Warrensburg, Mo. -- The nationally-ranked Missouri Southern track and field program posted eight event wins today at the Vernon Kennedy Invite hosted by Central Missouri at Walton Stadium.
The Lions brought mostly throwers and sprinters to the event. The Lions posted three NCAA Automatic Qualifying marks and multiple provisional qualifying marks in the event.
Rajindra Campbell posted a pair of NCAA AQ's while
Kirsten Leisinger punched her ticket to nationals, as well.
Leisinger won the hammer throw with an AQ and a new school record, smashing the previous mark that was set 13 years ago by more than six feet. Leisinger's mark of 60.81m (199-06) won the event by nearly 18 feet and ranks second nationally this season.
Alexandra Rodriguez was fourth in the event with an NCAA Provisional qualifying mark of 52.13m (171-00).
Campbell won both the discus and shot put with AQ's in both events for the sixth-straight week. He won the discus with a distance of 58.01m (190-04), while
Peyton Barton posted a second-place finish with an NCAA Provisional qualifying mark of 53.26m (174-09).
Josh Fulmer was fourth, while
Connor Boyd finished tenth.
Campbell won the shot with an AQ, posting a mark of 19.16m (62-10.50). Fuller was fifth and
Elijah Smith placed tenth.
In other events,
Payton Roberts won the discus on the women's side with an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 49.75m (163-03). Leisinger and Rodriguez placed fourth and sixth, both posting NCAA Provisional Qualifying marks.
Haley Clifton was third in the shot put with a mark of 12.58m.
Travis Petersen won the men's hammer throw as the Lions went 1-4 in the event. Petersen hit an NCAA Provisional Qualifying mark of 65.41m (214-07), while Fulmer, Barton and Boyd all picked up Provisional Qualifying marks of their own.
In the running events,
Jasmine Deckard won the 200m dash in an NCAA Provisional Qualifying time of 23.92, while
Chardae Overstreet won the 400m dash in a time of 56.85.
Ashlynn Vanatter was seventh in the 400m, while
LaNea Wallace won the 400m hurdles in a time of 1:03.00.
Claire Luallen was fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 17.05.
The Lions will be back in action next weekend as Southern travels to Pittsburg, Kansas for the 2021 MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday and Sunday.
