March 26, 2003

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's track teams will open the outdoor season at the Memphis Invitational on Saturday at the University of Memphis.

"This should be a good opening meet," said Southeast coach Joey Haines. "The meet is co-hosted by Memphis and Rhodes College and will attract about ten Division I teams and a number of smaller colleges. I just hope we find some warm weather."

Southeast has several competitors who should vie for individual titles in the non-scored meet. Ohio Valley Conference indoor shot put and weight throw champion Heather Jenkins will be a favorite in the shot and discus for women while OVC indoor shot put champion Jay Heddell and Brandon Myer, a past OVC outdoor shot put champion, will be among the favorites in the men's shot and discus. All three will attempt to qualify for NCAA Regional competition. The qualifying standard in the men's shot put is 53-feet 5 ¾-inches and discus mark is 165-feet. The women's marks are 45-7 ¼ in the shot and 150 in the discus.

This year for the first time ever, NCAA Division I will have track and field regionals. Southeast will compete in the regional at Ohio State University and once an athlete meets the regional qualifying standards, they are in the meet with a chance to compete for a spot in the national finals.

"We think the regional meet will be a real benefit to college track and to our program," Haines said. "There is no more provisional qualification. Once you meet the regional standard, you are in the field. We have a lot of athletes who are capable of qualifying for the regional championships."

Shelton Scott, the OVC indoor long jump and triple jump champion, should qualify on Saturday in the triple jump where the qualifying distance is 49-0 ¼.

"We're excited about our women's 400 and 1600-meter relay teams," Haines said. "It will be good to see how they compete on Saturday. The 400-meter relay team will include Meleisa Greene, Rose Fulton, Natasha Fortenberry and LaQuita Andrews while the 1600-meter relay team will include Andrews, Brooke Woodruff, Hannah Stuckenschneider and Laura VanHoevelaak."

VanHoevelaak will also run in both hurdle events while Stuckenschneider and Woodruff, the OVC indoor 800-meter champion, will run the 400-meters.

Courtney Haman, the two-time defending OVC javelin champion, will shoot at the NCAA regional qualifying mark of 136-1.

Haines has announced that two members of the Southeast women's team will be redshirted because of season ending injuries. Freshman Lindsay Zeiler, the OVC cross country champion, has a broken leg and freshman pole vaulter Renee Herzog has a dislocated elbow.

Three members of the men's team will also be redshirted. Freshman thrower Bill Nekula is recovering from shoulder surgery while sprinter Chaz Brown is recovering from knee surgery. Pole vaulter Collin Sheridan is also being redshirted.