FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2007

Lions prepare for MIAA Championships

Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams will be in action this weekend at the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Fort Hays State University.

Southern's men are looking for the rare three-peat as they have already taken home team titles this year in cross country and indoor track and field.

The men will look to their  pole vaulters and middle distance runners for strength. Jacob Williams, Russell Ellis and Seager Wilson sit as the top three vaulters in the league this year and are the only three to surpass the 16 feet mark this season. Both Ellis and Williams are third in Division II this year.

Freshman high jumper Corey Reynolds ranks second in the MIAA this outdoor season. Senior Marcus Walton and junior TJ Britton hold the second and fourth best mark in the 800m and the tandem has teamed up with Tyler Chiartano and Ryan McPeak for the second best 4x400m relay time this year.

Dustin Dixon ranks fifth in the 1500 and third in the 500m runs. Senior Dustin Miller is third in the 3000m steeple chase, while junior Ryan Arthur and freshman Nick Heberle rank first and third, respectively, in the 10000m.

Junior Jessica Selby and the women throwers will once again be strong coming into the meet. Selby has the second best shot put of the year and is the two-time defending champ in the event. She has the best hammer throw of the year coming into the event. Selby ranks fifth in Division II in the shot and fourth in the hammer.

Sophomores Jessica Self and Courtney Vie both rank in the top ten in the MIAA in the hammer and freshman Emilie Miesler, Self and Vie are all in the top seven in the shot put. Self is ranked fifth in the discus.

Junior pole vaulter Erica Culver comes into the meet with the best height in the MIAA this year by nearly four inches. She ranks 11th in Division II in the event. Freshman Ciara Lipsey ranks third in the MIAA.

Freshman Danielle Oliver ranks second in the 100m dash, while junior Ashley Birch is sixth. Freshman Ysatis Williams is fourth in the 200m dash and eighth in the 400m. Sarah Wallace ranks fifth in the 800m, while freshman Ashley Bunch is second in the 3000m. Bunch also ranks third in the 5000m and the 4x100m relay team is third, and the 4x400m relay is fourth.