Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears track and field
American college track and field team
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The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears track and field teams are the track and field programs that represents Missouri State University. The Bears and Lady Bears compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Conference USA. The teams are based in Springfield, Missouri, at the Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium.[1]
| Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears track and field | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Missouri State University |
| Head coach | Jordan Fife |
| Conference | C-USA |
| Location | Springfield, Missouri |
| Outdoor track | Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium |
| Nickname | Bears and Lady Bears |
The program is coached by Jordan Fife.[2] The track and field program officially encompasses multiple teams because the NCAA considers men's and women's indoor track and field and outdoor track and field as separate sports.[3]
The Bears men's teams were cut in 2006 following the outdoor track and field season, leaving only the women's teams since then.[4] The cuts were announced in December 2005 as part of an initiative to save US$350,000 to $500,000.[5][6]
Heptathlete Tracy Partain is the program's highest finisher at the NCAA championships, placing runner-up at the 2006 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[7][8]
Postseason
AIAW
The Lady Bears have had five AIAW All-Americans finishing in the top six at the AIAW indoor or outdoor championships.[9]
| AIAW All-Americans | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Championships | Name | Event | Place |
| 1973 Outdoor | Marti Adams | 4 × 440 yards relay | 3rd |
| Vicki Malin | |||
| Mary Gunn | |||
| Mary Phyl Dwight | |||
| 1976 Outdoor | Carol Cook | Mile run | 6th |
| 1976 Outdoor | Carol Cook | Two miles | 5th |
NCAA
As of August 2025[update], a total of 2 men and 4 women have achieved individual first-team All-American status for the team at the Division I men's outdoor, women's outdoor, men's indoor, or women's indoor national championships (using the modern criteria of top-8 placing regardless of athlete nationality).[10][11]
| First team NCAA All-Americans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Championships | Name | Event | Place | Ref. |
| Women's | 1992 Outdoor | Dedra Davis | Long jump | 5th | [12] |
| Women's | 1995 Outdoor | Melinda Sallins | 400 meters hurdles | 5th | [13] |
| Women's | 1996 Outdoor | Melinda Sallins | 400 meters hurdles | 8th | [13] |
| Women's | 1997 Indoor | Michelle Baptiste | Long jump | 7th | [14] |
| Women's | 1999 Indoor | Verneta Lesforis | 4 × 400 meters relay | 8th | [15][1] |
| Juliet Pommells | |||||
| Mashere Harrison | |||||
| Augustina Charles | |||||
| Women's | 1999 Outdoor | Juliet Pommells | 4 × 400 meters relay | 5th | [16] |
| Augustina Charles | |||||
| Trudi Garrett | |||||
| Verneta Lesforis | |||||
| Men's | 2000 Outdoor | Gregory Hughes | Triple jump | 6th | [17] |
| Men's | 2001 Outdoor | Gregory Hughes | Triple jump | 8th | [17] |
| Men's | 2002 Indoor | Justin Alberts | 4 × 400 meters relay | 7th | [18] |
| Ryan Smith | |||||
| Jamial Rolle | |||||
| Alexis Roberts | |||||
| Men's | 2006 Indoor | Fabian Florant | Triple jump | 6th | [19] |
| Women's | 2006 Outdoor | Tracy Partain | Heptathlon | 2nd | [20] |