Six from MSSU collect All-America honors

ABILENE, Texas –– Missouri Southern’s group of pole vaulters stick together.

The Lions, who finished first through fifth at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Outdoor Championships earlier in May, finished first, second and third Friday (May 27) at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Abilene, Texas.

Junior Matt Campbell (Worthington, Ind.), the Division II runner-up at the indoor national meet, this time won the individual national crown with a school record mark of 17 feet, 2.75 inches.

Senior Chris Turner (St. Louis, Mo.) cleared 16-6.75 for second place on fewest misses. Outdoor senior Kyle Rutledge (Joplin, Mo.) also cleared 16-6.75 and placed third.

The pole vaulting trio comprised three of the six Missouri Southern student-athletes to earn All-America honors at the NCAA-II meet. The Lion men, with 35 points scored at the championships, finished sixth in the final team standings.

The top eight finishers in individual events earn All-America honors.

Also on Friday, junior Mike Hines (Miami, Fla.) finished sixth, for All-America accolades, in the shot put with a throw of 56-7.5. Senior Michael Stewart (Kansas City, Mo.) was 10th in the triple jump (48-2.5).

On Saturday (May 28), senior Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) closed out his Southern career as a three-time All-America and a two-time national runner-up in the javelin. He finished second on Saturday with a throw of 223-3. Jon Rozborski of Cal State-Chico won the event with a mark of 226-10.

But it was the pole vault that catapulted the Lion men to their best-ever team finish.

“I’m very proud of our guys,” said head coach Tom Rutledge. “They vaulted very intelligently. Eight guys no-heighted because of the cross wind.”

Turner’s second-place mark in the pole vault completed a grueling two days for the senior. Before starting the pole vault, Turner had just finished a decathlon in which he finished ninth overall with 6,668 points.

“After the decathlon we had to rush Chris off to a tub of ice water,” Rutledge said. “Then he came back and went 16-6.75.

“I’ve had a lot of things happen at a national meet before,” Rutledge continued. “When I was at Adams State we went 1-2 in the 3000 meters one year, but I’ve never had a 1-2-3 finish. To do that at a national championship is unreal.”

Missouri Southern’s women crowned one All-America at the national meet, but it was a familiar face. Senior Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.) on Thursday finished third in the discus with a throw of 165-8. It marked Jones’ fourth career All-America honor and her second straight in the discus. Jones also qualified for the national meet in the shot put and hammer and finished 14th and 12th in the events, respectively.

Jones’ six points from the discus accounted for all of the scoring for the Lion women. Southern finished in a 37th-place tie in the final women’s team standings.

Four other Missouri Southern women made the trip to the national meet as well. Freshman Jessica Selby (Galena, Mo.) competed Friday in the shot put and finished 13th with a toss of 45-3.75.

Senior Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.) closed out her career with a 10th-place finish in the 3000-meter run Friday. Caffey finished the final in 10:06.81 after completing Thursday's prelim (also in 10th place) with a time of 10:02.02.

Junior Erin Click (West Plains, Mo.) competed in the prelims of the 1500-meter run and finished 14th, missing out on the finals of the event by two positions. Click finished the race in 4:46.71.

Freshman Whitney Metcalf (Pawhuska, Okla.) also missed making the finals in the 400-meter hurdles. She finished the prelim in 17th with a time of 63.88 seconds.


	June 1, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Six from MSSU collect All-America honors Missouri Southern men’s track & field team sixth at NCAA-II meet ABILENE, Texas –– Missouri Southern’s group of pole vaulters stick together. The Lions, who finished first through fifth at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Outdoor Championships earlier in May, finished first, second and third Friday (May 27) at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships in Abilene, Texas. Junior Matt Campbell (Worthington, Ind.), the Division II runner-up at the indoor national meet, this time won the individual national crown with a school record mark of 17 feet, 2.75 inches. Senior Chris Turner (St. Louis, Mo.) cleared 16-6.75 for second place on fewest misses. Outdoor senior Kyle Rutledge (Joplin, Mo.) also cleared 16-6.75 and placed third. The pole vaulting trio comprised three of the six Missouri Southern student-athletes to earn All-America honors at the NCAA-II meet. The Lion men, with 35 points scored at the championships, finished sixth in the final team standings. The top eight finishers in individual events earn All-America honors. Also on Friday, junior Mike Hines (Miami, Fla.) finished sixth, for All-America accolades, in the shot put with a throw of 56-7.5. Senior Michael Stewart (Kansas City, Mo.) was 10th in the triple jump (48-2.5). On Saturday (May 28), senior Mika Alahaivala (Ylivieska, Finland) closed out his Southern career as a three-time All-America and a two-time national runner-up in the javelin. He finished second on Saturday with a throw of 223-3. Jon Rozborski of Cal State-Chico won the event with a mark of 226-10. But it was the pole vault that catapulted the Lion men to their best-ever team finish. “I’m very proud of our guys,” said head coach Tom Rutledge. “They vaulted very intelligently. Eight guys no-heighted because of the cross wind.” Turner’s second-place mark in the pole vault completed a grueling two days for the senior. Before starting the pole vault, Turner had just finished a decathlon in which he finished ninth overall with 6,668 points. “After the decathlon we had to rush Chris off to a tub of ice water,” Rutledge said. “Then he came back and went 16-6.75. “I’ve had a lot of things happen at a national meet before,” Rutledge continued. “When I was at Adams State we went 1-2 in the 3000 meters one year, but I’ve never had a 1-2-3 finish. To do that at a national championship is unreal.” Missouri Southern’s women crowned one All-America at the national meet, but it was a familiar face. Senior Danee Jones (Clayton, Mo.) on Thursday finished third in the discus with a throw of 165-8. It marked Jones’ fourth career All-America honor and her second straight in the discus. Jones also qualified for the national meet in the shot put and hammer and finished 14th and 12th in the events, respectively. Jones’ six points from the discus accounted for all of the scoring for the Lion women. Southern finished in a 37th-place tie in the final women’s team standings. Four other Missouri Southern women made the trip to the national meet as well. Freshman Jessica Selby (Galena, Mo.) competed Friday in the shot put and finished 13th with a toss of 45-3.75. Senior Ashley Caffey (Lebanon, Mo.) closed out her career with a 10th-place finish in the 3000-meter run Friday. Caffey finished the final in 10:06.81 after completing Thursday's prelim (also in 10th place) with a time of 10:02.02. Junior Erin Click (West Plains, Mo.) competed in the prelims of the 1500-meter run and finished 14th, missing out on the finals of the event by two positions. Click finished the race in 4:46.71. Freshman Whitney Metcalf (Pawhuska, Okla.) also missed making the finals in the 400-meter hurdles. She finished the prelim in 17th with a time of 63.88 seconds.