COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Tigers are staying close to home this weekend, traveling to Edwardsville, Ill., for SIUE's Gateway Invitational on Saturday, April 18. Thirty-four Tigers will make the short trip across the border for the afternoon's events, including nine seniors who have already seen qualification marks into the NCAA West Preliminary Round and will look to add a few more after the conclusion of the meet.
The women enter the weekend at No. 17 in the national team rankings, as released by USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) on Monday. This is the second consecutive week that the Tigers have held that position in the release after they entered the season at No. 15, the highest pre-season ranking in team history.
Topping the list of qualifiers for the first round of the NCAA Championships, earned by a top-48 ranking in each event for the region, is senior Jill Rushin, who enters the weekend in the midst of a winning streak in the women's shot put. Rushin returned to the ring after an All-American placing during the NCAA Indoor Championships (sixth), marking in for back-to-back wins at the Texas Relays and John McDonnell Invitational. The most recent of these, the John McDonnell Invite, tied her personal record mark from 2014 (17.62m / 57-9.75) and put her at No. 2 in both the West Region and overall NCAA rankings.
Just behind her in both sets of rankings is fellow-senior Kearsten Peoples, who also comes off an exciting indoor season, culminating in an NCAA title in the weight throw. Peoples also sits well within preliminary round qualification, ranked at No. 3 in the west region, No. 4 overall, in the shot put with her season's best toss of 17.10m (56-1.25).
The pair is also set for moving into the post-season in the discus, with Peoples currently ranked at No. 17 and Rushin at No. 22 in the west region.
Peoples will also take to the ring for the women's hammer, where she will be joined by fellow-senior Camille Hackamack.
Seniors Brian Duncan and Macauley Garton round out the seniors in the throws events. Garton enters the weekend with a new PR, after throwing 71.15m (233-5) to win the javelin competition at the John McDonnell Invitational last week. Currently the No. 3 performer in school history for the javelin, Garton is set up well to continue into the first round of the NCAA Championships, sitting at No. 7 in the west region. Joining him in the field will be freshman Alex Pascal, who sits in the No. 29 spot in the regional rankings. In only his second competition in the black and gold, Pascal landed himself in the All-Time Top Ten for the jaevlin, coming in at No. 7 with his current season's best 63.35m (207-10).
Duncan is also in position to continue into the post-season, currently at No. 31 in the region for the hammer with his season's best 60.13m (197-3).
In the women's pole vault, both senior Katrine Haarklau and sophomore Alyssa Applebee share the No. 25 spot in the region with their season's best bars of 4.05m (13-3.50). That mark was also a PR for Applebee, who moved up into the No. 3 spot in the Mizzou All-Time Top Ten list, not far behind Haarklau, who currently holds the school record in the event. Joining them on the runway will be senior Maggie Givens, the current No. 5 pole vaulter in school history, who will look to clinch her spot in the post-season.
Camille Hayes and Landon Wachter close the list of seniors taking the track this weekend. Wachter, an 800m run specialist, will make her season debut on Saturday in the 400m dash, while Hayes will look to continue moving through the ranks in the high jump.
Events at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Ill., will start at 2:00 p.m. with the men's and women's hammer throw. For updates on the meet, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
MIZZOU LINE-UP
2:00 p.m. - Hammer, Men (Ahren Bohanan // Brian Duncan // Sean Harrell // Nick Sublett)
2:00 p.m. - Hammer, Women (Camille Hackamack // Kearsten Peoples)
Following Men's Hammer - Discus, Men (Tanner Buschmann // Brian Duncan)
Following Women's Hammer - Discus, Women (Kearsten Peoples // Jill Rushin)
Following Men's Discus - Shot Put, Women (Kearsten Peoples // Jill Rushin)
Following Men's Discus - Javelin, Men (Macauley Garton // Alex Pascal)
Following Women's Shot Put - Shot Put, Men (Nick Sublett)
Following Men's Javelin - Javelin, Women (Jennifer Berilla)
2:30 p.m. - Pole Vault, Men (Parker Brush // Luke Darrough)
Following Men's Pole Vault - Pole Vault, Women (Alyssa Applebee // Maggie Givens // Katrine Haarklau)
3:30 p.m. - High Jump, Women (Camille Hayes)
4:10 p.m. - 3000m Steeplechase, Men (Tim Johnson)
4:55 p.m. - 1500m Run, Women (Kaelyn Balch // Becca Batliner // Bailey Hession // Bianca Mello // Morgan Nelson // Madison Waymire)
4:55 p.m. - 1500m Run, Men (Chandler Dye // Brian Hernan // Tim Johnson // Billy Leighton // Chris Mooneyham // Mark Sheridan)
5:30 p.m. - 400m Dash, Women (Valeska Halamicek // Landon Wachter)
5:55 p.m. - 800m Run, Women (Ayo Adewole // Libby Luciani)
5:55 p.m. - 800m Run, Men (Chandler Dye // Mark Sheridan)
6:35 p.m. - 5000m Run, Women (Sam Garrett // Nicole Mello)
7:15 p.m. - 4x400m Relay, Women
7:15 p.m. - 4x400m Relay, Men