FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2006

MSSU hosts Track & Field Festival this week

JOPLIN, Mo. - More than 500 athletes will be in action Friday and Saturday (March 31-April 1) at Fred G. Hughes Stadium in the Missouri Southern Track & Field Festival.

The meet gets under way Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. with the University/Open field events. University/Open running events are slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday's action includes both college and high school competition. The high school events start at 10 a.m. University/Open running events are slated to begin at 12 noon. University/Open field events start at 1 p.m. Saturday.

More than 300 collegiate student-athletes or unattached competitors are entered in the meet. The high school division features 200-plus student-athletes.

On the University/Open level, 11 men's teams and 13 women's teams will be represented. Several competitors from the University of Arkansas women's team are scheduled to compete in the meet. The meet also has NCAA Division II representation from Central Arkansas, Pittsburg State, Dallas Baptist and Arkansas Tech (women).

The high school portion of the meet includes seven boys teams and six on the girls side. College Heights, Joplin, McDonald County, Neosho, Parkview and Greenwood will field both boys and girls teams. Alma's boys team will also be in action.

The meet marks the first of three home events, including the MIAA Heptathlon/Decathlon which has been moved to MSSU this year - this season for the Lions. Southern hosts the MSSU Bill Williams/Bob Laptad Invitational on April 28, the MIAA Heptathlon/Decathlon on April 30-May 1, and the MSSU Lionbacker Open on May 10.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
2006 MSSU Track & Field Festival, March 31-April 1, 2006, Fred G. Hughes Stadium

Friday Field Events - University and Open

2:30 pm:   Women's Javelin followed by Men's Javelin
                Men's Shot followed by Women's Shot
                Men's High Jump followed by Women's High Jump
                Women's Triple Jump followed by Men's Triple
                (There will be no Men's Pole Vault on Friday. It will be on Saturday at 4:30 pm)

Friday Running Events - University and Open

3:30 pm:   100m/110m Hurdles Prelims W/M
4:00 pm:   100m Dash Prelims W/M
4:15 pm:   5000m Finals Women only
4:45 pm:   3000m Steeple Finals W/M
5:05 pm:   200m Dash Prelims W/M
5:30 pm:   10,000m Run Finals W&M together


Saturday Field Events - HS/University and Open

10:00 am:  HS Boys Discus followed by HS Girls Discus
                 HS Girls Long Jump followed by HS Boys
                 HS Boys High Jump followed by HS Girls
                 HS Girls Shot followed by HS Boys Shot
11:00 am:   HS Girls Pole Vault
12:30 pm:   HS Boys Pole Vault
1:00 pm:     HS Girls Triple Jump followed by HS Boys Triple
                  Univ./Open Women's Hammer Finals followed by Men's
                  Followed by Univ./Open Women's Discus followed by Men's Discus
2:30 pm:     Univ./Open Women's Pole Vault Finals
4:30 pm:     Univ./Open Men's Pole Vault Finals
                  Univ./Open Women's Long Jump followed by Men's Long Jump

Running Events - HS/University and Open

Noon:         HS 4x800m Relay Finals Girls/Boys
12:30 pm:   4x100m Relay Finals (G/B/W/M)
1:00 pm:     HS 1600m Run Girls/Boys
1:30 pm:     HS Girls 100m Hurdles Final
1:40 pm:     Univ./Open Women's 100m Hurdle Finals
1:50 pm:     HS Boys 110m Hurdle Finals
2:00 pm:     Univ./Open Men's 110 Hurdle Finals
2:10 pm:     400m Dash Finals (G/B/W/M)
2:30 pm:     100m Dash Finals (G/B/W/M)
2:45 pm:     HS Girls/Boys 4x200m Relay Finals
3:15 pm:     800m Finals (G/B/W/M)
3:45 pm:     HS Girls/Boys 300m Hurdle Finals
4:00 pm:     Univ./Open W/M 400m Hurdle Finals
4:30 pm:     Univ./Open 1500m Run (W/M) Finals
4:45 pm:     200m Dash Finals (G/B/W/M)
5:00 pm:     HS Girls/Boys 3200m Run Finals
5:30 pm:     Univ./Open Women's 3000m Run Finals
5:50 pm:     Univ./Open Men's 5000m Run Finals
6:15 pm:     4x400m Relay Finals (G/B/W/M)

Participating Teams
University/Open Men:
Bacone
Central Arkansas
Dallas Baptist
Evangel
Mid-America Nazarene
Missouri Southern
Oklahoma Christian
Oklahoma Wesleyan
Pittsburg State
St. Gregory's
Southern Nazarene

University/Open Women:
Arkansas
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Arkansas Tech
Central Arkansas
Dallas Baptist
Evangel
Mid-America Nazarene
Missouri Southern
Oklahoma Christian
Oklahoma Wesleyan
Pittsburg State
St. Gregory's
Southern Nazarene

High School Boys:
Alma
College Heights
Greenwood
Joplin
McDonald County
Neosho
Parkview

High School Girls:
College Heights
Greenwood
Joplin
McDonald County
Neosho
Parkview

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