SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State track and field team heads to Pittsburg, Kansas, to compete in Pitt State's 2nd Annual Gorilla Classic (Feb. 10-11). The weight throw kicks off Friday's competition at 2 p.m., while Saturday starts with the 3,000-meter run at 10:30 a.m.
 

Missouri State Track and Field at the 2nd Annual Gorilla Classic
Dates	February 10-11, 2017 - All Day
Location	Pittsburg, Kan.
Site	Robert W. Plaster Center
Meet Information	Schedule of Events | Live Results
MissouriStateBears.com	Track and Field Homepage
Connect	@MSUBearsTrackXC | Bears on Facebook |  Bears on Instagram | #MSUBears

Keeping Track of the Bears

• The Bears head to Kansas for the third time this season when the squad participates in the 2nd Annual Gorilla Classic (Feb. 10-11), hosted by Pitt State. Sophomore Sidne' Williamson, jumper Chelsey Linton, senior Shani Adams and sprinters Kelli Bowen and Erin Roebuck are projected to be the busiest, each competing in three events apiece.
• The Bears have combined for 42 top-five performances going into the sixth outing of the 2016-17 season. Four student-athletes – Asha Cave, Daijha Heron, Marissa Kurtimah, and Brittany McPike – have each tallied at least three top-five performances in their respective individual events.
• Four Bears – Shani Adams, Asha Cave, Daijha Heron and Marissa Kurtimah – currently sit in the top-10 in the MVC in their respective events. The top-eight finishers at the indoor conference meet, hosted by UNI at the end of February, will contribute points to each team's total.
• Senior Marissa Kurtimah has been tabbed MVC Female Track Athlete of the Week twice this season for her performances on the track. The Guelph, Ontario, Canada, native currently ranks first in the league in the 60-meter dash (7.46 seconds) and third in the 200-meter dash (24.38 seconds).
• MSU's lone triple jumper, Daijha Heron, opened the season at the Bob Timmons Challenge with a second-place leap of 11.92 meters. Now the fourth-best distance among other MVC competitors in the event.
• Director of track and field and cross country, Ronald Boyce, enters his 21^st season at the helm in 2016-17. In his time at MSU, his indoor and outdoor track and field teams have claimed nine Missouri Valley Conference Championships and have been Valley runners-up six times.
• The Bears return five letterwinners – Shani Adams, Marissa Kurtimah, Asha Cave, Kadisha Francois and Daijha Heron – from last season's indoor squad. This group of student-athlete combined for 21 top-five finishes during the 2015-16 indoor season in their respective individual events.
• Three 2016 All-Missouri Valley Conference performers return to the indoor squad, including Marissa Kurtimah, who broke the MSU school record in the 60-meter dash for the third and final time last season at the conference championships with a winning time of 7.37 seconds.