March 11, 2011
Results
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - Senior Lars Rise (Trondheim, Norway) had an outstanding first day of competition accumulating 3,317 points in the first four events of the heptathlon at the 2011 Indoor NCAA Championships at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas. Rise is very much in striking distance of the current leader Mantas Silkauskas of Kansas State who scored 3,347. Only one point separates Rise from the current second-place holder, Kurt Felix of Boise State. Rise entered the meet ranked fifth in the nation.
"Lars was awesome today," associated head coach Dan Lefever said. "He had a career day. Lars has been doing combined events for a long time and it is hard to do that for as long as he has and have a day like he did today. His high jump was obviously the highlight of the day and we are just really excited for tomorrow and we can't wait to see what will happen."
Rise broke his previous first day personal-best of 3,242, which was set two weeks ago at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships. He began the day by running a personal-best in the 60m dash, clocking in at 7.20 for 813 points. Next, Rise just missed his personal-best in the long jump, leaping 7.25m (23-9 ½) for 874 points. Rise's successes continued in the shot put by out-throwing the rest of the competition by more than a meter, throwing 15.75m (51-8 ¼), good for 836 points. Rise concluded his day by setting another personal-best, jumping 1.99m (6-6 ¼) and earning 794 points in the high jump.
Rise was 59 points behind Silkauskas after day one at the Big 12 Championships and ended up edging him by five points for a second-place finish. Big 12 Champion, Bjorn Barrefors of Nebraska, who came into today's competition ranked second in the nation, is currently in sixth with 3,243 points. No. 1 ranked Miller Moss of Clemson is in fourth with 3,292 points.
Also competing for the Tigers today was senior
Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) in the pole vault. Hancock vaulted 15.25m (17-2 ¾) finishing as a second-team All-American in 11th place. Hancock entered the meet tied for 10th nationally. Scott Roth of Washington won the event, vaulting 5.50m (18-0 ½). The All-American honor is the fourth of Hancock's storied career at Mizzou.
Competition resumes tomorrow at noon. Rise will make his run at the National Title competing in the 60m hurdles, pole vault and 1,000m run to finish out the heptathlon. For all the latest on Mizzou track and field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MIZ_TrackField.
