Tigers Set to Host Tom Botts Invitational

Friday, May 1

Columbia, MO

All Day

University of Missouri

Tom Botts Invitational

2015 Indoor SEC Championships @ Lexington, Ky.

4/30/2015 11:59:00 AM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field

The two-day meet will start Friday evening at the Audrey J. Walton Stadium

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Track & Field is set to close their 2015 regular season run in style this weekend, hosting the 18th edition of the Tom Botts Invitational at the Audrey J. Walton Stadium on Friday (May 1) and Saturday (May 2). The meet will take place in the midst of an action-packed weekend at the Mizzou Sports Park, as the neighboring Tigers' softball and baseball teams host Florida and Ole Miss, respectively.

ABOUT THE MEET
Schedule // Records // Live Results

The Tom Botts Invitational is run in honor of Coach Tom Botts, who led the Tigers' Track & Field program from 1947 to 1972. During his tenure at Mizzou, Coach Botts led the Tigers to their only NCAA Championships Track and Field Team Title in 1965 and mentored eight conference team champions, two U.S. Olympians, five NCAA individual champions, 23 All-Americans, and 96 individual conference champions.

But his impact goes far beyond what numbers and statistics can tell. An inductee into the State of Missouri Hall of Fame in 1977, the Drake Relays Hall of Fame in 1979, the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1983, and the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990, Coach Botts' profound impact on the lives of his athletes both on and off the track makes him truly one of the greats in U.S. track and field.

This year's meet offers an opportunity to not only honor Coach Botts and his ever-present influence on the Tigers' track and field program, but also recognize one of the great accomplishments of his career as this past March marked the 50th anniversary of the 1965 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Champion team, one of only two teams in Mizzou Athletics history to hold that distinction. Click here for more information on the five men who were responsible for that historical accomplishment.

Teams in attendance at the 2015 Tom Botts Invitational - Drake, Bradley, SUIE.

SENIOR DAY
This weekend also marks the Tigers' Senior Day celebration, as the team honors 17 men and women whose immeasurable impact not only continued to improve the trajectory of the Mizzou Track & Field program, but also brought it to new heights on both the national and international stages.

Included among their number is the duo of Kearsten Peoples and Jill Rushin who own a combined ten NCAA All-American honors, four conference titles, and 13 all-conference finishes. While Peoples holds Missouri School Records in all five of her events (indoor/outdoor shot put, weight throw, discus, and hammer), Rushin sits just behind her in three of those lists, marking the No. 2 throws in school history for the indoor/outdoor shot put and discus. Both are coming off exciting indoor seasons, culminating in the weight throw NCAA Title for Peoples, who also holds the No. 7 mark in collegiate history for the event, and Rushin's third All-American honor after placing fifth in the shot put.

The Tigers are also preparing to bid adieu to the current school record holder in the women's pole vault, as Katrine Haarklau prepares to enter her final post-season in the black and gold. Haarklau has re-written her share of the record books during her time as a Tiger, holding the javelin school record for a time, and landing in six All-Time Top Ten lists for the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Other All-Time Top Ten list members preparing for their final meets in the black and gold include Brian Duncan (No. 9 in the hammer), Macauley Garton (No. 3 in the javelin), Maggie Givens (No. 5 in the pole vault), Jonathan Ilori (No. 4 in the triple jump), Morgan Whitson (No. 9 in the high jump, No. 10 in the heptathlon), and Courtney Wood (No. 2 in the 3000m steeplechase, No. 9 in the 5000m run).

TRACK & FIELD 2015 SENIOR CLASS
Courtney Brown, Distance (Palatine, Ill. // Palatine HS)
Brian Duncan, Throws (Iberia, Mo. // Iberia HS)
Maria Effinger, Distance (Swansea, Ill. // Belleville East HS)
Macauley Garton, Javelin (Shawnee, Kan. // Mill Valley HS)
Maggie Givens, Pole Vault (Branson, Mo. // Branson HS)
Katrine Haarklau, Pole Vault / Multi-Events (Bergen, Norway)
Camille Hackamack, Throws (Hannibal, Mo. // Hannibal HS)
Mitch Hatten, High Jump (Cameron, Mo. // Cameron HS)
Camille Hayes, High Jump (Indianapolis, Ind. // Lawrence Central HS)
Jonathan Ilori, Triple Jump (London, England // Royal Hospital School)
Morgan Nelson, Distance (Butler, Mo. // Butler HS)
Kearsten Peoples, Throws (Ottawa, Kan. // Ottawa HS)
Jill Rushin, Throws (Jackson, Mo. // Jackson HS)
Andy Schuckenbrock, Hurdles (Bowling Green, Mo. // Bowling Green HS)
Landon Wachter, Mid-Distance (Jackson, Mo. // Jackson HS)
Morgan Whitson, High Jump / Multi-Events (Moberly, Mo. // Moberly HS)
Courtney Wood, Distance (Neosho, Mo. // Neosho HS)

TICKETS
Tickets for the Tom Botts Invitational will be available on the day of the event at the ticket office located on the southeast corner of the track complex, adjacent to the main entrance to Taylor Stadium.

Tickets for Softball vs. Florida can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS, or visiting MUTigers.com. Please be aware that a very limited number of tickets remain for Saturday's game. Softball fans picking up tickets from will call must do so at the ticket office located at the main entrance to University Field, which opens 1.5 hours prior to first pitch.

Tickets for Baseball vs. Ole Miss can also be obtained in advance through the ticket office. Baseball fans purchasing or picking up tickets must do so at the ticket office located at the main entrance to Taylor Stadium, which opens 2.5 hours prior to first pitch.

Fans purchasing tickets will be admitted to all three events. In addition, all fans can pick up tickets Wednesday-Thursday at the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PARKING
Please note that Carrie Francke Drive will be closed between University Field and Research Park Drive on Friday (beginning at 5 p.m.), Saturday (beginning at 10:30 a.m.) and Sunday (at 10:30 a.m.) in an effort to safely accommodate high levels of pedestrian traffic.

All traffic (with the exception of softball Lot U permit holders who must enter Carrie Francke Drive from Stadium Blvd.) should enter the area by way of Providence Road rather than Stadium Blvd. A map denoting parking in the vicinity of Taylor Stadium, University Field, and Walton Stadium can be found here. Fans are encouraged to use available general parking at Truman's Landing and use the provided shuttle service. Single-day Lot U permits will not be sold.

SHUTTLE
A shuttle service will be provided for fans starting at 5 p.m. on Friday and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, and will conclude one hour after all games are completed.

MIZZOU ENTRIES - FRIDAY
(Seniors listed in bold)
5:30 p.m. - Hammer Throw, Men (Ahren Bohanan // Brian Duncan // Sean Harrell // Nick Sublett)
Hammer Throw, Women (Camille Hackamack // Kearsten Peoples)
7:00 p.m. - 3000m Steeplechase, Women (Teylar Adelsberger // Madison Waymire)
3000m Steeplechase, Men (Marc Dubrick // Sheldon Keence)
7:35 p.m. - 1500m Run, Women (Courtney Brown // Megan Cunningham // Kaitlyn Fischer // Bailey Hession // Libby Luciani // Bianca Mello // Morgan Nelson // Liz Reida // Karissa Schweizer // Courtney Wood)
1500m Run, Men (Sam Dickerson // Chandler Dye // Brian Hernan // Billy Leighton // Chris Mooneyham // Taylor Stephen)
8:00 p.m. - 5000m Run, Women (Kaelyn Balch // Becca Batliner // Maria Effinger // Sam Garrett // Nicole Mello)
5000m Run, Men (Jordan Cook // Dan Roe // Drew White)