@MIZ_TrackField Continues Postseason with NCAA West Preliminary

Thursday, May 25

Austin, Texas

University of Missouri

NCAA Outdoor Championships - Regional

@MIZ_TrackField Continues Postseason with NCAA West Preliminary

5/24/2017 2:12:00 PM | Track & Field

Mizzou will have 27 entries at NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas

NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEET	LOCATION	DAY	TIME	MEDIA
NCAA West Preliminary Meet Notes Meet Headquarters	Austin, Texas	May 25-27	Meet Schedule Heat Sheets	WATCH (Thursday) WATCH (Friday) WATCH (Saturday) Live Results

Mizzou Continues with Postseason Action in Texas

Mizzou Track & Field continues postseason competition with the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, which will be held May 25-27 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. The meet will consist of mostly first round and quarterfinals action, with the only semifinals occurring in the 5000m and 10,000m runs. Competition from the University of Texas begins on Thursday with field events at 11 a.m. CT and track events at 4:30 p.m. CT. On Friday, field events will begin at 12 p.m. CT and track events at 4:30 p.m. CT, followed by Saturday's field events at 1 p.m. CT and track events at 6 p.m. CT. Texassports.com will provide a live stream of the meet, free to public.
Mizzou will have 26 athletes competing in 27 entires in Texas, with 15 women and 11 men qualifying for NCAA action.
The Tigers began postseason action two weeks ago in South Carolina at the SEC Outdoor Championships, where four Tigers captured conference titles, the most in program history since 2003. Capturing conference titles for Mizzou was freshman Ja'Mari Ward (long jump), junior Karissa Schweizer (5000m run), redshirt sophomore Jamie Kempfer (10,000m run) and redshirt sophomore Gabi Jacobs (discus). Mizzou had six All-SEC performances at the meet, with Schweizer and senior Reinhard Van Zyl finishing runner-up in the 1500m run and javelin, respectively.
Prior to the SEC meet, Mizzou enjoyed one of its more successful trips to the Drake Relays in recent history as three Tigers - redshirt senior Drew White (10,000m run), Van Zyl (javelin) and senior LaQuisha Jackson (100m dash) - were crowned champions and took home the coveted white flags. The three champions were the most for Mizzou since 2003. Mizzou had three champions in 2006, but one was from Mizzou alum Christian Cantwell, who was competing as a professional.
Returning to her home state of Iowa, Schweizer was elevated to the professional "Rio Rematch" heat of the 1500m run at the Drake Relays. In the heat, Schweizer competed alongside 11 professionals and six Olympians, including 2016 bronze medalist in the 1500m, Jenny Simpson. Schweizer held her own in the race, finishing eighth with a time of 4:18.16.

Mizzou Crowns Most Conference Champions since 2003

At the 2017 SEC Outdoor Championships, four Mizzou student-athletes were crowned SEC Champions, the most Mizzou has record at a conference meet since the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
Winning conference titles for Mizzou was freshman Ja'Mari Ward in the long jump, junior Karissa Schweizer in the 5000m run, redshirt sophomore Jamie Kempfer in the 10,000m run and redshirt sophomore Gabi Jacobs in the discus.
The four conference champions are the most in program history in 14 years, when Christian Cantwell (shot put), Russ Bell (hammer throw), Knut Sommerfeldt (Decathlon), Fiona Asigbee (Heptathlon) and Jennifer Bennett (pole vault) captured conference titles at the 2003 Big 12 Outdoor Championships.

Ward Steals the Show in Long Jump

Freshman Ja'Mari Ward pulled perhaps the biggest upset of the 2017 SEC Outdoor Championships, capturing the SEC long jump title with a mark of 8.13m (16-8.25) with his final jump of the event. With the win, Ward bested 2017 NCAA Indoor National Champion KeAndre Bates (Florida) and freshman phenom Grant Holloway (Florida).
Ward's mark of 8.13m (26-8.25) currently ranks second in the nation this season, only trailing Charles Brown's (Texas Tech) jump of 8.14m (26-8.5), and ranks second in program history, only behind Yussuf Alli's 1990 mark of 8.27m (27-1.25).
The conference title is the fourth men's SEC title in program history and 13th overall. Each of Mizzou's men's SEC Titles have been won by freshman, as Ward is preceded by Markesh Woodson's 2013 Indoor 60m dash title and now-sophomore Kahmari Montgomery's 2016 Indoor and Outdoor 400m dash titles.

Schweizer Wins 5K, Finishes Second in 1500m

Junior Karissa Schweizer continued her fantastic 2016-17 season by earning two All-SEC honors at the 2017 SEC Outdoor Championships, winning the 5000m run and finishing second in the 1500m run.
Schweizer crossed the finish line in the 1500m with a time of 4:18.42, then 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.
Schweizer scored 18 points at the meet to finish second in the individual scoring, trailing only Ole Miss' Janeah Stewart, who scored 20 points.

SEC Discus Title Goes to Jacobs

Redshirt sophomore Gabi Jacobs captured the first conference title of her career, winning the discus SEC title.
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).
The discus title was the second event of the SEC Championships that Jacobs scored in, after finishing sixth in the shot put the day before with a mark of 15.64m (51-3.75). With 13 points at the meet, Jacobs finished tied-for-ninth in the individual scoring, joining Karissa Schweizer in the top-10. Mizzou was one of four schools to have two top-10 female scorers at the meet.

Kempfer Nabs 10K SEC Title

Redshirt sophomore Jamie Kempfer captured the 10,000m SEC Championship in Columbia, South Carolina, crossing the fininsh line with a time of 33:52.19.
Kempfer, who set the 10,000m school record at the Stanford Invitational (March 31) with a time of 33:09.67, stayed near the front of the pack throughout the duration of the race before accelerating the pace over the two miles to pull away from the rest of the pack. Kempfer crossed the finish line with a time of 33:52.19, 23 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
The conference title adds on to Kempfer's outstanding season where she captured All-America recognition in November for finishing 27th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and All-SEC honors at the SEC Indoor Championships after finishing third in the 5000m run.

Van Zyl Earns All-SEC Honors for the Second Consecutive Season

Senior Reinhard Van Zyl earned All-SEC honors for the second consecutive season by finishing runner-up in the Javelin at the SEC Championships.
Van Zyl posted a personal record mark of 77.20m (253-3) to finish second, a mark which ranks fourth in the nation this season and second in program history. The toss is just under a foot away from Macauley Garton's 2015 school record mark of 77.47m (254-2).
Van Zyl, improved his previous-best mark of 75.91m (249-0), which he set at last year's SEC Championships, where he also finished runner-up.

Mizzou Records Most Drake Relays Champions since 2003

At the 108th Drake Relays, Mizzou recorded three champions, its most champions at the famous meet since 2003 (Mizzou had three champions in 2006 with Chrisitan Cantwell winning as a professional). Claiming white flags for the Tigers was redshirt senior Drew White in the 10,000m run, senior Reinhard Van Zyl in the javelin and senior LaQuisha Jackson in the 100m dash.
On the same day as his 23rd birthday, White delivered perhaps his biggest birthday present himself by winning the 10,000m run on April 27. With the win, White became the first Mizzou athlete to win the 10,000m run at the Drake Relays. White, who led the pack for a majority of the race, crossed the finish line with a personal record time of 29:41.10, a time which ranks eighth all-time in Mizzou history and is currently in the top-48 of the NCAA West regional. The Tiger senior held off a late rally from South Dakota State's Trevor Capra to preserve the victory, improving his personal best mark by more than a minute from his previous best time of 30:48.44.
With the javelin victory on the second day of competition, Van Zyl recorded his second event win of the season and fourth top-three finish. The Tiger senior used his second throw to record a mark of 66.57m (218-5) and secure the white flag.
Jackson captured the third white flag for Mizzou by winning the 100m dash on the final day of competition. After clocking in the sixth-fastest 100m dash time in the preliminary round, Jackson blazed past the competition in the finals, winning the event with a season-best time of 11.65.

Schweizer Gets a Glimpse of Professional Life

After originally being slated to compete in collegiate 1500m run, junior Karissa Schweizer was elevated to the 1500m run "Rio Rematch" heat on at the Drake Relays, joining a field 11 professional runners and six Olympians. Among the notables in the field included Jenny Simpson, who captured the bronze medal in the 1500m this past summer in Rio.
The 2016 NCAA Cross Country and 2017 NCAA Indoor Track & Field 5000m run National Champion held her own against some tough competition, placing eighth with a time of 4:18.16. Schweizer ran near the back of the pack for a majority of the race before using her signature kick to pace several competitors over the final 200 meters.

Kempfer and Mello Set Top-10 Marks in 5000m Run at Drake Relays

In the women's 5000m race at the Drake Relays, redshirt sophomore Jamie Kempfer and redshirt junior Nicole Mello each finished in the top-10, placing third and ninth, respectively.
Kempfer, who is the current school record holder in the 10,000m run, finished with a personal record time of 16:09.59, moving to No. 5 on the all-time top-10 list in the 5000m run.
Mello crossed the finish line at 16:22.17, improving her personal record time by nearly 30 seconds to add her name to the all-time top-10 list at No. 7.

Mizzou Entries (all times are CT)

THURSDAY
11 am	Hammer Throw, Women (First Round)	Rebecca Keating
11 am	Javelin, Men (First Round)	Alex Pascal // Reinhard Van Zyl
3:30 pm	Hammer Throw, Men (First Round)	Ahren Bohanan // Patrick Kunza
4:30 pm	Long Jump, Men (First Round)	Ja'Mari Ward
4:30 pm	400m Hurdles, Women (First Round)	Valerie Thames
5 pm	400m Hurdles, Men (First Round)	Jerrad Mason
6 pm	1500m Run, Men (First Round)	Luca Russo
6:30 pm	100m Dash, Women (First Round)	Maya Cody
7:20 pm	400m Dash, Women (First Round)	LaQuisha Jackson
7:45 pm	400m Dash, Men (First Round)	Kahmari Montgomery
8:35 pm	800m Run, Men (First Round)	Cain Winebrenner
9 pm	10,000m Run, Women (Semifinals)	Jamie Kempfer
9:40 pm	10,000m Run, Men (Semifinals)	Ollie Lockley
FRIDAY
12 pm	Discus, Women (First Round)	Gabi Jacobs
4:30 pm	High Jump, Women (First Round)	Karissa Roman
4:30 pm	100m Hurdles, Women (First Round)	Valerie Thames
7:30 pm	200m Dash, Women (First Round)	LaQuisha Jackson
9 pm	3000m Steeplechase, Men (Quarterfinals)	Sheldon Keence
SATURDAY
6 pm	Shot Put, Women (First Round)	Gabi Jacobs // Emily Stauffer
6 pm	Triple Jump, Women (First Round)	Mollie Gribbin
6 pm	4x100m Relay, Women (Quarterfinals)	Maya Cody, Sandrae Farquharson, LaQuisha Jackson, Tsai-Anne Joseph, Valerie Thames
8:05 pm	5000m Run, Women (Semifinals)	Teylar Adelsberger // Karissa Schweizer
9:25 pm	4x400m Relay, Women (Quarterfinals)	Maya Cody, Sandrae Farquharson, Valeska Halamicek, LaQuisha Jackson, Sydney Wells, Valerie Thames