The University of Missouri track and field team will host the Missouri Invitational on Friday at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, marking the end of its indoor homestand. Thirty-one Tigers are set to compete against teams from across the region, including SIUE and Southeast Missouri State. The event begins at 9 a.m. and features ranked squads in weight throw and 3000m.
The Missouri Invitational serves as the final home competition of the indoor season for the Mizzou Tigers, wrapping up a four-meet homestand at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse in Columbia, Missouri. Scheduled for Friday, February 6, starting at 9 a.m., the meet will bring together athletes from Saint Louis, Eastern Illinois, SIUE, Southeast Missouri, Murray State, Lindenwood, UMKC, Western Illinois, Ozarks (Ark.) and Colorado School of Mines.
The venue, opened in 1972, features a refurbished 200-meter track with an eight-lane sprint straightaway and runways for pole vault and horizontal jumps, added before last year's indoor season. It previously hosted the 1991 Big Eight Indoor Track & Field Championship.
Mizzou's 31 competitors include standout performers. The men's weight throw squad ranks No. 6 nationally, led by Sam Innes with a 22.76m throw that places seventh nationally at the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational. Garik Pozecki and Clayton Kamp join him, with Kamp also entered in shot put alongside Sam Albert and Chase Crawford. On the women's side, Reagan Kimrey's 20.09m throw ranks 31st nationally.
Brianna Utecht, a transfer from Wichita State, won the pentathlon at the McGuire Invitational with 4,017 points, the second-highest in school history, and will compete in the 60m hurdles and shot put. Freshman Sofia Wydra placed third in pentathlon and is slated for 60m hurdles and long jump. Dillon Leacock, another transfer from Houston, will run the 400m and 60m hurdles after personal bests of 48.24 and 8.09. Marlena Tresnjo enters high jump after clearing 1.80m, ranking 31st nationally.
The women's 3000m team holds the No. 20 national spot. Distance runners include Lily Ginsberg, Maleah Eggers, Elissa Barnard and Brianna Lee in the 800m, while the men's mile features Andrew Simard, Joseph Bariola, Joshua Allison, Yordanos Zelinski and Andrew Hauser. The pole vault group comprises Anna Vedral, Allison Geen, Anna Ferguson and Makenna Estes.
SIUE and Southeast Missouri State are among the visiting teams preparing their rosters, with athletes like Caden Belcher for SIUE and Marshall Swadley for SEMO set to compete. A local report notes the homestand as five meets, though Mizzou's official count is four.
