April 30, 2002

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Over 400 track and field athletes will be in Cape Girardeau for the Ohio Valley Conference men's and women's track championships on Friday and Saturday.

The OVC Championships will be hosted by Southeast Missouri State University at the Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex. The meet begins at 1 p.m. on Friday with Saturday events beginning at 10:30 a.m.

"We are looking forward to hosting the best OVC track championship ever," said Southeast coach and meet director Joey Haines. "We have a great facility and a solid group of volunteers who help us put on the meet.

"Competition wise it should be a great meet with tight team competition and some great individual performances. This is certainly a meet that any track fan will enjoy."

Southeast Missouri last hosted the OVC championships in 1995 when the Southeast men claimed their first OVC title.

The Southeast men's and women's teams should be in contention for titles again this year although Eastern Illinois will be favored in the men's competition and Tennessee State in the women's meet. "If everything falls right we can challenge for both titles," Haines said. "On the men's side it will be a battle between Eastern Illinois and Southeast with Eastern Kentucky also a factor. The women's team race should be a three team battle with Tennessee State, Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois all in the hunt."

Southeast Missouri has several defending champions including Jaret Willi, a two time champion in the pole vault, Jay Heddell in the discus, Shelton Scott in the triple jump and Glenn Haley in both the 110-meter high hurdles and 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Courtney Haman is the defending champion in the women's javelin.