Tigers Extend Homestand With Bob Teel Invitational

Saturday, January 24

Columbia, Mo.

9:30 a.m.

Missouri

Bob Teel Invitational

1/22/2026 12:04:00 PM | Track & Field

Missouri prepares to host its third of five meets at Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.

Mizzou track and field enters its third meet of the 2026 season with the Bob Teel Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 24, beginning at 10 a.m. at Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.

INSIDE THE FIELDHOUSE

Missouri competes alongside Saint Louis, Memphis, Missouri State, Washington (Mo.), SIUE, Emporia State, Iowa Western CC, Austin Peay, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Little Rock and Missouri Southern.

Before the start of last year's indoor season, the facility's 200-meter track was refurbished with an eight-lane sprint straightaway, along with runways for pole vault and horizontal jumps. Since its opening in 1972, the venue has hosted multiple indoor track and field competitions, including the 1991 Big Eight Indoor Track & Field Championship.

MEET NAMESAKE: BOB TEEL

The Bob Teel Invitational is named in honor of Bob Teel, a two-sport star at MU and decorated coach. On the football field, Teel led the Big Six Conference in punting in 1946. Meanwhile, on the track, he claimed the titles of conference indoor and outdoor long jump champion in 1948. His 25-feet, one-and-a-quarter-inch result that year (ranked sixth in the world) set a school record that stood for 22 years and qualified him for the U.S. Olympic trials.

Teel served as Mizzou's head track coach from 1973 to 1988, coaching 42 all-Americans, including three individual national champions and one relay titlist. He was the NCAA Indoor Coach of the Year in 1983 and served terms as president of the NCAA Cross Country Coaches and Track and Field Coaches Associations.

In addition, Teel was a prominent figure in the U.S. Olympic development program, coaching on the national and international levels. Teel's 1979 sprint medley relay team set a world record (3:13.66). His 1980 shuttle hurdle relay team and his 1985 indoor mile relay team also ran the fastest times in the world that year. He coached seven Olympians, an Olympic alternate and an American record holder (Ben Plucknett, discus).

TIGERS ON THE TRACK

In total, 35 Tigers are set to compete in the Bob Teel Invitational, the largest group of the 2026 season to represent the Black and Gold. Wichita State transfer Brianna Utecht is slated to compete in the 60m hurdles and long jump, after she notched the program's eighth and 10th records, with respective results of 8.71 and 5.94m (19-6) in her Missouri debut. She will be joined by freshman Sofia Wydra, who also competes in the 60m.

Four prepare to compete in the pole vault after placing in the top five at the Show-Me Showdown: Anna Vedral, Anna Ferguson, Allison Geen and Makenna Estes. Vedral claimed the title for the second-straight meet and recorded the program's eighth-best result of 3.83m (12-6.75).

For the women's weight throw, Petra Gombas makes her return after securing the sixth record with a throw of 19.47 (63-10.5). She will be joined by Ames Burton, Delilah Pippen, Kaitlyn Morningstar and Tania Duncan, who makes her season debut.

Garik Pozecki and Clayton Kamp prepare for the men's weight throw after Pozecki claimed the sixth-best mark for Mizzou with a distance of 21.62m (70-11.25) at the Alexis Jarrett Invitational. Kamp looks to join Sam Albert in the shot put, who established a personal-best result of 17.66m (57-11.25) at last week's competition.

After taking the fifth all-time spot for the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.14, Dillon Leacock looks to follow up his impressive result in the event, along with competing in the 400m. Robert Hines is slated for the 60m dash after claiming the title at the Alexis Jarrett Invitational.

Coming out of a strong cross country season, Mizzou's distance runners look to begin the indoor season. Lily Ginsberg, Charlotte Cullen, Brianna Lee and Suzy Lecoutre are scheduled to race in the 1000m, with Morgan Youmans making her first appearance as a Tiger. For the mile, Natalie Barnard, Elissa Barnard, Mirriam Chepkirui, Kobi Walker, Maleah Eggers and Pheline Mining will represent the Black & Gold.

On the men's side, Carter Spradling, Finn Russell, Andrew Hauser, Joseph Bariola, Elijah Limo and Tyler Freiner will pace the mile, with Ethan Zuber racing in his first collegiate event. Senior Lasse Funck is listed to take on the 5000m.