Missouri
NCAA West Preliminary Championships
Jacobs Earns Third Consecutive Trip to NCAA Outdoor Championships
5/24/2019 6:34:00 PM | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field, Track & Field
Jacobs records fourth-place finish in the discus to advance to NCAA meet
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Mizzou Track & Field redshirt senior Gabi Jacobs (Bloomington, Ill.) clinched her third consecutive trip to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships on Friday in Sacramento. A two-time All-American, Jacobs will make her third straight appearance in the NCAA discus final in Austin, Texas.
NOTABLE FINISHES
Jacobs punched her ticket to the NCAA meet with a throw of 57.50m (188-8), as she finished fourth overall. Jacobs has recorded back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the discus at the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her two performances are the highest ever finishes by a Mizzou athlete at the NCAA meet. Jacobs is the school record holder in the event, after producing a mark of 60.25m (197-8) at the Herm Wilson Invitational (March 23). Jacobs will look to advance to Austin in her second event of the weekend, as she is slated to compete in the shot put on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. CT.
In the first round of the 200m dash, redshirt freshman Jayson Ashford (Fairview Heights, Ill.) earned an automatic bid to the quarterfinals after finishing third in heat two and 25th overall with a personal record time of 20.90. Ashford bested his previous personal record mark of 20.95, which he set at the Herm Wilson Invitational (March 23) to open the season. Ashford will run in the 200m dash quarterfinals on Saturday at 9:50 p.m. CT.
In quarterfinals heats, redshirt sophomore Karina Liz (Aurora, Ill.), redshirt sophomore Melissa Menghini (Fenton, Mo.) and sophomore Nylo Clarke (Riverside, Mo.) all closed their 2019 outdoor seasons with gutsy performances. Liz finished 19th in the 800m run at 2:06.23, while Menghini finished 32nd in the 3000m steeplechase at 10:24.29 and Clarke finished 20th in the 400m dash at 46.68. Menghini finishes the outdoor season as the school record holder in the 3000m steeplechase at 10:07.76, while Liz holds the fifth-fastest time in the 800m run at 2:05.64. Clarke's debut season in the Black & Gold finished with program top-10 marks in the 100m dash (seventh – 103.5), 200m dash (seventh – 10.81) and 400m dash (fourth – 46.30).
UP NEXT
Mizzou will finish out competition at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships on Saturday, as field events are slated to begin at 4:45 p.m. CT and track events at 8 p.m. CT. Mizzou will have eight student-athletes competing in field events and two in track events.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MIZ_TrackField).
MIZZOU RESULTS - TRACK EVENTS
200m Dash, Men – 25. Jayson Ashford, 20.90 (W: 1.7) Q, PR
400m Dash, Men – 20. Nylo Clarke, 46.68
800m Run, Women – 19. Karina Liz, 2:06.23
3000m Steeplechase, Women – 32. Melissa Menghini, 10:24.29
MIZZOU RESULTS - FIELD EVENTS
Discus, Women – 4. Gabi Jacobs, 57.50m (188-8) q // 21. Sophia Rivera, 51.18m (167-11) // 38. CeCe Johnson, 48.03m (157-7)
Players Mentioned
