April 1, 2003

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The name has changed but the top flight track and field competition will remain in the 22nd annual Gatorade Classic on Friday and Saturday at Southeast Missouri State University's Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex.

For the fourth time in the 22 year history of the meet that features some of the nation's top track athletes, the name changes from All Sport Classic to Gatorade Classic although the corporate sponsor, Pepsi Mid-America, remains the same.

Southeast Missouri State swept all the team titles last season winning the women's division, men's division, and overall championship. The competition will be even stiffer this season with Southeast expected to be challenged by Southwest Missouri State (SMS) , Tennessee-Chattanooga and Memphis.

There will be eight schools with both men's and women's teams in the competition including Memphis, Murray State, Southeast Missouri, SMS, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Southern Indiana, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Tennessee-Martin. Austin Peay will enter only a women's team and Tennessee State will enter only a men's team. Rend Lake College, second at the NJCAA national indoor championships, will have entries, but will not be included in the team scoring.

SMS has an outstanding women's team that won the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor championship last spring and won the MVC indoor title earlier this year. The SMS women won the Gatorade Classic in 2001.

Southeast Missouri was second in the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor last spring and OVC indoor earlier this year. Tennessee-Chattanooga, coached by former Southeast assistant coach Bill Gautier, has outstanding distance runners and Memphis has strength in the field events.

"It should be a very competitive meet," said Southeast coach Joey Haines. "Every event has some outstanding entrants and the team titles in all divisions should be the closest competition ever."

The Southeast women have four defending champions including javelin thrower Courtney Haman who is a two-time defending champion in the javelin. Meleisa Greene is the defending champion in the long jump, Laura VanHoevelaak in the 400-meter hurdles and Kaci Pilcher in the 1,500-meters. In addition to Haman, three other 2001 champions will be in competition on Saturday including Meagan Youse of Southeast in the shot put and SMS performers Rebekah Daro in the 5,000-meters and Cheasa Gibson in the 400-meters.

Gibson, a two-time Missouri Valley MVP, established a new 400-meter record in 2001 when she timed 54.06.

Southeast also has four defending champions including Jay Heddell in the shot put, James Brainer in the javelin, Shelton Scott in the triple jump and Chad Sierman in the steeplechase.

SMS returns four winners from the 2001 Gatorade Classic including Scott Reeves in the 5,000, Mark Hagenhoff in the 1500 and Ryan Smith who won both the 400 and 400 hurdles. Brandon Myer of Southeast was the 2001 shot put and discus champion.

The 2003 Gatorade Classic begins with the men's and women's hammer throw at 5 p.m. on Friday with the remainder of the events beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.