COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou cross country kicked off its 2021 postseason on Friday, competing in and hosting the SEC Championship Race in Columbia, Mo. Against the tough SEC competition, the men’s team finished in third place with 105 points.
Junior Marquette Wilhite (Warrensburg, Mo.) and freshman William Sinclair (Tauwhare, New Zealand) led the men, earning All-SEC Second Team recognition for their performances in the 8k race. For the women, senior Sarah Chapman (Maidenhead, England), and sophomore Isabelle Christiansen (Oswego, Ill.) led the women to a seventh place team finish with 192 points, while finishing 24th and 30th, respectively.
NOTABLE TIGERS
The men came out strong, finishing with three Tigers in the top 20, and six in the top 50. Wilhite led the men, with a powerful ninth place finish in 23:55.6, followed closely by freshman William Sinclair (Tauwhare, New Zealand) who finished 13th with a time of 23:58.4. Both Wilhite and Sinclair shaved nearly two minutes off their 8k time from the 2020 SEC Championships.
The men’s third place finish marks the programs best SEC team finish since 2012, and their third lowest score since joining the Southeastern Conference. Friday’s performance also nods to the potential of a lineup running three newcomers and zero seniors. Their team score, at 105, beats their 2013 score by two points and proves to be the best team score in eight years.
Chapman led the women, as she has in every race this season, finishing in 24th overall at 21:01.3. Christiansen had an impressive sophomore performance finishing with a time of 21:21.5. Freshman Allison Newman (Germantown, Tenn.) earned Women’s Freshman All-SEC honors for her outstanding race, finishing 70th with a time of 22:05.6. The women’s team, matched last year’s team rank, finishing seventh with a score of 192.
QUOTES
Mizzou Head Coach Marc Burns… “A great race for both teams today. Our men really set the tone early in the race. They followed the race plan to a tee and battled hard to the line. Our women started out a little further back than we wanted but I am really proud of how they fought their way back into the race. We were back in the 9/10 spot early and worked our way all the way back to 7th. It was a great day for our program in many ways with the men’s highest finish ever and showing off our beautiful facility to the nation for the first time. Thanks to all who have made this possible and for all of the continued support from our administration and Columbia Parks and Rec.”
UP NEXT
Following the SEC Championships, NCAA Regionals Qualifiers will be announced in an official capacity. The Regional Championships are set to take place in Iowa City, Iowa on Friday, Nov. 12.
For all the latest on Mizzou Track & Field, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@MizzouTFXC).
MEN’S 8K RESULTS –
9. Marquette Wilhite, 23:55.6 // 13. William Sinclair, 23:58.4 // 19. Martin Prodanov, 24:11.2 // 28. Mitchell Small, 24:20.2 // 38. Jacob Nicholson, 24:48.4 // 50. Owen Bishop, 25:01.9 // 65. Royce Fisher, 25:19.5 // 79. Blake Morris, 23:43.5 // 86. Jonathan Schmidt, 25:56.5 // 104. Jack Warner, 27:19.0
WOMEN’S 6K RESULTS –
24. Sarah Chapman, 21:01.3 // 30. Isabelle Christiansen, 21:21.5 // 38. Jenna Schwartz, 21:35.1 // 44. Mikayla Reed, 21:43.2 // 58. McKenna Revord, 21:53.9 // 64. Reilly Revord, 21:58.3 // 70. Allison Newman, 22:05.6 // 111. Abby Hake, 23:25.2 // 129. Andi Bowman, 24:31.2
TEAM RESULTS –
Men’s results can be found here.
Women’s results can be found here.
