From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Missouri Southern took a limited number of athletes to the University of New Mexico for an indoor track and field meet beginning Saturday night.
The Lions’ goal is to qualify several of those athletes for a return trip to the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships next month at the same facility.
Southern athletes got off to a solid start with a 1-2 finish by seniors Dustin Dixon and Brennan Benkert in the 5,000-meter run. Dixon won the event in 14 minutes, 58.63 seconds. With an allowance for altitude (approximately 5,800 feet), Dixon’s time will rank among the top 10 in the nation, Southern coach Tom Rutledge said.
Benkert joined Dixon in hitting a provisional qualifying time for the national meet.
Meanwhile, in Warrensburg, Mo., two Missouri Southern women secured their tickets to the national meet by meeting automatic qualifying standards.
Senior Channell Lloyd qualified by winning the triple jump at 39 feet, 11/4 inches.
“Her hamstring had been bothering her, so we didn’t jump her in the finals,” said Patty Vavra, Southern women’s coach. “We didn’t want to end up hurting her again. ... But Channell had the best three marks of her career.”
Senior Ciara Lipsey extended her own school record in the pole vault and also matched the NCAA automatic qualifying standard by clearing 12-71/2.
Senior Emilie Mieseler gave Southern a third individual winner with a throw of 55-91/4 in the weight event. Sophomore Nicole Green was second in the shot with a career-best throw of 46-2.
Green improved her provisional qualifying mark and will rank among the top six or seven throwers in the nation, Vavra said. Mieseler has a better provisional this season.
Three Southern women’s runners will enter a meet at Iowa State today in their quest for better qualifying marks. Seniors Ashley Bunch and Courtney Waltbillig will run the mile and junior Carita Riutta is entered in the 800 meters.
Several more Lion men are entered in today’s action at Albuquerque, including Aki Nummela and Josh Mathis in the mile, Chris Brown and Corey Reynolds in the high jump and D.J. Bland in the 400.
Seth Hackney and Kyle Hancock were throwing the shot during competition late Friday night.
