STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Tigers closed the SEC Championships in a fashion similar to its start, placing three onto the podium, including an SEC Champion with senior Jill Rushin, and resetting yet another Mizzou school record mark. Overall, the Tigers close the three-day SEC Championship meet in Starkville, Miss., with two SEC Champions, six All-SEC finishers, two Mizzou school records, four All-Time Top Ten marks, and 11 personal records (PR's).
"Everbody fought incredibly hard today, as they did all season," Head Coach Brett Halter said. "This team just really gets it, they're putting forth the effort and they understand that the only thing they can control is themselves, and they're giving their very best, they're really committed."
The day began with the triple jump competition, which featured four of the top ten jumpers in Mizzou history with freshman Shammai Ilis (No.3) in the women's competition and senior Jonathan Ilori (4), freshman John Warren (No. 5), and junior Tony Carodine (No. 6) in the men's.
Both Ilori and Carodine hit top marks of 15.72m (51-7) in the preliminary round, earning two of the nine spots in the final where Ilori improved upon that mark to close the competition in fifth overall. Ilori's top jump, which measured in at 16.07m (52-8.75), would have been good for a new PR and No. 3 spot on the All-Time Top Ten list had it not been for the 2.3 wind reading.
Junior Will Crocker was the next event up for the Tigers, taking to the track in the 1500m run. Crocker was the fifth qualifier into the final round, after he crossed in 3:45.61 during Friday's preliminary heats. He would run within a second of that time on Saturday, battling in the top three for the majority of the race before crossing in 3:45.32 for second overall and a spot on the podium. This is Crocker's first individual All-SEC honor after he placed third during the indoor championships this year with the men's distance medley relay.
"To see what Will did in the 1500m was absolutely extraordinary, the guy is just tough, a great racer," Halter said. "He's going to do some really special things coming up."
Other highlights from the track events includes a new PR, and No. 5 All-Time mark, from junior Drake Stuedemann in the 400m hurdles final. Stuedemann was the first qualifier into the finals on the track for the Tigers after he clocked a PR on Thursday (52.06). He improved upon that time Saturday evening with a final crossing of 51.73, good for ninth in the field.
Other exciting finishes on the track included a pair of PR's out of the men's and women's 5000m runs, starting with sophomore Jordan Cook who closed in eighth with a final time of 14:17.17. Next up was the women's race, where freshman Karissa Schweizer faced off against a stacked field and finished in seventh with a PR, and No. 9 All-Time crossing, of 16:32.91.
Meanwhile, back in the field events, seniors Jill Rushin and Kearsten Peoples bounced back from a tough discus competition on Friday to earn two spots on the podium for the shot put. Despite having two weather delays in the midst of their competition, the duo was able to maintain composure and Rushin claimed her second consecutive SEC Outdoor Title in the shot put while Peoples placed third.
"It was exciting to see Jill come back out on top, that's really big for her. Kearsten fought hard, she's really on the uptick right now," Halter said. "[In dealing with the two weather delays] They just showed their maturity. Those two are seasoned veterans. They had to adjust, on multiple occasions, to what the ring and conditions were giving them, and each time they met the challenge and kept going. That's what professionals do, and they showed why they're the best in the NCAA."
Peoples had already earned herself an SEC Title for the weekend after she opened up the competition for the Tigers on Thursday with a first-place finish in the hammer throw.
The women's 4x400m relay closed the weekend's events, matching up against a conference field that boasted six of the top 15 relays in the current NCAA rankings. The foursome of sophomores Ayo Adewole, Erika Lark, LaQuisha Jackson, and Valerie Thames brought the baton around in a final time of 3:40.68, resetting the 2009 Mizzou School Record, which had stood at 3:40.86.
"It was exciting to finish with that school record in the women's 4x400m relay," Halter said. "Those women are making a stamp on this program, and it's thrilling to see their efforts pay off."
This is the second Mizzou School Record of the weekend, after senior Macauley Garton finally clinched the top throw in school history for the javelin on Thursday, placing third in a truly world class field with a final mark of 77.47m (254-2).
The Tigers now look toward the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Round, scheduled for May 28 -- 30 in Austin, Tx. There, the top 48-ranked athletes in each event for the West Region will go head-to-head for qualification into the NCAA Championships, set for June 10 -- 13 in Eugene, Ore.
"I was really pleased with the team's efforts from top to bottom this weekend," Halter said. "Now it's time to catch our breath, go home and take a day or two to collect ourselves, then it's back to work to get ready for the first round of NCAA's."
For the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
ALL-SEC FINISHERS
Kearsten Peoples -- First, Hammer
Jill Rushin -- First, Shot Put
Kaitlyn Fischer -- Second, 10k Run
Will Crocker -- Second, 1500m Run
Kearsten Peoples -- Third, Shot Put
Macauley Garton -- Third, Javelin
SATURDAY RESULTS
Triple Jump, Men -- 5. Jonathan Ilori, 16.07m (52-8.75)w // 9. Tony Carodine, 15.72m (51-7)
Triple Jump, Women -- 15. Shammai Ilis, 12.06m (39-6.75)
Shot Put, Women -- 1. Jill Rushin, 17.27m (56-8) // 3. Kearsten Peoples, 16.81m (55-2)
Discus, Men -- 12. Tanner Buschmann, 50.34m (165-2)
100m Dash, Men -- 8. Markesh Woodson, 10.27
1500m Run, Men -- 2. Will Crocker, 3:45.32
5000m Run, Men -- 8. Jordan Cook, 14:17.17 // 12. Marc Dubrick, 14:24.05
5000m Run, Women -- 7. Karissa Schweizer, 16:32.91 #9 // 22. Courtney Wood, 17:04.67
400m Hurdles, Men -- 9. Drake Stuedemann, 51.73 #5
4x400m Relay, Women - 11. (Ayo Adewole, Erika Lark, Valerie Thames, LaQuisha Jackson), 3:40.68 SR
FRIDAY RESULTS
High Jump, Women -- 4. Morgan Whitson, 1.75m (5-8.25) // 9. Camille Hayes, 1.70m (5-7)
Long Jump, Men - 10. John Warren, 7.32m (24-0.25) // 13. Tony Carodine, 7.26m (23-10)
Pole Vault, Women - 8. Maggie Givens, 4.01m (13-1.75) #5 // 8. Katrine Haarklau, 4.01m (13-1.75) // 14. Alyssa Applebee, 3.86m (12-8)
Discus, Women - 8. Jill Rushin, 48.99m (160-8)
100m Dash, Men - 8. Markesh Woodson, 10.21q
100m Dash, Women - 20. LaQuisha Jackson, 11.68
400m Dash, Women - 19. Ayo Adewole, 55.30 // 26. Erika Lark, 57.30
1500m Run, Men - 5. Will Crocker, 3:45.61q
1500m Run, Women - 14. Karissa Schweizer, 4:28.67 // 18. Liz Reida, 4:32.24
110m Hurdles, Men - 14. Andy Schuckenbrock, 14.90
100m Hurdles, Women - 18. Alyssa Felton, 14.07 // 22. Valerie Thames, 14.45
3000m Steeplechase, Men - 9. Marc Dubrick, 9:14.76 // 10. Sam Dickerson, 9:26.97 // 11. Sheldon Keence, 9:27.16
3000m Steeplechase, Women -- 12. Madison Waymire, 10:50.68 // 15. Courtney Wood, 11:00.84 // 16. Teylar Adelsberger, 11:09.75
THURSDAY RESULTS
Hammer Throw, Women - 1. Kearsten Peoples, 63.31m (207-8) // 16. Camille Hackamack, 47.27m (155-1)
Hammer Throw, Men - 9. Brian Duncan, 59.81m (196-2) // 14. Ahren Bohanan, 55.48m (182-0) // 15. Nick Sublett, 53.65m (176-0)
Javelin, Men - 3. Macauley Garton, 77.47m (254-2) SR // 11. Alex Pascal, 62.43m (204-10)
200m Dash, Women - 21. LaQuisha Jackson, 24.39 // 30. Jacqueline Obi, 25.39
800m Run, Men - 17. Cain Winebrenner, 1:50.84 // 28. Ben Goodman, 1:58.17
800m Run, Women - 12. Valeska Halamicek, 2:09.64 // 20. Landon Wachter, 2:16.15
10k Run, Men - 10. Dan Roe, 31:00.11
10k Run, Women - 2. Kaitlyn Fischer, 34:10.52 // 9. Courtney Brown, 35:58.41
400m Hurdles, Men - 7. Drake Stuedemann, 52.06q #8 // 15. Andy Schuckenbrock, 55.04
TEAM RESULTS
Men -- 13th, 20 points
Women -- 9th, 42.66 points