Mizzou's Barrios comes up short in title defense at NCAA Outdoors, still places fourth
Mizzou's Valentina Barrios placed fourth in the women's javelin with a throw of 187 feet, 6 inches, ending her bid for back-to-back wins at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Valentina Barrios
Skylar Ciccolini
Mizzou's Valentina Barrios competes in the women's javelin final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Thursday in Eugene, Oregon. Barrios finished fourth overall, falling short of defending her title, but still marking a high finish.
Since the women’s javelin became an event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1982, there have been only six women to win back-to-back titles.
On Thursday in Eugene, Oregon, that number remained as such.
Mizzou’s Valentina Barrios placed fourth with a throw of 187 feet, 6 inches, ending her bid for a title defense but still finishing as a first-team All-American. The Colombian product would have been the second Tiger in program history to earn more than one national title, a list that only includes Mizzou legend Karissa Schweizer, who earned five track titles in addition to her one cross country championship.
At last year’s meet, Barrios won with a program-record 203-5.
Competing alongside Barrios, Mizzou Ph.D. candidate Skylar Ciccolini finished 19th with a throw of 160-2. Ciccolini entered ranked fifth nationally, and she closed her Missouri career with her fourth appearance at nationals.
In Wednesday’s action, Mizzou senior Sam Innes finished 23rd in the men’s hammer with a throw of 206-8.
The small but mighty throwers contingent wrapped up their contention, concluding the Tigers’ season on the biggest stage.
National records fell in Thursday's competition, continuing the same trend from Day 1. In the women's 100-meter dash prelims, Georgia's Adaejah Hodge soared to an NCAA record time of 10.63 seconds, obliterating Sha’Carri Richardson’s collegiate record of 10.75. Hodge's time is the fifth fastest in women's history, and it's the current world lead.
In the women's pole vault, Washington's Amanda Moll topped the NCAA record with a clearance of 15-10½. The previous record belonged to her twin sister, Hana, who set the former benchmark last year. Hana placed second in Thursday's competition with a leap of 15-6½.
After six women's events were scored on Day 1, Washington carries the lead with 18 points, followed by Iowa State (15) and Nebraska (14) in second and third, respectively.
Other Missouri competitors
Former Mizzou sprinter Alicia Burnett advanced to the women's 100 finals for Ole Miss after taking eighth in the prelims with a time of 11.03. Burnett owns three MU program records: the indoor 100- and 200-meter dash and the outdoor 100.
Kentucky sophomore and Pattonville alum A'Laji Bradley competed in the Wildcats' 4x400 prelims. The squad took eighth to advance to the finals, which are scheduled for Saturday. The St. Louis product closed her high school career with a pair of state titles at the 2024 MSHSAA Class 5 Championships, winning both the 200 and the 400.
South Carolina sprinter and Cardinal Ritter alum Kyndall Harrington-Spain toed off in the women's 400 hurdles. She placed 21st in 57.84 in the national meet in her first year as a collegiate athlete.
STEAM Academy alum and Southern Illinois senior Leah Thames placed 23rd in the women's 400 prelims with a time of 52.99.