| Missouri Holiday Opener | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEET | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | MEDIA |
| Missouri Holiday Opener | Hearnes Center | Saturday, Dec. 8 | 11:30 AM | Meet Schedule Heat Sheets Live Results |
COLUMBIA, Mo. –Mizzou Track & Field will open its 2018-19 indoor season by hosting the Missouri Holiday Opener at Hearnes Center Fieldhouse on Saturday. More than 25 Tigers will be in action Saturday, including 16 who will make their debuts in the Black & Gold.
Field events will begin the meet at 11:30 a.m. (CT), while track events are slated to begin at 1 p.m. (CT) and will continue with a rolling schedule. Seven teams will be competition on Saturday, as Mizzou will be joined by Columbia College, Hannibal-LaGrange, Lindenwood, Missouri Valley College, Missouri S&T, Missouri State.
Among Mizzou's field entries are five Tigers who advanced to the 2018 NCAA West Preliminary during the outdoor season, one school record holder, and the 2018 IAAF World U20 Champion in the high jump. Redshirt senior Avery Carter (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and redshirt junior Patrick Kunza (Wentzville, Mo.) will each begin the day for Mizzou in the men's weight throw at 11 a.m. CT. Both advanced to the 2018 NCAA West Preliminary in the hammer throw, while Carter made his first trip to Eugene by qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Carter will also compete in the shot put later in the day.
Senior Landon Cuskelly (El Dorado, Kan.) and freshman Roberto Vilches (Mexico City, Mexico) will represent the men in the high jump, which also begins at 11 a.m. CT. Cuskelly returns after a solid first season at Mizzou in 2018, where he posted a top-10 mark in the outdoor high jump, finished 11th at the SEC Outdoor Championships and advanced to the NCAA West Preliminary. Vilches, a prized recruit for the Tigers, will be making his highly anticipated collegiate debut in the high jump. The Tiger freshman captured a gold medal in the high jump at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships with a clearance of 2.23m (7-3.75), and held the top U20 high jump mark in the world in 2018 after jumping 2.26m (7-5) at an April 28 meet in Queretaro, Mexico. Once the men wrap up in the high jump, Mizzou will have three entries in the women's high jump, including returners senior Valeria Kostiuk (Kiev, Ukraine) and senior Karissa Roman (Kewanee, Ill.). Kostiuk holds the indoor school record in the high jump at 1.83m (6-0), while Roman advanced to the 2018 NCAA West Preliminary in the event.
In the men's triple jump, which will follow the men's and women's long jump, redshirt sophomore Ja'Mari Ward (Cahokia, Ill.) will be making his season debut. Ward currently holds the sixth-best indoor triple jump mark in program history at 15.66m (51-4.5), and earned All-America honors in the long jump at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships where he finished fifth. Ward will also run in the 60m dash on Saturday.
In track events, Mizzou will be highlighted by sophomore Chris Conrad (O'Fallon, Ill.), who will kick things off for the Tigers in the 600m run at 1 p.m. CT. Conrad will be looking to build off a strong finish to his 2018 outdoor season, where he finished fifth in the 800m run at the SEC Outdoor Championships and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary. A number of Tigers will be making their Mizzou or collegiate debuts at the meet, including Mizzou's entire men's 4x400m relay team which consists of redshirt freshman Jayson Ashford (Fairview Heights, Ill.), freshman Eduardo Favela (New Lenox, Ill.), junior Caulin Graves (Kansas City, Mo.) and freshman Cason Suggs (Washington, Mo.).
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
Teams Competing at the Missouri Holiday Opener
Columbia College, Hannibal-LaGrange, Lindenwood, Missouri Valley College, Missouri S&T, Missouri State
Mizzou Entries – Field Events (Starts at 11:30 a.m. CT)
Weight Throw, Men – Avery Carter, Patrick Kunza
Weight Throw, Women – CeCe Johnson, Sydney Johnson, Jordan McClendon, Sydney Oberdiek
Long Jump, Women – Suenomi Norinh
High Jump, Men – Landon Cuskelly, Roberto Vilches
High Jump, Women – Valeria Kostiuk, Suenomi Norinh, Karissa Roman
Shot Put, Men – Avery Carter, Jason Edwards, Will Fife
Shot Put, Women – Arianna Butler, Emily Stauffer
Triple Jump, Women – Arianna Fisher
Triple Jump, Men – Georgi Nachev, Ja'Mari Ward
Mizzou Entries – Running Events (Starts at 1 p.m. CT, rolling schedule to follow)
600m Run, Men – Chris Conrad, Robert Kuhlmann
600m Run, Women – Michaela Hackbarth, Faramola Shonekan
60m Hurdles, Women – Arianna Butler, Suenomi Norinh, Kalescia Thomas
60m Dash, Men – Nylo Clarke, Jason Edwards, Georgi Nachev, Ja'Mari Ward
60m Dash, Women – Arianna Fisher, Jazmyn Shumaker
Mile Run, Women – Abby Hake, Anna Sullentrup
400m Dash, Men – Jason Edwards
200m Dash, Men – Jayson Ashford, Eduardo Favela, Caulin Graves, Cason Suggs
200m Dash, Women – Morgan O'Neal, Maya Puller, Kalescia Thomas
4x400m Relay, Men – Jayson Ashford, Eduardo Favela, Cason Suggs, Caulin Graves
4x400m Relay, Women – Faramola Shonekan, Maya Puller, Jazmyn Shumaker, Morgan O'Neal