The Tigers opened their track & field season with a bang at the Alexis Jarrett Invitational at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., claiming six first-place finishes and strong showings across multiple events.
Strong Showing for Men and Women’s Weight Throw
The meet opened at 10 a.m. with the men’s weight throw, highlighted by a second-place finish from Garik Pozecki with a personal best, who recorded a throw of 21.62 meters. Clayton Kamp secured third with a mark of 17.92, and TJ Wiggins rounded out the top four with a throw of 16.83.
For the women,
the Tigers had a strong presence placing all five of their athletes in the top five. Petra Gombas led the way, winning the event with her fifth attempt placing higher than Reagan Kimrey at 19.19. Kimrey finished second with a throw of 19.12m, followed by Delilah Pippen with a personal best and Ames Burton who finished third and fourth with throws of 16.72m and 16.62m. Kaitlyn Morningstar with a personal best added a fifth-place finish, giving Missouri representation in every top-five position.
Women’s High Jump: The Tigers Soar to First Place
Leading the Tigers to a first-place finish in the high jump, sophomore Marlena Tresno cleared a height of 1.76 meters, the top mark among the four competitors.
“I’m excited to see what [Tresno’s] able to do, as far as being able to be a better version of herself. You know, she’s been very, very open and we’ve been able to establish a rapport in a relatively short period of time, so we’ve been able to just get to work and that’s pretty cool,” assistant coach TJ Harris said.
Men and Women’s 60m Hurdles
On the men’s side, senior Dillon Lecock finished second with a time of 8.29. In other results, freshman Sofia Wydra placed ninth in the hurdles sprint with a time of 9.24 and finished sixth in the long jump with a mark of 5.45.
Men’s 60m Dash To Success
Senior Robert Hines won the race at first with a sprint time of 6.87, out of the eight runners who raced today in the first heat.
Men and Women’s Shot Put Holds Multiple Top Remarks
Junior Chase Crawford captured first place in the men’s shot put with a winning mark of 17.62 meters. Sam Albert finished third with a throw of 15.83 meters, while Clayton Kamp placed fifth at 14.86 meters.
On the women’s side, Wydra placed third for the shot put with a mark of 11.42 against eight other competitors.
Women’s Pole Vault Beats the Competition
The Tigers swept the top of the podium in the women’s pole vault. Senior Anna Vedral won the event with a clearance of 3.75 meters, followed by Anna Ferguson in second at 3.60 meters and Allison Geen in third with 3.30 meters.
Men’s 200m Victory
Hines earned a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash, crossing the line in 21.82 seconds. Leacock finished eighth with a time of 22.44 seconds.
Distance Runners
Although neither the men’s nor women’s teams competed in the distance events today, last season’s cross country runners and other distance athletes are expected to compete soon. Fans will have the opportunity to see standout performers such as Monica Wanjiku and Elijah Limo in action once again.
What’s Next For the Tigers
Following this meet’s accomplishments, the Tigers will have their next meet at home once again, for the Show-Me Showdown on Jan. 16 in Columbia, Mo. This early meet success will allow the Tigers to hold their heads up high as they head into the next few meets of their indoor season.
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