Making their fourth trip to Pittsburg State (Kan.) this indoor season, the Missouri Southern track & field teams put on another showcase in the MIAA Indoor Championships last weekend.

Men’s

At the conclusion of the three day event, the men’s track & field team finished in second place behind Lincoln.

For the weekend, five Lions were All-MIAA performers. Headlined by National Athlete of the Week Jayce Thomas, Vincent Kiprop, Eric Schott, Kennan Harrison, and Morgan Hold joined Thomas on the list.

Kiprop won both the 3K and 5k races. Kiprop broke the facility record and the MIAA record in the 5K race as he finished in a time of 14:19.81. Kiprop also raced to a time of 8:18.20 in the 3K race, besting his previous facility and school record by more than two seconds, while setting a new MIAA meet record in the process. Schott finished right behind Kiprop in both races as the duo has owned the 3K, 5k, and mile races since the MSSU Invite on Jan. 22-23. The duo has finished first and second in four races this indoor season.

Since finishing seven and 19 in the MSSU Invite and PSU Invitational, Harrison has finished in the top five in the triple jump event in each of the last three events, including second place at the indoor championships.

Hold has been one of the overlooked athletes on this team as he’s finished in the top 10 in every pole vaulting event he’s competed in this indoor season, including four top three performances.

For the third straight year, a Missouri Southern men’s athlete has taken home the Indoor High Point Award. Thomas won the MIAA Indoor High Point Award as senior Jeff Fraley won the award in back-to-back indoor championships. Thomas also won the heptathlon in record fashion in day two. Thomas placed in the top five in all but one event, while claiming first place in three different events. 

Women’s

On the women’s side, there were several dazzling performances. The women’s track & field team finished in fourth place as Lincoln, PSU, and Central Missouri finished first, second, & third respectively.

The women went one up on the men as six Lions were selected as All-MIAA performers.

Melanie Bower, Emily Harris, Emily Presley, Cynthia Torres, Brittani Reagan, and Kaylee Morgan all shared the list. 

Not to be outdone by Thomas for the men, Morgan shined bright in PSU this weekend. 

Morgan, for the third week in a row has broken the MSSU long jump record on her way to winning the MIAA title. Morgan leaped to a distance of 19-09.00 in her final leap of the competition. She broke her own school record in the event by nearly seven inches in the process. The mark currently ranks fifth nationally.

Bower won the MIAA indoor pole vault for the third time in her career. She vaulted a height of 12-10.25 which is a new MIAA meet record.

Bower’s pole vaulting teammate Presley placed third in the pole vaulting event. Presley won two pole vaulting events this indoor season and finished in the top 5 in all but one pole vaulting event. 

Harris won both the mile and 3K race. She set a new personal record in the 3K race by 11 seconds. Harris has won all four mile event races she’s competed in this indoor season.

“It is really special becasue we put in a lot of work at practice and to get to expereience it with my teammates is awesome,” said Harris.  

Harris’s XC teammate Torres finished third in both the 3K & 5K races. Torres didn’t finish outside the top 3 in any race this indoor season.

Reagan placed in the top five in both the triple and long jump events. Reagan finished outside the top five in the long jump or triple jump event only once this indoor season.

As announced on Tuesday, Southern will send 10 athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championship hosted by PSU.

Both the men’s and women’s teams are sending five athletes as Thomas qualified for two different event. 

Thomas goes into the meet as the top-ranked heptathlete with the fourth-highest total points ever in DII.

Joining Thomas will be Kiprop, Schott, Hold, and Hrrison for the men. 

For the women, Harris, Bower, Presley, Morgan, and Reagan all qualified.

Events begin on Friday, March 11 at 9:30 a.m with the men’s multis. Events on Saturday begin at 9 a.m with the start of the women’s multis and the conclusion of the men’s.