Eleven Lions heading to national track & field meet

Several members of the Missouri Southern State University track & field teams will extend their seasons for nearly two more weeks.

Eleven performers from the squads will be heading to Walnut, Calif. for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held May 27-29.

Five members of the MSSU women’s squad qualified in seven events. The Lion men also qualified in seven events, but are sending six student-athletes and have the opportunity to score nine times.

Women’s qualifiers include senior Mary Still (Carthage, Mo.) and junior Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.). Still, a two-time national runner-up and a three-time All-America in the 400-meter hurdles, is back in the national field in 400 hurdles, and she comes in this year with the nation’s No. 1 time (58.50 seconds). Jones, an indoor All-America this year in the weight throw, will advance to the outdoor national meet in three events (shot put, hammer throw, discus). She ranks in the top eight nationally in both the hammer (sixth, 180’-5.25”) and discus (eighth, 152’-1.5”).

Three other MSSU women are also heading to nationals. Junior Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.), senior Jen Noelken (St. Charles, Mo.) and sophomore Dionne Prince (Milwaukee, Wis.) will be making their first appearances at the NCAA-II outdoor meet. Caffey made the national field in the 3000-meter run (14th nationally, 10: 08.29), Noelken in the 3000-meter steeplechase (14th, 11:08.49) and Prince in the triple jump (13th, 39’-5.75”). Prince is a former junior college All-America in the triple jump.

On the men’s side, four of Southern’s six qualifiers will be participating in field events, including throwers Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) and Arley Smith (Pierce City, Mo.). Alahaivala, who has the nation’s best mark in the javelin this year (220’-7.5”), will be searching for the national title in the javelin after earning runner-up honors in the event last year. Smith, a three-time All-America including twice indoors, has, like Jones on the women’s side, in three throws (shot put, hammer, discus). Smith, an outdoor All-America in the discus in 2002, ranks fifth in the nation in the hammer with his season-best throw of 195’. He’s also 14th in the discus (168’-9.75”) and 18th in the shot put (54’-2.5”).

“Arley and Danee are looking at the possibility of a very rare accomplishment,” said MSSU head men’s track & field coach Tom Rutledge. “It’s tough to do, but in 30 years of coaching, I’ve never been around anyone that could be an All-American in three different events at the same meet.”

Two other Lions will be competing in the pole vault. Sophomore Matt Campbell (Worthington, Ind.) ranks second in the nation with his vault of 17’-0” this year and will be looking to improve after a disappointing finish at the indoor national meet in March. Junior Kyle Rutledge (Joplin, Mo.) makes his first NCAA-II outdoor nationals appearance after earning indoor All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault in 2003. Rutledge, the 2004 MIAA outdoor pole vault champion, ranks 15th nationally with his season-best mark of 16’-2.5”.

Senior Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.) and junior Paul Koehler (St. Louis, Mo.) will be among the competitors in the 5000-meter run. Lyons brings the No. 5-ranked time (14:21.60) in the 5000 into the national meet, while Koehler will compete in the 10,000-meter run as well as the 5000. Koehler is 14th nationally in the 5000 meters (14:37.00) and 15th in the 10,000 (30:30.45).

The NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held on the campus of Mount San Antonio Junior College and is hosted by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.


	May 18, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Goin’ to California Eleven Lions heading to national track & field meet Several members of the Missouri Southern State University track & field teams will extend their seasons for nearly two more weeks. Eleven performers from the squads will be heading to Walnut, Calif. for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships to be held May 27-29. Five members of the MSSU women’s squad qualified in seven events. The Lion men also qualified in seven events, but are sending six student-athletes and have the opportunity to score nine times. Women’s qualifiers include senior Mary Still (Carthage, Mo.) and junior Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.). Still, a two-time national runner-up and a three-time All-America in the 400-meter hurdles, is back in the national field in 400 hurdles, and she comes in this year with the nation’s No. 1 time (58.50 seconds). Jones, an indoor All-America this year in the weight throw, will advance to the outdoor national meet in three events (shot put, hammer throw, discus). She ranks in the top eight nationally in both the hammer (sixth, 180’-5.25”) and discus (eighth, 152’-1.5”). Three other MSSU women are also heading to nationals. Junior Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.), senior Jen Noelken (St. Charles, Mo.) and sophomore Dionne Prince (Milwaukee, Wis.) will be making their first appearances at the NCAA-II outdoor meet. Caffey made the national field in the 3000-meter run (14th nationally, 10: 08.29), Noelken in the 3000-meter steeplechase (14th, 11:08.49) and Prince in the triple jump (13th, 39’-5.75”). Prince is a former junior college All-America in the triple jump. On the men’s side, four of Southern’s six qualifiers will be participating in field events, including throwers Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) and Arley Smith (Pierce City, Mo.). Alahaivala, who has the nation’s best mark in the javelin this year (220’-7.5”), will be searching for the national title in the javelin after earning runner-up honors in the event last year. Smith, a three-time All-America including twice indoors, has, like Jones on the women’s side, in three throws (shot put, hammer, discus). Smith, an outdoor All-America in the discus in 2002, ranks fifth in the nation in the hammer with his season-best throw of 195’. He’s also 14th in the discus (168’-9.75”) and 18th in the shot put (54’-2.5”). “Arley and Danee are looking at the possibility of a very rare accomplishment,” said MSSU head men’s track & field coach Tom Rutledge. “It’s tough to do, but in 30 years of coaching, I’ve never been around anyone that could be an All-American in three different events at the same meet.” Two other Lions will be competing in the pole vault. Sophomore Matt Campbell (Worthington, Ind.) ranks second in the nation with his vault of 17’-0” this year and will be looking to improve after a disappointing finish at the indoor national meet in March. Junior Kyle Rutledge (Joplin, Mo.) makes his first NCAA-II outdoor nationals appearance after earning indoor All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault in 2003. Rutledge, the 2004 MIAA outdoor pole vault champion, ranks 15th nationally with his season-best mark of 16’-2.5”. Senior Brian Lyons (Purdy, Mo.) and junior Paul Koehler (St. Louis, Mo.) will be among the competitors in the 5000-meter run. Lyons brings the No. 5-ranked time (14:21.60) in the 5000 into the national meet, while Koehler will compete in the 10,000-meter run as well as the 5000. Koehler is 14th nationally in the 5000 meters (14:37.00) and 15th in the 10,000 (30:30.45). The NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held on the campus of Mount San Antonio Junior College and is hosted by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.