Fayetteville, Ark. — Mizzou Track and Field completed the first of its two weekend meets Friday at the Wooo Pig Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. The Tigers faced off against a stout lineup of opponents, including the reigning SEC indoor champions Arkansas Razorbacks and Big 12 indoor champion Texas Longhorns (women).
Mizzou competed in almost exclusively field events at the meet, taking home three event wins and setting six new personal records.
Notable Finishes
Senior Ja'Mari Ward (Cahokia, Ill.) opened his season with an outstanding performance in the men's long jump, taking home first place with a jump distance of 7.88m (25-10). The mark moves Ward into third place in the country for the event.
Sophomore Euphenie Andre (Dover Plains, N.Y.) staved off her teammate, junior Arianna Fisher (San Jose, Calif.), to win the women's triple jump with a distance of 13.18m (41-3). Andre and Fisher now rank third and fourth in the nation, respectively, with their solid performances on the day. The personal best also moves Andre to No. 3 on Mizzou's all-time list for the event.
Junior Georgi Nachev (Yambol, Bulgaria) rounded out the wins for the Tigers, winning the men's triple jump with a new personal record of 15.57m (51-1). His mark also ranks eighth in the nation.
Quotables
Head Coach Brett Halter… "Another solid weekend for the Tigers. We added several more athletes to the competing mix this weekend. It was nice to see so many personal bests tonight across the board. Another example of the quality of work our team have out in over the last several months coupled with their willingness to be tested in the competitive arena."
"We certainly feel blessed to have the opportunity to compete and to a person everyone is taking advantage of their respective opportunities."
"We have much more work to get done over the next couple of weeks heading into February. I fully expect several Tigers, both men & women to be at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March."
Up Next
The remainder of the team will compete in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Iowa State Cyclone Invitational. The event will begin at 1 p.m. CT with the women's 60m hurdles. For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram(MizzouTFXC).
Results - Field Events
Long Jump (W) - 6. Ayele Gerken, 5.80m (19-6) // 7. Arielle Mack, 5.80m (19-6)
Weight Throw (M) - 5. Mitch Weber, 17.62 (57-9.75) PR
High Jump (W) - 8. Claudina Diaz, 1.64 (5-4.5)
Weight Throw (W) - 5. Sydney Oberdiek, 18.84 (61-9.75) // 6. Sydney Johnson, 17.97m (58-11.5) // 8. Emily Stauffer, 17.53m (57-6.25) // 9. Jordan Speer, 16.26m (53-4.25) // 10. Olivia Evans, 15.68m (51-5.5)
Long Jump (M) - 1. Ja'Mari Ward, 7.88m (25-10.25)
Shot Put (M) - 5. Mitch Weber, 16.75m (54-11.5) // 9. Rece Rowan, 14.85m (48-8.75) // 11. Devin Roberson, 14.36m (47-1.5) // 13. Jason Edwards, 12.74m (41-9.75)
Triple Jump (W) - 1. Euphenie Andre, 13.18m (43-3) PR // 2. Arianna Fisher, 13.11m (43-0.25) // 5. Mara Hausler, 12.57 (41-3)
Shot Put (W) - 4. Emily Stauffer, 14.46m (47-5.25) // 5. Jordan Speer, 14.21m (46-7.50) PR // 6. Emily Offenheiser, 14.08m (46-2.50)
Triple Jump (M) - 1. Georgi Nachev, 15.57m (51-1.00) PR
Results - Track Events
60m HH (M) - 12. Jason Edwards, 8.89
60m (W) - 9. Ayele Gurken, 7.74 // 10. Arielle Mack, 7.97 // 11. Mirieli Santos, 7.97