June 11, 2008
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Missouri track and field teams completed day one of competition at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday. Sophomore Brian Hancock (Monroe City, Mo.) qualified for Friday's final in the men's pole vault while sophomore Nick Adcock (Kansas City, Mo.) and freshman Lars Rise (Trondheim, Norway) finished day one of the men's decathlon in fourth and sixth place, respectively, after battling a thunderstorm-delay early in the competition.
Hancock cleared 17-2¾ (5.25m) on his first attempt to become one of the fifteen qualifiers for Friday's national final of the pole vault. The Tiger sophomore struggled at 16-8¾ (5.10m), clearing on his third try, but was able to recover for his fast-track qualifier.
Adcock's score of 3,963 places him solidly in fourth place after the first five events of the decathlon. Rise is three points ahead of his personal best pace to sit in sixth with 3,945 points. Adcock trails Washington State's Rickey Moody by 85 points for third while fourth through ninth place is separated by only 48.
For the 10 a.m., start of the decathlon, conditions were threatening, with thunder in the background and rain approaching. The first event, the 100 meters commenced without delay, but during a moderate shower. As a result, many of the athletes had sub-par scores after the first event. Soon after the final section of the 100, lightning filled the sky and rain pelted an already saturated Des Moines. After a two-and-half-hour rain delay, the long jump, decathlon's second event started. Very few benefited from the extra break as scores were below average for most of the field.
At the shot put, the third event, Rise, the Tiger frosh, started to make his move. On his second of three attempts, Rise marked the field's best, 52-7½ (16.04m) for a new Missouri-decathlon school record and a new outdoor personal best. Rise followed up his shot with a personal best in the high jump, clearing 6-5 (1.96m) on his third attempt. Rise needed a third attempt for his last three of six bar clearances. Rise came near his all-time best in the 400 meters with a 50.57 clocking to wrap the day.
Adcock claimed an outdoor personal best with a 44-3½ (13.50m) toss in the shot and followed with a clearance of 6-6¼ (1.99m) in the high jump. In the 400 meters, Adcock recorded a time of 48.88 for the field's third-fastest time.
Oregon's Ashton Eaton leads the decathlon after day one with 4,289 points. Tennessee's Jangy Addy is second with 4,238.
Senior Jason Morris (St. Louis, Mo.) and junior Chris Rohr (Lee's Summit, Mo.) tied for 13th in the men's hammer throw, both marking 210-4 (64.11m), an inch from the 12th and final qualifying spot. Morris and Rohr seem to have finished as the eighth Americans in the competition. Official All-America honors will be announced later this week.
Junior Krishna Lee placed 19th in the qualifying round of the women's hammer throw, throwing 191-10 (58.47m). While Lee did not make Friday's final in the event, she still has an entry in the women's shot put.
Day two of four will is scheduled to begin Thursday at 10:45 a.m., with the running of the 110-meter hurdle portion of the decathlon. Showers are in the forecast overnight and could delay action again tomorrow. Also for the Tigers on Thursday, senior Nate Englin will compete in the qualifying round of the men's shot put while Lee and Nicholls will compete again in the qualifying rounds of the women's shot put.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS, Day 1 of 4
PR - personal best
SB - personal season best
SR - school record (d - decathlon only)
MEN
Decathlon (after day one, 5 of 10 events)
1. Ashton Eaton, Oregon, 4,289 pts
(10.64, 7.68m, 12.79m, 1.96m, 47.25)
2. Jangy Addy, Tennessee, 4,238 pts
(10.87, 7.31m, 15.31m, 1.96m, 48.52)
3. Rickey Moody, Washington State, 4,048 pts
(10.94, 7.05m, 14.61m, 2.02m, 51.21)
4. Nick Adcock, MISSOURI, 3,963 pts
(11.18, 6.87m, 13.50m (oPR), 1.99m, 48.88)
6. Lars Rise, MISSOURI, 3,958 pts
(11.46, 6.84m, 16.04m (oPR, dSR), 1.96m (PR), 50.57)
QUALIFYING ROUNDS, Missouri only
Pole Vault
Qual. Brian Hancock, MISSOURI, 5.25m, 17-2¾ (one of 15 qualified for Friday's finals)
Hammer Throw
DNQ. T13. Jason Morris, MISSOURI, 64.11m, 210-4
DNQ. T13. Chris Rohr, MISSOURI, 64.11m, 210-4
TEAM SCORES
No score after day one
WOMEN
QUALIFYING ROUNDS, Missouri only
Discus
DNQ, 28. Shernelle Nicholls, MISSOURI, 43.71m, 143-5
Hammer Throw
DNQ, 19. Krishna Lee, MISSOURI, 58.47m, 191-10
TEAM SCORES
No score after day one
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