Athletes rise up, show off strength at UA meet

With the weather finally cooperating in the four-state area, the Lions track and field team was able to have a showing at the University of Arkansas.

“It was the best meet that we’ve had this year,” said Tom Rutledge, head men’s track coach.

“We were blessed with very good weather, the athletes rose up and did a great job.”

Missouri Southern was probably one the smallest schools in attendance at the meet, competing mainly against Division I schools.

The Lions had a strong showing in many areas of the meet.

Jamie Tallman and Arley Smith placed first and second, respectively, in the hammer throw. Smith also placed second in the discuss.

Mika Alahaivala threw 223 feet in the javelin placing him first in the event and the nation as well as an automatic birth into the national championships.

Without the bad weather conditions, the runners started coming around.

Brian Lyons ran 3:52 in the 1,500, which could rank him high nationally.

Magnus Holmstrom won the steeplechase in 9:14, which could also rank him high in the nation.

In the pole vault Seth Isringhausen, Kyle Rutledge and Chris Turner placed second, third and fourth, respectively.

They all cleared the height of 16 3/4.

At the beginning of the year, the team had set a goal to have at least eight national qualifying athletes, and now that it has done so, Rutledge feels the team should set some new goals soon.

“There’s a lot of track left in the season, so we have to continue to try and improve,” Rutledge said.

This week, part of the team is traveling to the University of Kansas to participate in the KU relays.

On Wednesday and Thursday B.J. Blocker is competing in his first ever decathlon.

He has a goal to score 6,000 points, which Rutledge said he’d be happy with for this first effort.

Blocker would need 6,500 points to qualify for nationals.

Not only is Blocker competing in the decathlon, but he will race in the 400 hurdles Friday and the 110 hurdles Saturday.

Petri Kykyri will race in his first 10,000-meter run since the Pittsburg State University meet.

At PSU, Kykyri was able to qualify for the national meet.

Paul Koehler and Craig Rhoades will join Kykyri in the 10,000-meter run.

“I expect to meet stiff competition which will allow us to race better and achieve better times and hopefully gain a couple of more qualifications for the national meet,” Koehler said.

Tallman and Smith will compete in the throwing events; Magnus Holmstrom will take part in the 1,500-meter run and the 3,000 meter steeplechase; Brian Lyons will compete in 1,500 and the 5,000-meter run.

All three pole vaulters, Isringhausen, K. Rutledge and Turner, will attend the meet, as well as Michael Stewart in the triple jump.

The Lions will be at the mercy of the weather in Kansas, but hope to still perform well.

The team will see not only Division I competition, but MIAA teams as well.