COLLEGE STATION, Texas – University of Missouri track and field's Valentina Barrios punched her ticket to the national final in women's javelin while Alicia Burnett advanced to the quarterfinals in the 100m after running a school-record 11.13 on day two of the opening round of the NCAA Championships at E.B. Cushing Stadium on Thursday.
Barrios, a junior, followed up her Southeastern Conference Championship performance with a fifth-place result of 56.71m (186-0). She joins Callan Saldutto in Eugene, Oregon, the site of the final rounds of the NCAA Championships, as the two will compete for the school's first national championship in javelin on either the women's or men's side.
After setting the school record in the 100m on April 18, Burnett topped it by a tenth of a second to finish in ninth and earn a spot in the quarterfinals of the event. She competes next on Saturday at 6:35 p.m.
Day two again started with the hammer throw, where Reagan Kimrey led the Tigers in 30th place with 57.17m (187-6) to conclude her freshman season. Petra Gombas closely followed with a throw of 55.03m (180-6), claiming 38th.
Senior Kaesha George capped off her campaign in 18th in women's javelin after throwing 47.58m (156-1). Led by Barrios, the squad was rounded out by Val Galligan in 29th place (45.77m/150-2) and Morgan Cannon in 45th (36.29m/119-0).
In the track events, Burnett took 34th in the 200m in 23.63, while freshman Monica Wanjiku capped off her stellar freshman season with an 18th-place result in the 10,000m, finishing in 34:49.42.
UP NEXT
The Tigers continue postseason action at round one of the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Friday, May 30, beginning with the men's discus at 1 p.m., where Skylar Coffey and Tarique George will represent Missouri.
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