University of Missouri
SEC Outdoor Championships
Schweizer and Jacobs Win SEC Titles on Final Day of SEC Championships
5/13/2017 8:45:00 PM | Track & Field
Mizzou claims four conference titles at SEC meet, its most since 2003
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Junior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) and redshirt sophomore Gabi Jacobs (Bloomington, Ill.) each captured conference titles on Saturday, the final day of the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Schweizer won the 5000m run, while Jacobs took home the discus crown. The duo's titles give Mizzou four conference championships for the meet, its most at a conference meet since the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Meet when Mizzou won five individual titles.
Schweizer and Jacobs are joined by redshirt sophomore Jamie Kempfer (Festus, Mo.), who won the 10,000m run on Thursday, and freshman Ja'Mari Ward (Cahokia, Ill.), who captured the long jump title on Friday. Five Tigers took home six All-SEC honors, as senior Reinhard Van Zyl (Hoedspruit, South Africa) finished runner-up in the javelin on Thursday, as well as Schweizer claiming second place honors in the 1500m run. In the team race, the women's team finished ninth with 47 points, while the men's team finished 12th with 28 points.
"It was an amazing weekend for the Tigers," said head coach Brett Halter. "Both teams outperformed every outside expectation through exceptional efforts everywhere we lined up over the last three days. Our coaching staff, medical team and support staff played an important part in our successes over the weekend. Impressive efforts on their end as well. We are really proud of Jamie, Ja'Mari, Karissa and Gabi on their SEC titles, but we are equally proud of the leadership and courage everyone entered in the meet displayed throughout the weekend. The SEC Championship presents an environment of the very best athletes at their best, where no scoring place is cheap or given to anyone, everything is earned. To achieve in this league requires laser focus, unyielding effort and an understanding that success is a team sport. We took another step as a program in the right direction this weekend."
Before winning the 5000m, Schweizer finished second in the 1500m run to begin her day, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:18.42. Less than two hours later, Schweizer toed the line again in the 5000m run. After staying near the front of the pack for the first 4,000 meters, Schweizer separated herself from the pack over the last 1,000 meters, winning the race by 16 seconds with a time of 15:51.76. The conference title is Schweizer's fourth on the year after winning the SEC Cross Country title in October and the mile run and 3,000m titles at the SEC Indoor Meet in February.
"It's amazing just to come out here and represent my team and just to get some points on the board," said Schweizer following the race. "It's an incredible feeling and it never gets old."
Jacobs, who held the second-best throw in program history heading into the event, captured the conference title by posting a personal record mark of 56.58m (185-7) in her third throw of the event. The winning mark currently ranks 12th in the nation before competition ends this weekend. The throw marks the fourth time this season Jacobs has improved her personal record in the discus, as she continues to close in on Kearsten Peoples' 2014 school record mark of 57.31m (188-0).
"I've been working really hard this year," said Jacobs after the win. "I knew how great these ladies were coming in. They push me every day in practice, just the knowledge of knowing how far they can throw and the great things they can do. With my new coach this year, we just really worked on technique. I'm so glad that it could come together at this point, I could throw far and do great things at the SEC Championship."
Mizzou's final points of the meet came from the women's 4x400m relay, who finished seventh with a time of 3:37.00, the fourth-fastest time in program history. The team of senior Sandrae Farquharson (St. Elizabeth, Jamiaca), senior LaQuisha Jackson (Chattanooga, Tenn.), senior Sydney Wells (Ft. Smith, Ark.) and senior Valerie Thames (Milwaukee, Wis.) surpassed their previous best mark of 3:40.08, set at the John McDonnell Invitational (April 22), to jump from fifth to fourth on the all-time top-10 list.
Individually, Thames placed in the top-eight twice in finals heats, finishing seventh in both the 100m and 400m hurdles. Thames began the day by posting a time of 13.41 in 100m, then came back to run 59.44 in the 400m, scoring four points for the Tigers. In the long jump, redshirt senior Mollie Gribbin (Montpelier, Vt.) posted the second-best jump in program history with a mark of 12.52m (41-1). Despite the impressive mark, Gribbin finished 12th in the event.
Mizzou will now await for the unveiling of the field for the first round of the NCAA Championships, which will be released in the coming week. Mizzou will send its qualifiers to compete in the NCAA West Regional, which will be held May 25-27 in Austin, Texas.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
Track Results
800m Run, Men – 9. Cain Winebrenner, 1:51.30
1500m Run, Men – 12. Luca Russo, 3:59.79
1500m Run, Women – 2. Karissa Schweizer, 4:18.42 (8 pts)
5000m Run, Men – 18. Drew White, 14:26.37 // 23. Jordan Cook, 14:36.07 // 35. Marc Dubrick, 14:49.75 // 37. Luca Russo, 14:56.88 // 39. Zach Cook, 14:58.79 PR
5000m Run, Women – 1. Karissa Schweizer, 15:51.76 (10 pts) // 10. Teylar Adelsberger, 16:21.61 PR // 18. Nicole Mello, 16:52.73 // 28. Jordyn Kleve, 17:23.05 // 36. Hannah Thomas, 17:52.85
100m Hurdles, Women – 7. Valerie Thames, 13.41 (2 pts)
400m Hurdles, Men – 9. Jerrad Mason, 51.74
400m Hurdles, Women – 7. Valerie Thames, 59.44 (2 pts)
4x100m Relay, Women – 9. Maya Cody, LaQuisha Jackson, Tsai-Anne Joseph, Sandrae Farquharson, 45.07
4x400m Relay, Men – 11. Kahmari Montgomery, Niager Mathis, Jerrad Mason, Cain Winebrenner, 3:10.38
4x400m Relay, Women – 7. Sandrae Farquharson, LaQuisha Jackson, Sydney Wells, Valerie Thames, 3:37.00 #4 (2 pts)
Field Events
High Jump, Women – 9. Karissa Roman, 1.70m (5-7)
Triple Jump, Women – 11. Mollie Gribbin, 12.52m (41-1) #2 // 17. Shammai Ilis, 11.89m (38-11)
Shot Put, Men – 11. Will Fife, 15.77m (51-9)
Discus, Women – 1. Gabi Jacobs, 56.58n (185-7) PR, #2 (10 pts)
Players Mentioned
