Redhawks happy to have home meet

Southeast Missouri State track and field athletes will get an opportunity to perform in front of a friendly crowd today.

The Redhawk Invitational, Southeast's only home meet of the indoor season, will take place at the Student Recreation Center, with field events beginning at 5 p.m. and running events starting at 7 p.m.

Also in the meet will be Murray State, Memphis, Arkansas State, Bethel (Tenn.), Lipscomb (Tenn.) and Bevil (Ala.) State Community College.

No team scores will be kept.

Coach Joey Haines said that Southeast will use the meet as a tuneup for next weekend's Ohio Valley Conference Championships, with some athletes being held out of competition in order to be as fresh as possible for the OVC meet.

"We will rest some of our runners, but most will compete because our athletes really enjoy performing in front of the home crowd," Haines said. "It's a non-scored meet because everybody is getting ready for upcoming conference championships, but there should be some very good performances.

"The field events will be very competitive, with some of the top throwers and jumpers in the Midwest."

Southeast is coming off an impressive showing at last weekend's Iowa State Invitational, including record-setting performances by Miles Smith.

Smith, who had a big freshman season last year, set school marks in the 400 meters (46.61 seconds) and 200 meters (21.42). Smith was third in the 400 and fourth in the 200.

"What Miles did was super, super special," Haines said. "He is really on top of it, and he's going to keep getting better."

Smith also anchored the 1,600 relay team that posted a school-record time of 3:09.68 and finished seventh. Others on that relay were Walter Washington, Alonzo Nelson and Chaz Brown.

Smith's 400 time, as well as the 1,600 relay time, met NCAA provisional qualifying standards. Smith has the 12th-fastest 400 time in the nation this year.

Another NCAA provisional qualifying standard was reached at Iowa State by Brooke Woodruff, who placed seventh in the 800 (2:08.71). Both Smith and Woodruff earned OVC Track Athletes of the Week for their performances at Iowa State.

Southeast has met one other NCAA provisional qualifying standard so far this season, by freshman sensation Kathy Coleman in the long jump.

Haines said he doesn't plan to have his athletes over-extend themselves in the Redhawk Invitational as they gear up for the all-important OVC Championships next weekend in Charleston, Ill.

Southeast's women swept the OVC indoor and outdoor titles a year ago, and they'll be favored to repeat. The men were second both indoor and outdoor last season, but Haines believes they'll have an opportunity to reach the top spot this year.

"We hope to do really well at the OVC and we don't want to do anything to mess that up," Haines said. "But it will still be a nice home meet and people will still get to see some strong performances. Hopefully, we'll have a good crowd."