@MIZ_TrackField Opens Postseason Competition at SEC Outdoor Championships

Friday, May 11

Knoxville, Tenn.

11 AM CT

University of Missouri

SEC Championships

@MIZ_TrackField Opens Postseason Competition at SEC Outdoor Championships

5/10/2018 10:36:00 AM | Track & Field

Schweizer looks to become the most decorated female conference champion in program history

SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEET	LOCATION	DAY	SCHEDULE	MEDIA
SEC Outdoor Championships	Knoxville, Tenn.	May 11-13	Meet Schedule	Live Results Watch (Day 1) Watch (Day 2) Watch (Day 3)
NOTES: Meet Notes

MIZZOU STARTS POSTSEASON COMPETITION WITH THE SEC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP IN KNOXVILLE

Mizzou Track & Field begins postseason competition with the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, May 11-13, in Knoxville, Tenn. A live stream of the meet will be available on SEC Network + through the WatchESPN app, while live results of the meet will be available on adkins.trackscoreboard.com. A live broadcast of Sunday's events will begin at 6 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (CT) on the SEC Network.
History could be made at the meet, as Mizzou senior Karissa Schweizer could set herself a part as the most decorated conference champion in women's program history. The five-time NCAA Champion looks to add on her seven conference titles, which matches Sabrina Dornhoefer for the most in program history among females. Schweizer, the most decorated student-athlete in Mizzou history in terms of national titles, will take the track in the 1500m run and 5000m run. Schweizer holds the school record in both events, and her 2018 times of 4:12.83 in the 1500m and 15:23.21 in the 5000m currently rank ninth and fourth in the NCAA, respectively, this season. Schweizer also holds the top 10,000m run time (32:00.55) set in the NCAA this season.
After making her presence felt at the SEC Indoor Championships, redshirt senior Megan Cunningham will be looking to make an impact again at the SEC Outdoor meet. Cunningham returned to competition full-time this season following a horrific car crash in July 2015 that left her neck broken and skull fractured in four places. She proved to be resilient as can be in her return, as she earned NCAA All-Midwest Regional honors in cross country in the fall, then followed up that performance by winning the 5000m run conference title at the SEC Indoor Championships. Cunningham will run in the 10,000m run in Knoxville, a race which she currently owns the ninth-best time in the nation in after winning the Drakes Relays 10K with a time of 33:19.25.
Redshirt junior Gabi Jacobs will lead the Mizzou women in field events, as she is set to compete in the discus and shot put. Jacobs won the discus at last year's SEC Outdoor meet, as she set a then-personal record mark of 56.58m (185-7) to capture the conference title. Jacobs would go on to set the school record in the discus at the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary meet with a mark of 58.23m (191-0), then finish fifth at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn All-America honors. This season, Jacobs owns the eighth-best discus mark in the nation with a throw of 58.11m (190-8).
For the men, junior Landon Cuskelly and senior Rauno Liitmae will lead the way as they compete in the high jump and decathlon, respectively. Cuskelly owns the seventh-best mark in the NCAA West Region this season following a jump of 2.18m (7-1.75) at the Tom Botts Invitational that netted him Most Outstanding Performer honors. Liitmae has yet to put together a full decathlon score during the outdoor season, but finished fourth in the heptathlon at the SEC Indoor Championships with a score of 5,573 points, the fifth-best heptathlon mark in program history.

SCHWEIZER'S CASE FOR THE BOWERMAN

Mizzou senior Karissa Schweizer's senior campaign has put herself among the nation's best, as she has become a mainstay on The Bowerman Watch List, an annual award given to the nation's top male and female collegiate track & field student-athlete. Each time Schweizer has taken the track in 2018 has been a memorable one, as she has wracked up two national titles, two conference titles, two meet records, four collegiate top-10 marks, six school records and seven first-place finishes... so far.

INDOOR SEASON

Schweizer began her indoor season at the BU Season Opener (Dec. 2), just under a month before the calendar changed over to 2018, and just two weeks after an All-American performance at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Schweizer was determined to avenge what some called a disappointing performance at the NCAA Cross Country meet, as she reset her own school record in a first-place performance in the 5000m run. Schweizer crossed the finish line at 15:17.31, a time which reset her own school record currently ranks fifth all-time in NCAA history. Schweizer was named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week following the performance.
The Tiger senior then returned to the track at the Arkansas Invitational (Jan. 12), where she finished first and clocked a time of 2:44.12 in the 1000m run. The event, which isn't ran often at the NCAA-level, was a school record.
In the first of back-to-back weekends in the Big Apple, Schweizer finished third in the mile run invitational at the Columbia Challenge (Jan. 27), as she crossed the finish line at 4:27.54. Schweizer's time surpassed Laura Roxberg's 2013 time of 4:34.59 as the top-mark recorded in program history, and is the fifth-fastest time recorded all-time in NCAA history. For her performance in NYC, Schweizer was named the SEC Runner of the Week and the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.
Schweizer returned to the Big Apple a week later, as she was invited to the Millrose Games (Feb. 3), a meet reserved mostly for professional runners. The Tiger senior helped steal the show, as she set the 3000m collegiate record in a fourth-place finish filled with professionals, crossing the finish line at 8:41.60. Schweizer's time surpassed Jenny (Barringer) Simpson's 2009 mark of 8:42.03 ran by a collegian, and Sabrina Dornhoefer's 1984 mark of 9:06.39 as the top time in program history.
Competition turned to postseason in the indoor season, as Schweizer captured her sixth and seventh conference titles at the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 24-25). She started the meet off by setting the SEC meet record in the 3000m run, as she finished at 9:00.56 and smashed the previous record by almost 10 seconds, surpassing Cory McGee's (Florida) 2014 mark of 9:10.48. Schweizer passed up on a chance at another individual conference title the next day, as she chose to anchor Mizzou's DMR team. Schweizer took the baton 11 seconds behind first-place, but made up ground quickly, snagging the lead in the final 1000 meters of her 1600-meter leg. The clock stood at 11:08.18 as Schweizer crossed the finish line a full six seconds ahead of the runner-up team from Arkansas (11:14.38). Schweizer's mile run split was 4:25.56 as captured her seventh conference title, matching Sabrina Dornhoefer for the most conference titles by a female in program history.
Schweizer became the most decorated student-athlete in terms of national titles in Mizzou history at the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 9-10), as she won national titles in the 3000m run and 5000m run. She started it off with a wire-to-wire performance in the 5K, as she pulled away from 2017 NCAA Cross Country Champion Ednah Kurgat (New Mexico) with two laps remaining to finish at 15:43.23 and secure her fourth national title. With the win, the Tiger senior became the fifth female in NCAA history to win back-to-back indoor 5000m run national championships (event began in 1989), and the first since Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino did so in 2013 and 2014. Schweizer followed her performance up with a similar performance in the 3K the next night, as she led for a vast majority of the race and never looked back. Boise State's Allie Ostrander stayed near Schweizer for much of the race before the Tiger senior pulled away in the final lap to take the victory at 8:53.36, the third-fastest 3000m time at the NCAA Indoor meet. With the win, Schweizer became the fifth female in NCAA history to win the 3000m and 5000m national titles in the same NCAA Indoor meet, as she joined Notre Dame's Molly Seidel (2016), Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino (2013 & 2014), Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego (2007) and Providence's Kim Smith (2004).
For all her accomplishments over the 2018 indoor season, Schweizer was named the SEC Runner of the Year, USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Track Athlete of the Year, and the USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year.

OUTDOOR SEASON

Schweizer began in the outdoor season by doing something she had not done in her collegiate career up to that point - run a 10,000m run. Schweizer made her 10K collegiate debut at the Stanford Invitational (March 30), and she did not disappoint, as she set the school record with a third-place finish at 32:00.55 in a heat filled with professionals. Schweizer's time ranked eighth all-time in NCAA history, her fourth all-time collegiate top-10 mark.
Next, Schweizer chose to run at Mizzou's annual home meet, the Tom Botts Invitational (April 20), as she set her sixth school record (seventh counting indoor 1000m) in the 1500m run, as she crossed the finish line first at 4:12.83. Schweizer was challenged by professional runner Megan Mansy in the race, and just narrowly edged Laura Roxberg's 2013 time of 4:13.53 to claim the school record.
Schweizer then returned to her home state of Iowa for the Drake Relays (April 26-28), as the Tiger senior put on a show once again. It began with the distance carnival on Thursday, as Schweizer won her first-ever white flag by setting the 5000m run meet record with a time of 15:23.21. Schweizer surpassed the previous record of 15:31.18, which was set by Wisconsin's Cathy Branta in 1985. Schweizer returned to the track on Saturday, as she chose once again to anchor Mizzou' DMR team. In a race reminiscent of Mizzou's SEC Indoor title, Schweizer grabbed the baton with the Tigers in fourth-place as she passed Indiana State, Iowa State and South Dakota State's anchor legs to clinch the title as she crossed the finish line at 11:07.59. For her two white flags, Schweizer was chosen as the Women's Most Outstanding Performer of the 2018 Drake Relays.

THE BOWERMAN WATCH LIST - MAY 2
NAME (YR.)	SCHOOL	EVENTS
Brooke Anderson (R-Sr.)	Northern Arizona	Throws
Kendall Ellis (Sr.)	USC	Sprints
Maggie Ewen (R-Sr.)	Arizona State	Throws
Aleia Hobbs (Sr.)	LSU	Sprints
Lexi Jacobus (Jr.)	Arkansas	Pole Vault
Sydney McLaughlin (Fr.)	Kentucky	Hurdles/Sprints
Keturah Orji (Sr.)	Georgia	Jumps
Allie Ostrander (R-So.)	Boise State	Distance
Karissa Schweizer (Sr.)	Mizzou	Distance
Gabby Thomas (Jr.)	Harvard	Sprints/Jumps

RISING TO THE TOP OF THE RECORD BOOK

Mizzou senior Karissa Schweizer will go down as one of the most accomplished athletes ever at the University of Missouri, regardless of sport. Below is a breakdown of Schweizer's career accomplishments.

MOST NATIONAL TITLES IN MIZZOU HISTORY
NAME	SPORT	# of NATIONAL TITLES
Karissa Schweizer	Track & Field/Cross Country	5
J'den Cox	Wrestling	3
Ben Askren	Wrestling	2
Derrick Peterson	Track & Field	2
Dick Cochran	Track & Field	2
Bill Bangert	Track & Field	2

MOST ALL-AMERICA HONORS IN PROGRAM HISTORY (AMONG FEMALES)
NAME	XC	INDOOR	OUTDOOR	TOTAL
Kearsten Peoples	--	5	5	10
Sabrina Dornhoefer	3	3	2	8
Karissa Schweizer	2	4	2	8
Rosalyn Dunlap	--	3	3	6
Natasha (Kaiser) Brown	--	2	4	6
Ashley Wysong	--	4	2	6

MOST CONFERENCE TITLES IN PROGRAM HISTORY (AMONG FEMALES)
NAME	XC	INDOOR	OUTDOOR	TOTAL
Sabrina Dornhoefer	--	3	4	7
Karissa Schweizer	2	4	1	7
Teri LeBlanc	--	3	3	6
Lorinda Richardson	--	3	3	6
Natasha (Kaiser) Brown	--	3	2	5
Kearsten Peoples	--	2	3	5

CUNNINGHAM'S COMEBACK

After nearly being paralyzed following a horrific car crash in July 2015, Mizzou redshirt senior Megan Cunningham has made a remarkable return to the athletic field and has her sights set on finishing her career as an All-American. As she embarked on a family vacation to Montana, Cunningham and her family were involved in a terrible wreck that left Megan with a broken neck and her skull fractured in four places. Her dad is still confined to a wheel chair.
Cunningham remained determined after the crash, and proved doctors wrong, who thought she may never walk again. She returned occasionally during the 2017 track season, but really made her presence known during the 2017 cross country season, as Megan vaulted to Mizzou's No. 2 runner. Cunningham set a 5K PR at the Commodore Classic (Sept. 16), then closed her season at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet, as she finished 12th at with a 6K personal record of 20:29.8, earning NCAA All-Midwest Regional honors.
Cunningham was just getting started, however, as personal records continued to fall in the indoor season. She began by setting a personal record in the 3000m run at the Vanderbilt Invitational (Jan. 20), as she finished third at 9:19.07, the fifth-fastest time in program history. Cunningham then set a PR, meet record and facility record in the 5000m run at the Music City Challenge (Feb. 9), as she set the second-fastest time in program history at 15:53.20. The best was yet to come, though, as Cunningham won her first conference title at the SEC Indoor Championships (Feb. 25), as she finished at first in the 5000m run at 15:56.76.
Success has followed Cunningham in the outdoor season, as she has posted program top-10 marks in both the 5000m run and 10,000m run. First, she won the 5000m at the Gorilla Classic (April 14) with the fourth-fastest time in program history at 16:03.20. Then, Cunningham won a white flag in the 10,000m run at the Drake Relays (April 26), crossing the finish line at 33:19.25, also the fourth-fastest time in program history.

THROWERS MAKING THEIR MARK

Six Mizzou throwers have etched their names in the Mizzou record book this outdoor season by posting program top-10 marks.
Most recently, redshirt junior Avery Carter set his first program top-10 mark with an event win in the hammer throw at the Tom Botts Invitational (April 20). Carter provided the best hammer throw of his career, as he posted the third-best throw in program history at 64.18m (210-7),
At the Ole Miss Classic (March 31), sophomore Allie Webb checked in at No. 8 all-time in the javelin with a mark of 44.11m (144-9).
At the Arkansas Spring Invitational (March 23-24), redshirt junior Will Fife joined the top-10 list at No. 7 in the shot put at 18.58m (60-11.5), while freshman Megan Haley set a top-10 mark in the javelin, checking in at No. 9 with a throw of 43.40 (142-5).
Mizzou's other two top-10 marks came at the CMU Open (March 17), as junior Becky Keating posted the second-best mark in program history in the hammer throw at 63.87m (209-6) and redshirt sophomore Patrick Kunza posted the eighth-best mark in the men's hammer throw at 62.70m (205-8).

SCHWEIZER NAMED MOP, SEC RUNNER OF THE WEEK AFTER DRAKE RELAYS PERFORMANCE

Following a stand out performance in her home state, Mizzou senior Karissa Schweizer was named the Southeastern Conference Co-Runner of the Week. Schweizer was also named the Women's Most Outstanding Performer at the Drake Relays (April 26-28) following event wins in the 5000m run and distance medley relay.
The SEC Runner of the Week nod is the first of the 2018 outdoor season for Schweizer, and the eighth overall in her career.
Running on the Blue Oval, a track she is extremely familiar with from her days at nearby Dowling Catholic High School, Schweizer set the Drake Relays 5000m run meet record on Thursday evening as she crossed the finish line at 15:23.31. Her time is the fastest time ran in the NCAA this season, and the fourth-fastest in the world in 2018. Schweizer followed up her 5K performance on the track by anchoring the Mizzou distance medley relay team which took home the white flag Saturday with a time of 11:07.59. Schweizer ran a 4:32.19 mile split and elevated the Tigers from fourth to first for the victory.

CUNNINGHAM WINS WHITE FLAG AT DRAKE RELAYS

Redshirt senior Megan Cunningham won the 10,000m run at the Drake Relays, becoming Mizzou's first-ever winner in the event. Coupled with Schweizer's win in the 5000m, the duo's first-place finishes mark the second time in Drake Relays history, and the first time since 1994, that a women's team has swept the 5000m and 10,000m races.
Cunningham won the 10,000m run title in dominating fashion. She led the race from start to finish as she crossed the finish line at 33:19.25, more than two minutes ahead of Wartburg's Ashlyn Bagge who finished second at 35:28.82. Cunningham's time ranks second in Drake Relays history, as it only trails Patty Murray's (Nike) time of 32:57.38 in 1988. In addition to Cunningham's time ranking fourth all-time in program history, it currently ranks seventh in the NCAA West Region and ninth overall in the NCAA this season. Cunningham shaved more than three minutes off her previous personal record of 36:46.41, which she set at the 2015 Drake Relays.

SCHWEIZER SETS SCHOOL RECORD, MIZZOU WINS NINE EVENTS AT TOM BOTTS INVITATIONAL

At the 21st annual Tom Botts Invitational, Mizzou recorded nine event wins, including a school record performance from five-time NCAA Champion senior Karissa Schweizer in the 1500m run.
Schweizer stayed toe-to-toe with professional runner Megan Mansy throughout the entirety of the race up until the final 200 meters, where Schweizer kicked to cross the finish line at 4:12.83. The time is the fifth-fastest time set in the NCAA West Region this season, the eighth-fastest in the NCAA overall, and surpassed Laura Roxberg's 2013 mark of 4:13.53 as the fastest time in program history. Schweizer now holds six school records, as she previously set the program's top marks in the indoor mile, indoor 3000m, indoor 5000m, outdoor 5000m and outdoor 10,000m.
In his first Tom Botts Invitational, junior Landon Cuskelly had a dominant high jump performance, as his clearance of 2.18m (7-1.75) ranks fifth in school history, matching Steve Herndon's 1966 mark. The jump will likely qualify Cuskelly for the NCAA West Preliminary meet, as it currently ranks seventh in the NCAA West Region and 19th overall in the NCAA this season. Mizzou took home the top spot in the women's high jump as well, as junior Karissa Roman cleared 1.72m (5-7.75) to take first.
In the men's hammer throw, redshirt junior Avery Carter increased his personal record throw by nearly four meters, as he launched a throw of 64.18m (210-7) to win the event. Carter entered the meet with a personal best mark of 60.49m (198-5). His throw ranks third all-time in program history, and 13th in the NCAA West region this season. Setting a personal record for the second time in as many meets, Edwards placed first in the javelin with a mark of 53.69m (176-1).
Reshirt junior Gabi Jacobs set a new meet and facility record in women's discus throw, as the 2017 NCAA All-American recorded an impressive season-best mark of 58.11m (190-7). The throw was an improvement from her mark of 55.42m (181-10) at the John McDonnell Invitational (April 14), and currently ranks eight in the NCAA West region this season.
Freshman Chris Conrad took home two first-place finishes in his first Tom Botts Invite. In the 1500m run, Conrad crossed the finish line at 3:54.49, while in the 800m run, Conrad finished at 1:51.45. In the women's 800m run race redshirt senior Valeska Halamicek finished first at 2:10.14.
Following the meet, Cuskelly was named the Male Most Outstanding Performer of the meet as his jump ranks in the top-20 in the NCAA this season. Schweizer was named the meet's Female Most Outstanding Performer after she set the school and meet record in the 1500m run.