Aldo Sebben Missouri State Relays 2009

Missouri State University will host the 87th Aldo Sebben Missouri State Relays Tuesday, April 28th at the Plaster Sports Complex.  Over 1,000 athletes from more than 40 high schools around the state of Missouri are expected to participate.  Events on both the track and in the field begin at 11:30 a.m.  The meet’s final event, the 4x400-meter relay, is set to start at 6:25pm. At the 2008 Relays, the Webb City girls and the Waynesville boys won the Maroon Division (Large Class) team titles while St. Mary’s girls and the Cuba boys won the White Division (Small Class) titles.  The title for St. Mary’s was its third in a row.  Waynesville, Cuba and St. Mary’s are all scheduled to return to defend their team titles in 2009. The 2009 relays will mark the 87th anniversary of the Aldo Sebben Missouri State Relays making the event the oldest of its kind in the United States.  No other high school only invitational in the nation has been as long standing as Missouri State’s Relays.  The Aldo Sebben Missouri State Relays are a fixture on the area high school track and field calendar.  Since the first Relays in 1923 the event has hosted some of the Ozark’s, Missouri’s and the nation’s top track and field athletes.  Athletes such as 1996 and 2000 Olympian Jason Pyrah competed for Willard at the Relays, setting the 800-meter record his senior year.  A 2006 Team USA member and former Missouri State All-American Tracy Partain still holds the meet record in the 300-meter hurdles that she set while competing for Springfield Parkview.  West Plains distance ace Jason Sandfort set the 3,200-meter meet record at the Relays before becoming an All-American for the University of Arkansas.  The list of future greats who started their track and field careers at the Aldo Sebben Missouri State Relays is long and with the meet still growing more future track and field stars are likely to soon make their way through the Plaster Sports Complex. Athletes competing Tuesday will be treated to one of the state’s top track and field stadiums.  The 16,300 seat Plaster Sports Complex is the largest track and field stadium in Missouri.  The facility features an 8-lane synthetic track surface, a state of the art field turf infield and in 2007 MSU unveiled its new throwing events venue.  Furthering Missouri State’s vision of being a destination site for track and field events, a nearly $2-million jumbotron video scoreboard was installed for the 2009 track and field season.  For the first time at Missouri State results will be instantly displayed on the videoboard as runners cross the line.  The Plaster Sports Complex is the only track and field stadium in Missouri to feature a video scoreboard. Admission to the Relays is $2 for adults.  Those 18 & under, as well as, MSU students with ID, will be admitted free.  Spectators should park in lots 18 and 22 south of Grand Street or Bear Park South on the corner of Grand Street and Holland Avenue.  All other lots will be ticketed as Missouri State classes will be in session. Complete meet details and instructions for teams can be found at www.BearsTrack.net.