Mieseler's Auto in the hammer highlights successful Williams/Laptad meet

Joplin, Mo. -- Emilie Mieseler earned an automatic qualification in the hammer as the Missouri Southern women's track and field team competed at the 2010 Bill Williams/Bob Laptad Invitational at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. 

Mieseler beat her nearest opponent by nearly 20 feet and launched the hammer a distance of 186 feet, eight inches. The mark is two meters past the NCAA automatic mark. Nicole Green was seventh in the event. 

The Lions shined in the field events tonight as Southern took home wins in five different events. Jill Weeks won the javelin with a distance of 129-11 and Brandy Simpson was fifth, while Ciara Lipsey hit a provisional in the pole vault, winning with a height if 12-07.50. Lisa Vengels won the high jump with a height of 5-05.25, while Rachel Olinyk and Gayla Booth finished fifth and seventh in the event. 

Channell Lloyd won the triple jump with Cyarra Prince placing fourth. Simpson was second in the long jump with Vengels and Booth placing fourth and ninth. Green had a provisional in the shot put with a distance of 47-02.50 while Mieseler and Erin Steffens were fifth and seventh. Kiley Jones was third in the discus with a provisional distance of 144-05, while Green and Steffens were fourth and seventh.

The Lions had two different teams in the 4x400 meter relay with the team of Kelly McKay, Danielle Oliver, Alex Close and Carita Riutta placing first and the "b" team placing third. The Lions' 4x100m relay team of Tia Cook, JeAnna Sheppard, Oliver and McKay placed first with a time of 49.50. 

Lloyd picked up two more wins in the running events, taking both of the hurdles with a 14:09 in the 100m hurdles and a time of 1:04.87 in the 400m hurdles. Vengels, Simpson, Prince and Sheppard placed fourth through seventh in the 100m hurdles, while Prince was second in the 400m hurdles. 

Courtney Waltbillig won the 800 meters with a time of 2:18.29, while Olga Bulgarova and Kimi Shank placed second and third. Ashley Bunch and Alex Close were 7th and ninth in the event. Riutta placed second in the 200m and third in the 400m, while McKay placed fourth in the 400m. Oliver and Cook were fifth and tenth in the 100m, while Michelle Stevens, Kat Oberle and Victoria Kline placed 7th, 12th and 17th in the 1,500 meters. 

Southern will be back in action next weekend competing at the Arkansas Razorback Twilight.