Field of Dreams: Athletes Gear Up for the Show-Me Showdown

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri track and field team is continuing its season with the Show-Me Showdown this Friday at Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. The event is open and free for all attendees.

INSIDE THE FIELDHOUSE

The second of a series of five consecutive home meets, the Show-Me Showdown will include 16 track events and 12 field competitions, tentatively starting with the men’s weight throw at 10:30 a.m. and concluding with the women’s 4x400m relays at 3:45 p.m. The Tigers will host all five other Division-I programs from Missouri (Kansas City, Lindenwood, Missouri State, Saint Louis, and Southeast Missouri State) at their venue.

The facility has been updated with a 200-meter track, featuring an eight-lane sprint straightaway along with several runways for pole vault and horizontal jumps. Since its establishment in 1972, the venue has hosted numerous indoor track and field competitions, including the 1991 Big Eight Indoor Track & Field Championship.

LAST TIME OUT

Fifteen Tigers achieved personal records during the season-opening Alexis Jarrett Invitational on Jan. 11. Senior Euphenie Andre led the initial meet of the season with a triple jump of 13.49m. This performance not only set a new facility record but also ranks second in program history for the event.

Senior Sam Innes and junior Sterling Scott also made their mark on the program’s leaderboards. Innes set the pace for the team in the early part of the meet with a weight throw of 22.46m, surpassing his previous best by over two meters, placing him second in school history for the event. Scott continued his impressive performance as the All-American triple jumper leaped 16.28m, marking the third-best achievement in program history and currently holds the best national mark.

A total of 12 different Tigers secured event victories, while the team gathered 32 total podium finishes. Junior Isabella Sokolova was the only Tiger to win in multiple events this past Saturday, first achieving a long jump of 5.76m and then claiming gold in the 60m with a time of 7.61, outpacing the competition by 0.17 seconds.

Other significant victories for Mizzou included Claudina Diaz’ success in the high jump, soaring to a height of 1.81m, which is currently the fourth-best in the nation this season. Seniors Skylar Coffey (shot put), Trevor Peimann (mile), Anneken Viljoen (mile), and sophomore Rahel Broemmel (1000m) also achieved personal bests on their way to victories.

 

ALL-AMERICAN RETURNEES

Alicia Burnett concluded her impressive 2024 indoor season with a finish as an All-American Second Team athlete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The rising senior achieved a 12th-place finish in the women’s 60m with a time of 7.29 seconds at The TRACK at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts.

With this result, Burnett made history as the first Mizzou sprinter (male or female, indoor or outdoor) to secure an All-American position at the NCAA Championships since Markesh Woodson and Kahmari Montgomery earned placements in the 100m and 400m, respectively, at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Burnett experienced one of the most outstanding seasons by a Tiger sprinter in the past decade and aims to finish her collegiate career on a high note. She qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Feb. 2 with a sprint of 7.21 in the women’s 60m, breaking the previous program record of 7.31 held by LaQuisha Jackson for nine years.

During the 2024 indoor season, Burnett achieved five runs in the 60m, eclipsing Jackson’s former record. She ranks in the program’s top-10 list for every sprints event—first in the women’s 60m, fourth in the women’s 200m, and sixth in the women’s 400m.

Scott wrapped up his first indoor season with an All-America Second Team distinction in the men’s triple jump. He achieved an 11th-place result with a leap of 15.50m (50-10.25), marking the best finish of any freshman triple jumper at The TRACK at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts.

In his inaugural year, Scott became the first Mizzou freshman All-American (male or female, indoor or outdoor) since Mirieli Santos and Roberto Vilches each attained the recognition at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. With his All-America recognition, the Tigers have produced an All-American in the triple jump for seven consecutive years.

Scott secured his position in the NCAA Championships meet with a bronze-medal jump of 16.14m (52-11.5) on his last attempt at the SEC Indoor Championship. 

Scott also attained fifth place in the triple jump finals at the World Athletics U20 Championships, clearing 16.09m (52-9.36) on Aug. 29, 2024, in Lima, Peru. He set a personal best in the event, finishing second during the qualifying round. Scott advanced to the finals after achieving a jump of 16.29m (53-5.25), placing him third in the program’s outdoor triple jump record.

JOINING THE PACK

As the season approaches, Coach Halter announced the signings of Sofia Walker, Ethan Zuber, and Sofia Wydra as part of the class of 2025 in November.

On Wednesday, head coach Brett Halter revealed the addition of five distance runners – Mirriam Chepkirui, Elijah Limo, Chesney Peterson, Monica Wanjiku, and Kobi Walker – to its 2025 roster. All are eligible to participate immediately in the current indoor season.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For the latest updates on Mizzou Track & Field, stay connected with MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and X (MizzouTFXC).