April 29, 2003

Five signees announced for men's track and cross country

Head men's track & field and cross country coach Tom Rutledge announced today the addition of five new student-athletes beginning in the 2003-04 academic year.

Casey Carter (Carthage, Mo.), Luke Clark (Nevada, Mo.), Dustin Miller (Carthage, Mo.), Graham Patterson (Rogers, Ark.) and Brian Roe (West Plains, Mo.) have all committed to the Missouri Southern program. Carter, Miller and Roe will also compete in cross country for the Lions.

"We're very happy to add these five individuals to our teams," said Rutledge. "All of these kids will contribute to our team, help us maintain its strength and get stronger for the future."

Carter and Miller were members of the Carthage High School squad that finished fourth at the Missouri Class 3 State Cross Country Championships over the past two years. Miller is a two-time all-state runner in cross country, including a ninth place finish at state in 2002. Carter earned all-district and All-Southwest Missouri accolades in 2001 and 2002. Both were members of the Tigers' state-qualifing 4x800-meter relay team in the 2002 track season as well.

Roe is also a two-time all-state performer in cross country, including a sixth-place individual finish in 2002. He has helped West Plains to the last three Missouri Class 4 state titles. He has also been a member of West Plains' state-qualifying and school-record holding 4x800-meter relay squad and finished second at the state track & field meet last year in the 800-meter run. Roe holds the Zizzers' 400-meter dash school record and finished second last year at the state meet in the 800-meter run.

"Naturally, we feel like with Roe, Miller and Carter, our distance team will continue to be one of the top distance teams in the conference," said Rutledge, who has guided the Lions to three consecutive MIAA cross country titles.

Clark is a thrower from Nevada (Mo.) High School where he has been a four-year letterman in track & field. Last year, he finished second in the conference and district, third at sectionals and 12th at the state championships in the discus. He's also a three-year letterman in football and was a second-team all-conference performer on the defensive line.

"Clark will come in with our entourage of throwers," Rutledge said. "He has a lot of potential and will be able to improve behind our strong throwers that we currently have in our program."

Patterson comes in as one of Arkansas' best high school decathletes. As a junior in 2002 at Rogers (Ark.) High School, he finished fifth at state in 110- and 300-meter hurdles and was also sixth in the high jump. Patterson holds school records in the 55-meter hurdles and indoor high jump.

"Graham will help us strengthen our decathlon and our hurdles, which is desperately needed," Rutledge said.

The Lions are looking to build on a third-place finish at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Indoor Championships as they head to the MIAA Outdoor meet this weekend in Kirksville, Mo.