(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)
Pittsburg, Kan. -- The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams had a dominant performance from the field events Friday at Pittsburg State as the Lions had eight event wins and four NCAA Automatic Qualifying performances, competing at the Pittsburg State-Wendy's Tune Up inside Carnie Smith Stadium.
The Lions had wins from Emily Presley (pole vault), Claire Luallen (long jump), Buerge (shot put, discus), Rajindra Campbell (shot put, discus), Kirsten Leisinger (hammer), and Morgan Ash (javelin). Presley, Buerge and Ash all had NCAA Automatic Qualifying Marks in their events.
Ash picked up a win in the javelin, going 168-09 (51.45m) for an NCAA AQ. Alexis Kuehl was second, while Katelyn Mooney placed fifth in the javelin. Leisinger won the hammer with an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 185-06, while Alexandra Rodriguez was fourth.
Campbell won the discus and the shot put, starting with an NCAA provisional qualifying makr of 179-07, while Josh Fulmer was fourth and Elijah Smith was sixth. Campbell then won the shot put with a provisional mark of 58-07.25, while Fulmer and Smith placed eighth and 11th, respectively.
Buerge won the shot and the discus herself, picking up AQ's in both events. She won the shot with a mark of 52-05.5, while Payton Roberts was third with an NCAA provisional mark of 48-04.75. She then turned around and won the discus with another AQ of 173-11. Roberts was second, while Leisinger was fifth and Rodriguez was ninth in the event.
Luallen won the long jump with a distance of 18-08.50, while Ojurere Shonekan was tenth in the event. Presley was first with an AQ of 14-00.50, extending her national lead in the event by a half an inch. Elena Bisotto was third, while Lauren Sutherland was sixth, Jordan Banker was seventh and Megan Tramel placed 11th. Bisotto, Sutherland and Banker all picked up NCAA provisional marks.
In other action, Ashlynn Vanatter was fifth in the 400m, while Douglas Depagneux was third in his 400m race. Kelie Henderson led a group of five Lions placing in the top-11 of the 800m with a time of 2:19.87 to place third. Janna Hautala as fourth, Sara Lin was sixth, Mady Gepford was ninth and Kelsey Evans was 11th.
Nathan Painter and Blake Gillihan placed second and third in the 800m, while Henderson was second in the 1,500m and Danielle Prince placed 8th in the event. Painter was second in the 1,500m, while Ryan Drendell placed 10th. Morgan Smith placed third in the 100m hurdles with a provisional time of 14.04, while Watts was eighth and Miracle Grant was ninth.
Ivan Colbert was third in the 100m hurdles, while Rachel Ray was second in the 400m hurdles. The 4x100m relay team of Shonekan, Smith, Kassidy Owens and Luallen was third, while the 4x400m relay team of Evans, Gepford, Hautala and Linn placed third in the event.
Wynter Nekola was second in the high jump, while Grant was seventh. Dean Howard was third in the pole vault with a provisional height of 16-04.50, while Brendan Watkins was third in the long jump and Adrain Broadus placed eighth. Watts placed third in the triple jump, while Watkins and Broadus placed second and fourth in the triple jump.
Travis Petersen was third in the hammer with a provisional distance of 204-00, a foot behind his record he set last week at Central Missouri, while Fulmer was seventh and Trace Henault placed 11th.
The Lions will be back in action on on May 3-5 when Southern travels to Warrensburg to compete in the 2019 MIAA Championships.
