Championship season has arrived for Missouri Track & Field. The Tigers travel to Auburn, Ala., this week for the SEC Outdoor Championships, set for Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16. The meet will be held at Hutsell-Rosen Track, where some of the nation’s best athletes will battle for conference titles under the Alabama sun.
Opening Day Brings the Multis and Distance Battles
Thursday is a packed first day highlighted by the start of the decathlon and heptathlon, along with several preliminary running events and the throwing events of the weekend.
Field events begin at noon with the women’s hammer throw, who are currently ranked No.19 overall, followed later in the afternoon by the men’s hammer, women’s javelin (with Mizzou ranked No.1 overall), and men’s javelin. Some familiar Mizzou faces set to compete includes Sam Innes and Petra Gombas.
The women’s javelin will feature Skylar Ciccolini, who continues to make an impact both on and off the field. Ciccolini recently earned the prestigious Brad Davis Community Service Leader of the Year award, becoming just the third student-athlete in Missouri history to receive the honor. Her leadership and consistency have made her one of the standout athletes ranking No.3 nationally, before entering championship weekend.
On the track, preliminary rounds begin with the women’s and men’s 800 meters before moving into the 200 meters and 400-meter hurdles. The evening closes with the women’s and men’s 10,000-meter finals under the lights, which star athlete Drew Rogers will hopefully compete in. I wrote about him in this feature.
One of the biggest storylines of day one will be the women’s heptathlon, where Brianna Utecht is expected to compete. Utecht enters the SEC Championships coming off a thrilling performance at the Drake Relays, where she placed fourth overall against elite competition. Her momentum heading into SECs could make her a serious contender during this meet.
The decathlon also gets underway Thursday morning with the 100 meters before athletes battle through the long jump, shot put, high jump, and conclude the day with the 400 meters.
Meanwhile, Utecht will tackle the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put and 200 meters during the opening day schedule.
Sprint Prelims and Multi-Event Champions Crowned
Friday’s events begin on the field, with the women’s shot put and long jump before progressing into the high jump, men’s pole vault, men’s shot put and men’s long jump. This will be a great chance for Mizzou athletes such as Chase Crawford, Sam Albert and Clayton Kamp to make valuable strides.
On the track, fans will see Mizzou athletes compete in preliminary rounds of the hurdles, 1,500 meters, 400 meters and the highly anticipated 100-meter dash prelims, which will likely feature Robert Hines. Distance specialists will then take center stage in the women’s and men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase finals later in the evening, with all eyes on Elijah Limo.
The multi-events conclude Friday as decathletes finish with the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters, while heptathlon athletes close competition in the long jump, javelin, and 800 meters. Brianna Utecht’s versatility across all seven events will be one of the key performances to watch as the women’s heptathlon crowns its SEC champion.
Championship Saturday Under the Lights
Saturday’s field events begin early with the women’s discus, likely featuring Ames Burton and Kaitlyn Morningstar, before moving through the triple jump, pole vault, men’s high jump, men’s discus and men’s triple jump.
The running finals start with the women’s and men’s 4×100-meter relays before transitioning into a nonstop lineup of championship races. Fans will see races such as the 1500 meters, hurdles — likely featuring Dillon Leacock — 400 meters, 100 meters, 800 meters, 400-meter hurdles, and 200 meters.
The distance portion of the evening concludes with the women’s and men’s 5,000 meters before the women’s and men’s 4×400-meter relay closes the meet.
Schedule Link: https://www.secsports.com/sec-outdoor-track-field-championship-schedule
Weather Updates
The weather in Auburn will be clear and pleasant throughout the week. Thursday’s forecast calls for a high of 76 degrees and a low of 57 degrees. Temperatures will rise slightly on Friday, reaching a high of 80 degrees and a low of 51 degrees. The warming trend continues into Saturday, when highs are expected to reach 85 degrees, with a low of 59 degrees.
The meet be available to keep up with here: https://live.xpresstiming.com/meets/72134
Rock Chalk Classic Highlights
The Tigers competed in the Rock Chalk Classic May 1-2, which provided some friendly neighborly fire and lots of top results.
Day one saw some victories, with Lasse Funck winning the men’s 1,500 meters, finishing in the second fastest time in school history. Alongside him, Tyler Freiner took second in the men’s 5,000 meters, finishing as the tenth fastest Tiger time in history.
As for the men’s and women’s hammer throw, Morningstar took second for the women, and Sam Innes did the same for the men. Morgan Cannon claimed a second-place mark in the women’s javelin, while Val Galligan took third and Marysa Flieg took fourth. Natalie Barnard finished fourth overall in the women’s 5,000 meters, finishing out a successful first day for the Tigers.
Day two had some more highlights, with all three Tigers finishing in the top four in the men’s shot put. Crawford came out second overall, while Sam Albert and Clayton Kamp took third and fourth place.
In the 100-meter dash, Hines also claimed a second place finish with a mark of 10.42. Ames Burton took sixth overall in the women’s discus, and a notable final day in Kansas was had.
What SEC Championships Means for the Tigers
Championship outdoor meet season at Hutsell-Rosen Track represents a big jump for the Tigers as they move from the regular season to the postseason. Mizzou will come face-to-face with some of the top schools in the SEC, from Arkansas on the men’s side, to Georgia on the women’s side. That being said, this meet will give the Tigers a chance to prove themselves beyond what accomplishments they have made during the regular season.
Competitors such as Brianna Utecht, Drew Rogers, Sam Innes and Skylar Ciccolini have gone above and beyond this season, and strong performances at the SEC Championships could further elevate their success. Beyond those standout athletes, every Tiger competing in Auburn will be challenged to prove themselves on one of the conference’s biggest stages.
New Signee Spotlight: Cedric Cade
Cedric Cade has officially signed and will bring some spark to the program’s multi-event group.
Originally from Las Vegas, Cade competed at Palo Verde High School before continuing his career at Pima Community College. Known as a strong multis athlete, Cade placed first in the men’s decathlon during the NJCAA Region I Track & Field championships, from April 24-30.
His athleticism and ability to compete in multiple events is exactly who the Tigers need, making him an important contributor in the future for this program.
To read more about Missouri’s Track and Field team, follow @Rock MNation and @SophBleedsLA on twitter/X.
