Big River Qualifying Meet #2 Recap
While the number of performances decreased slightly in the second qualifying meet, the Big River Indoor series is beginning to draw top talent from across the Midwest. Athletes from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas all competed in the meet on Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. Three Missouri State champs won their events - Michael Wells, Nicole Lee, and Jordan McClendon. Wells, who won the 400m and 60m in the first qualifying meet came back today to win the 200m with a time that was just a few ticks over 23 seconds. Nicole Lee won the mile over Eureka's Angie Sumner. The two ran 5:16.56 and 5:17.96 respectively. McClendon threw the shot over 40 feet, receiving a mark of 40-2.75. This is only two inches off of her best throw from last year at the state met. A freshman, Hannah Pierson of Marquette, completed an incredible double. She ran 5:21.80 to finish fourth in the mile, and came back shortly after to win the 800m in a time of 2:25.79. Pierson was 31st in the Class 4 State XC meet this fall.
Claudette Day of Illinois performed well on and off the track. The Belleville West junior won the 60m Hurdles and tied the nation's fourth fastest time. She also leaped 18-8.5 in the long jump to rise to seventh in the national rankings for that event. In the hurdles she beat out Arkansas' Kelsey Herman who also recorded the 7th best mark in the nation, running 8.92. Emily Brigham of Mill Valley, Kansas, came in ranked fourth in the nation in the pole vault after her mark of 13-0 at the first Big River meet. She rose a quarter of an inch, clearing 13-0.25 today. Four athletes cleared the national elite standard in the boys pole vault including Alex Miles of Arkansas who will move into the top 20 nationally after clearing 15-0. The final chance to qualify for the Big River Indoor Championships will be next Sunday, January 27th.