From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Missouri Southern’s Ciara Lipsey and Seth Hackney turned in personal-best performances on Saturday during the Radio Shack Open Invitational.
Lipsey, in the pole vault, and Hackney, in the shot put, are now provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Division II national championships next month.
Lipsey cleared 12 feet, 2 inches to win the pole vault during the Lions’ second home meet of the indoor track and field season at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Hackney, a freshman from Carl Junction, won the shot put with a throw of 52-81/4.
Another Carl Junction shot putter, Emilie Mieseler, also had a provisional effort in winning the women’s shot. Mieseler has a better throw from earlier in the season.
Junior Kimi Shank added the Lions’ fourth provisional qualifying mark by winning the invitational mile.
The efforts by Lipsey and Hackney thrilled their respective coaches.
“That was a real breakthrough moment for Ciara,” said Patty Vavra, Southern women’s coach. “It was her first time over 12 feet and that’s been a height that has eluded her. ... She also had one good attempt at 12-6.”
Lipsey, a junior, missed the school record, set last season by the since-graduated Erica Culver, by 21/2 inches.
“Seth has been scratching at the 52-foot mark,” said Tom Rutledge, Southern men’s coach. “The good thing about it is, now he’s broken through that barrier. Now, everything else is icing on the cake.”
Mieseler led a 2-3-4-5 Southern finish in the women’s shot with a throw of 43-33/4.
“She had a great series of throws (four over the 43-foot mark),” Vavra said. “She’s just waiting to bust a bigger throw. And other other throwers (Cortney Vie, Nicole Green and Erin Steffens) were all over 42 feet.”
Shank, who normally runs longer distances, finished just below the D-II qualifying standard in winning the invitational mile in 5 minutes, 5.46 seconds.
“We really don’t think of that race as Kimi’s forte,” Vavra said with a laugh.
Other winners for the Southern men were Aki Nummela (800 meters) and Seager Wilson (pole vault). Kevin Wright was second in the 600 and Kyle Hancock was second in the shot.
“We had some good things happen,” Rutledge said. “We’re starting to get better as a team.”
Southern’s women had second-place finishes by Carita Riuta (800) and Lisa Vengels (high jump). Danielle Oliver and Channell Lloyd were third in the 60 dash and 60 hurdles, respectively.
“Danielle ran 8.02 (seconds),” Vavra said. “That’s a nice opening mark for someone who has been out injured.”
Southern will enter top qualifiers in the Tyson Invitational next weekend at the University of Arkansas.
