MSSU women's track sets two qualifying marks, three school records at SBU

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Bolivar, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern women's track and field team picked up three school records and two NCAA Automatic Qualifying marks as the Lions competed at the SBU Bearcat Invite today.

Emily Presley, Morgan Smith and Desirea Buerge all picked up new school records today at the meet.

Smith won the 100m hurdles and picked up a new shcool record in a provisional time of 13.97. That time is .01 faster than the previous record held by Tina Keller set in 1999.

Presley added another school record to her portfolio as she hit an NCAA AQ in the pole vault with a height of 13-11.25, breaking the previous record of 13-05.00 set by Melanie Bower last season. Samantha Donnell had a provisional mark of 11-11.75 to finish sixth in the event, while Mylene Loridan was eighth.

Buerge won the discus with an NCAA AQ distance of 171-05 to break the previous mark of 167-00 by Danee Jones set in 2005. Buerge was also seventh in the shot put with a distacne of 42-03.50, while Jenson Maydew placed 12th.

In other action, Allie Heckemeyer picked up a provisional and a win in the triple jump with a distance of 40-02.75, while Sierra Barrett was fourth. Heckemeyer was also seventh in the javelin with a distance of 105-10 and was 12th in the 200m.

Tiffany Gilford was 13th in the 100m, while Destiny Akannam was fourth in the 400m in a time of 58.49. Kristen Koch was ninth and Ronise Miller was 11th. Emily Harris and Sara Lin placed fourth and fifth in the 800m, while Sierra Wels was second in the 1,500.

Cynthia Torres and Christian Provence placed first and second, respectively in the 3k with times of 10:43.07 and 10:46.08, while Shelby Werner was seventh.

Rachel Ray was second and Kelsey Evans placed fifth in the 400m hurdles, while Sierra Gray was third in the steeplechase. The 400m relay team of Gilford, Akannam, Presley and Smith placed third in a time of 48.25, while the 1,600m relay team of Koch, Ray, Miller and Evans was fourth in a time of 4:05.99

Halee Cashio placed ninth in the hammer with a distance of 140-10.

Presley's jump increases her national lead, while Buerge is now fifth nationally in the discus and Smith ranks ninth in the hurdles.

The Lions will be in action next weekend with split action at both the Mount Sac Relays and Pittsburg State.