in his first attempt and holding it with a top mark of 60.13m (197-3) from his third attempt. Joining him in the field was junior Nick Sublett, whose personal record (PR) earned him a fourth-place finish (54.12m / 177-7), sophomore Ahren Bohanan in fifth, and freshman Sean Harrell in seventh.
On the women's side, Peoples also took an immediate lead, landing at 60.38m (198-1) in her first attempt. That mark would hold her lead throughout the rest of the competition while fellow-senior Camille Hackamack saw her top throw in the sixth and final attempt, measuring in at 50.51m (165-8) for sixth overall.
Three more Tigers would see event wins out of the field events, including Tony Carodine who opened his outdoor season with a first-place finish in the triple jump (wind-aided 15.61m / 51-2.75). Just behind him in second-place was freshman John Warren, who leapt to a top mark of 15.41m (50-6.75).
Back in the throws ring, senior Jill Rushin doubled-back after a third-place finish in Friday's discus competition, earning her second consecutive first-place finish in the shot put. Rushin started her season at the Texas Relays two weeks ago where she repeated her title-winning performance from 2014 with a top throw of 17.04m (55-11). She bested that mark on Saturday, measuring in at 17.62m (57-9.75), tying her PR from last year. Peoples joined her in the shot put ring, placing second overall with a season's best toss of 17.10m (56-1.25).
A pair of Mizzou men also saw PR's on the javelin runway, starting with senior Macauley Garton who improved his No. 3 All-Time mark in the Mizzou record books to 71.15m (233-5) to win the competition. Behind him in fifth-place was freshman Alex Pascal, who threw a PR mark of 63.35m (207-10) to land at No. 7 in the Mizzou record books.
The women's pole vault closed out Saturday evening's field events, with senior Katrine Haarklau leading the way with her seventh-place finish and a season's best mark of 4.05m (13-3.50). Just behind her in 13th was sophomore Alyssa Applebee, who jumped to a new PR in the event with her top bar of 4.05m (13-3.50). This is just off from her lifetime best mark of 4.06m (13-3.75) from the indoor season, which put her at No. 2 in the Mizzou history books. She now moves up into the No. 3 position in the outdoor pole vault All-Time Top Ten list.
On the track, sophomore LaQuisha Jackson added her name to the 200m dash record book, timing through with the second-fastest performance in school history to place fourth overall (23.74).
Also hitting a new PR and All-Time Top Ten mark, was junior Ayo Adewole, who placed seventh overall in the 400m dash with a new best time of 54.99. This adds to Adewole's already-exciting year, which started with an All-Time Top Ten performance in the 400m dash during the indoor season (No. 10 - 56.17). She lowered that time on Saturday, crossing in 54.99 to land at No. 5 on the outdoor list.
Junior Alyssa Felton adds the 100m hurdles All-Time Top Ten list to her resume, racing to a 14.14 finish to take over the No. 9 position in the Mizzou history books.
Moving up into the mid-distance events, junior Will Crocker continued his streak of PR performances, clocking through in 1:48.99 in the 800m run to place third overall. Crocker added his name to the 1500m run All-Time Top Ten list last weekend with his 3:43.66 PR at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. He is now within a second away from adding the 800m run record book to his resume.
Joining Crocker in the men's 800m run were sophomores Cain Winebrenner and Ben Goodman, who came through with a pair of exciting finishes to take first and second in the second section of the race, sixth and seventh overall.
In the women's 800m run, junior Liz Reida just missed on a new PR with her 2:10.82 finish to place eighth overall. Crossing in 11th was freshman Valeska Halamicek, who cruised to yet another PR in the event with a 2:13.30 finish.
The last event win of the day came out of the 400m hurdles, with senior Drake Stuedemann clinching his second consecutive first-place finish in the event in 52.84. Just behind him in second was sophomore Jerrad Mason, who earned a season best finish of 52.89.
Closing the individual events for the weekend was freshman Marc Dubrick, who placed third in his first 3000m steeplechase in the black and gold, crossing with a final time of 9:28.94.
"We got a lot of good stuff done this weekend. It's still early in the season, so we're pleased with where we are at right now," Halter said. "We're just going to keep working hard and keep our sights on the prize. What really matters is the post-season, and we're setting up to do some really big things when we get there."
The Tigers will be staying close to home next weekend, traveling to Edwardsville, Ill., for the April 18th SIUE Gateway Invitational. For the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
SATURDAY RESULTS
Triple Jump, Men - 1. Tony Carodine, 15.61m (51-2.75)w // 2. John Warren, 15.41m (50-6.75)
Triple Jump, Women - 4. Shammai Ilis, 12.01m (39-5)
Pole Vault, Men - 10. Luke Darrough, 4.65m (15-3) // 12. Parker Brush, 4.65m (15-3) SB
Pole Vault, Women - 7. Katrine Haarklau, 4.05m (13-3.50) // 13. Alyssa Applebee, 4.05m (13-3.50) #3 // 15. Maggie Givens, 3.70m (12-1.50)
Shot Put, Men - 11. Nick Sublett, 13.98m (45-10.50)
Shot Put, Women - 1. Jill Rushin, 17.62m (57-9.75) SB // 2. Kearsten Peoples, 17.10m (56-1.25) SB
Hammer Throw, Men - 1. Brian Duncan, 60.13m (197-3) SB // 4. Nick Sublett, 54.12m (177-7) // 5. Ahren Bohanan, 52.88m (173-6) // 7. Sean Harrell, 48.23m (158-3)
Hammer Throw, Women - 1. Kearsten Peoples, 60.38m (198-1) SB // 6. Camille Hackamack, 50.51m (165-8) SB
Javelin, Men - 1. Macauley Garton, 71.15m (233-5) #3 // 5. Alex Pascal, 63.35m (207-10) #7
Javelin, Women - 5. Ally Zerbe, 38.87m (127-6) // 6. Jennifer Berilla, 38.12m (125-1)
100m Dash, Women - 3. LaQuisha Jackson, 11.59w
100m Dash, Men - 8. Jonathan Holder, 10.86
200m Dash, Women - 4. LaQuisha Jackson, 23.74 #2
200m Dash, Men - 7. Kwadarrius Smith, 21.37w // 14. Jonathan Holder, 22.36w
400m Dash, Women - 7. Ayo Adewole, 54.99 #5 // 17. Sydney Wells, 58.05 SB // 19. Erika Lark, 58.65 // 21. Emma Vickers, 59.69
800m Run, Women - 8. Liz Reida, 2:10.82 // 11. Valeska Halamicek, 2:13.30
800m Run, Men - 3. Will Crocker, 1:48.99 // 6. Cain Winebrenner, 1:51.73 // 7. Ben Goodman, 1:53.02 // 20. Mark Sheridan, 1:55.56
1500m Run, Women - 5. Karissa Schweizer, 4:28.16 // 24. Bailey Hession, 4:45.66 // 25. Libby Luciani, 4:46.80 // 28. Sam Garrett, 4:53.27 // 29. Nicole Mello, 4:58.03 // 30. Becca Batliner, 4:58.80
1500m Run, Men - 14. Chandler Dye, 3:58.41 // 15. Dan Roe, 3:59.02 // 19. Jordan Cook, 4:00.16 // 22. Sam Dickerson, 4:02.82 // 23. Sheldon Keence, 4:04.50
100m Hurdles, Women - 8. Alyssa Felton, 14.14 #9 // 9. Valerie Thames, 14.36
110m Hurdles, Men - 5. Andy Schuckenbrock, 14.81w
400m Hurdles, Women - 11. Valerie Thames, 1:07.74
400m Hurdles, Men - 1. Drake Stuedemann, 52.84 // 2. Jerrad Mason, 52.89 SB // 7. Andy Schuckenbrock, 55.60 SB
3000m Steeplechase, Women - 2. Courtney Wood, 10:46.05 SB // 6. Madison Waymire, 11:17.41
3000m Steeplechase, Men - 3. Marc Dubrick, 9:28.94
4x400m Relay, Women - 6. Mizzou "A", 3:48.06 // 10. Mizzou "B", 4:00.04 // 12. Mizzou "C", 4:05.11
4x400m Relay, Men - 3. Mizzou "A", 3:14.24
FRIDAY RESULTS
High Jump, Men - 4. Mitch Hatten, 2.05m (6-8.75)
High Jump, Women - 4. Morgan Whitson, 1.75m (5-8.75) // 5. Camille Hayes, 1.70m (5-7)
Discus, Men - 5. Tanner Buschmann, 46.49m (152-6)
Discus, Women - 2. Kearsten Peoples, 53.07m (174-1) // 3. Jill Rushin, 49.94m (163-10)