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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2006 Lions set to host Lionbacker Last Chance Open Track & field meet is final MSSU home athletics event of 2005-06 JOPLIN, Mo. - Many athletes from around the region will be at Fred G. Hughes Stadium Wednesday (May 10) looking to gain qualifying marks or improve on their already-reached qualifying standards as Missouri Southern State University hosts the Lionbacker Last Chance Open track & field meet. The meet gets underway with field events at 3 p.m. The running events kick off at 4:15 p.m. Ten to 15 teams will have representation at the meet, according to MSSU head men's track & field coach Tom Rutledge. More than 200 student-athletes are expected to be in competition. Eight Missouri Southern student-athletes have already met NCAA Division II provisional or automatic qualifying standards in six events. However, only MSSU men's senior Matt Campbell (Worthinton, Ind.) has guaranteed himself a spot in the national meet by surpassing an NCAA-II automatic qualifying mark. Campbell, with a height of 17 feet, 0.75 inches in the pole vault, ranks No. 2 in the nation. Southern's men also have two other pole vaulters - sophomore Russell Ellis (Caddo Gap, Ark.) and freshman Seagar Wilson (Fort Wayne, Ind.) - with provisional qualifying marks. Ellis is tied for fourth nationally with a height of 16-6.75. Wilson is tied for 13th at 16-0.75. Two other MSSU men have reached NCAA-II qualifying standards. Senior Mike Hines (Miami, Fla.) is 11th in the nation in the shot put at 54-03.75. Junior Marcus Walton (Potosi, Mo.) is 18th nation in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:52.42. On the women's side, sophomore Jessica Selby (Galena, Mo.) has provisional qualifications in the shot put and hammer throw. She ranks 10th nationally in the hammer with a distance of 169-03.75. In the shot, she's 12th with a mark of 46-06.00. Seniors Iashia Castle (Kansas City, Mo.) and Dionne Prince (Milwaukee, Wis.) both have provisional marks in the triple jump. Castle ranks 14th in the nation at 39-07.75, while Prince is 36th at 38-03.25. Following the Lionbacker Last Chance Open, some Missouri Southern athletes will compete at Emporia, Kan. in the Emporia State Twilight Qualifier. That's the Lions' last opportunity to earn or improve marks before selections are made for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. The national meet will be held May 25-27 in Emporia, Kan. A complete schedule of events for Wednesday's meet is included below: MISSOURI SOUTHERN
STATE UNIVERSITY MAY 10, 2006 FIELD EVENTS: 3:30 P.M.
TRIPLE JUMP (WOMEN FOLLOWED BY MEN) 4:30 P.M. LONG JUMP (WOMEN FOLLOWED BY MEN) 5:00 P.M.
HAMMER (WOMEN FOLLOWED BY MEN) RUNNING EVENTS:
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