Indianapolis, Ind. -- Missouri Southern's outdoor track and field teams are set to make a strong showing at the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, with 14 student-athletes qualifying across 23 events. The championships will be held from Thursday, May 22, through Saturday, May 24, at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl in Pueblo, Colorado.

Day 1 – Thursday, May 22

Women's Hammer Throw
Missouri Southern will kick off the championship meet on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. MT, featuring three athletes in the women's hammer throw: freshman Dailynn VanDeren, sophomore Briar Gillum, and sophomore Kirsten Womack.

• VanDeren enters the competition after a standout performance earlier this season at the Mule Relays, where she recorded a personal best of 58.59m in the hammer throw.
• Gillum makes her second appearance at the Outdoor National Championships, having qualified in three events as a freshman last year. This season, she posted a season-best mark of 56.93m in the hammer throw at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.
• Womack secured her spot at nationals with a personal best throw of 57.78m at the MIAA Outdoor Championships as well.

Men's Long Jump
The Lions qualify one in the men's long jump in senior Caleb Manning. He will compete on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. MT.

• Manning qualified in the men's long jump with a season best mark of 7.46m, recorded at the 2025 MIAA Outdoor Championships.

Men's 400m Hurdles
Senior JaDarius Pigg qualified for the men's 400m hurdles and will compete in the preliminary round on Thursday at 7:55 p.m. MT.

• Pigg secured his spot in the men's 400m hurdle race with an impressive season best time of 51.96s, achieved at the 2025 MIAA Championships. The top-9 individuals will compete in the finals on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. MT.

 
Day 2 – Friday, May 23

Women's Discus
The women's throwers kick off day two with two student-athletes competing in the women's discus throw, Briar Gillum and Kirsten Womack at 2:00 p.m. MT on Friday.

• Gillum will compete in their second event on Thursday in the women's discus. She qualified for nationals after recording her personal best throw of 48.68m back in April at the Pittsburg State Tune-Up.
• Womack secured her spot with a personal best throw of 51.81m at the Rock Chalk Classic.

Men's Discus
Two Lions, junior Cedric Pearson and freshman Jamale Williams, have qualified for the men's discus on Friday at 5:00 p.m. MT.

• Pearson recorded his personal best mark of 56.15m in the men's discus at the Rock Chalk Classic, securing his spot at Nationals.
• Williams also achieved his personal best mark of 55.87m at the Rock Chalk Classic, earning his qualification for Nationals.

Men's Triple Jump
Caleb Manning will compete in his second event of the championships in the men's triple jump on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. MT.

• At the Southwest Baptist Invitational in March, Manning soared to a personal best of 15.61m, securing his spot at Nationals.

Women's 100m Hurdles
Junior Ashyiria Savage qualified for the women's 100m hurdles and will compete in the preliminary round on Friday at 6:35 p.m. MT.

• Savage recorded her personal best this season at the Pittsburg State University Tune-Up with a time of 13.51 second. The top 9 individuals in the event will compete in the finals on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. MT.

Men's 110m Hurdles
JaDarius Pigg qualified in the men's 110m hurdles, marking his second event qualification for the championship. He is set to compete on Friday at 6:55 p.m. MT.

• Pigg qualified after securing his personal best time of 13.74s, breaking the school record at the Pittsburg State University Tune-Up in April. The top 9 individuals in the event will compete in the finals on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. MT.

Day 3 – Saturday, May 24

Women's Pole Vault
Junior Abby Hobbs will kick-off day three of the competition in the women's pole vault on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. MT.

• Hobbs recorded her personal best mark of 3.98m last weekend at the 2025 Concordia Twilight, securing your spot at the championships.

Women's Javelin
Sophomores Keilee Johnson and Adrianne Casey highlight MSSU women's javelin and are set to compete on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. MT.

• Johnson recorded a season best throw of 50.12m at the Emporia State Relays in March, qualifying her for Nationals.
• Last week at the Loper Twilight, Casey recorded a season best 46.87m, securing her spot.

Men's Javelin
Sophomores Garrett Strange and Ethan Dias qualified for the men's javelin and are set to compete on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. MT, following the conclusion of the women's event.

• Strange recorded a personal best throw of 71.09m at the Emporia State Relays in March, qualifying him for Nationals.
• With a personal best throw of 66.43m at the MIAA Outdoor Championships, Dias clinched his qualification.

Men's Shot Put
Cedric Pearson and Jamale Williams qualify for their second events of the championship in the men's shot put. They will compete on Saturday at 5:50 p.m. MT.

• Pearson threw for a season best of 18.60m, securing his spot at Nationals, at the Mule Relays in April.
• Williams earned his Nationals qualification with a personal best throw of 18.28 at the MIAA Outdoor Championships.

Men's 5000m
Senior Ryan Riddle highlights MSSU distance in the men's 5000m run and will compete on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT.

• Riddle smashed the MSSU record in the men's 5000m twice this season with his personal best time of 13:40.04, recorded at the Bryan Clay Invitational in April.

Below is a breakdown of the Missouri Southern student-athletes' competition schedule, including event times and dates.
 
Thursday, May 22
12:30 p.m. MT | Women's Hammer Throw: Dailynn VanDeren, Briar Gillum and Kirsten Womack
5:30 p.m. MT | Men's Long Jump: Caleb Manning
7:55 p.m. MT | Men's 400m Hurdles – Prelim: JaDarius Pigg
 
Friday, May 23
2:00 p.m. MT | Women's Discus Throw: Briar Gillum and Kirsten Womack
5:00 p.m. MT | Men's Discus Throw: Cedric Pearson and Jamale Williams
5:05 p.m. MT | Men's Triple Jump: Caleb Manning
6:35 p.m. MT | Women's 100m Hurdles – Prelims: Ashyiria Savage
6:55 p.m. MT | Men's 110m Hurdles – Prelims: JaDarius Pigg
 
Saturday, May 24
11:00 a.m. MT | Women's Pole Vault: Abby Hobbs
11:30 a.m. MT | Women's Javelin Throw: Adrianne Casey and Keilee Johnson
1:15 p.m. MT | Women's Shot Put: Dailynn VanDeren, Briar Gillum and Kirsten Womack
2:45 p.m. MT | Men's Javelin Throw: Ethan Dias and Garrett Strange
5:05 p.m. MT | Men's Shot Put: Cedric Pearson and Jamale Williams
6:00 p.m. MT | Women's 100m Hurdles – Finals: TBD
6:10 p.m. MT | Men's 110m Hurdles – Finals: TBD
7:35 p.m. MT | Men's 400m Hurdles – Finals: TBD
8:30 p.m. MT | Men's 5000m: Ryan Riddle