Southeast will attempt sweep at OVC meet

Southeast Missouri State's track and field program has an opportunity to bring home the university's first championship as Redhawks.

Coach Joey Haines said that is definitely the plan entering this weekend's Ohio Valley Conference indoor meet in Charleston, Ill. -- but the Redhawks don't want to just be satisfied with one title.

Southeast will be looking for a rare sweep of the men's and women's divisions when the two-day meet at Eastern Illinois University is held Friday and Saturday.

"We're going up there to bring home the first Redhawks championship," Haines said. "And we're looking to sweep, that's our goal."

While Southeast's women will be favored to win their second straight OVC indoor title -- to go with two consecutive outdoor crowns -- the men are the underdog to perennial champion Eastern Illinois, but Haines said his athletes are confident.

"Very much so," Haines said. "We as coaches feel good about it, but coaches always feel good about things. But our athletes feel good about it. They really think they can get it done."

It was no contest on the women's side last year as Southeast piled up 170 points to win by 62 points over runner-up Eastern Kentucky.

Despite being hampered by injury problems -- standout senior weights thrower Heather Jenkins, a Central High School product, is redshirting this season because of knee troubles after dominating the OVC meets the last few years, while some other key athletes are either out or banged up -- Haines doesn't expect the women to miss a beat.

"If we were healthy, it wouldn't even be close," Haines said. "But we just have a lot of quality people. Even though we've had a lot of adversity, if we perform like we're capable, we should be in good shape. We'll be very disappointed if we don't win."

Defending champions for Southeast's women who will compete this weekend include junior Brooke Woodruff, who has won the past two 800-meter titles and has already reached the NCAA's provisional qualifying standard while ranking in the top 20 nationally. She has the OVC's best time this year by about eight seconds.

Junior Lindsay Zeiler, despite not quite being at full strength because of a stress fracture that forced her to miss early action, won both the mile and 3,000-meters a year ago. She currently has the OVC's top mile time.

"She's not yet 100 percent, but she's getting there," Haines said. "If she were totally healthy, winning both would be a done deal again, but she can still do it."

Junior Michele Jett is the defending champion in the pole vault while the distance medley relay team also won last year's title.

Freshman phenom Kathy Coleman figures to make a major splash. She is ranked first in the OVC in the long jump, triple jump and 55-meters, while having the second-fastest time in the 55-meter hurdles. She has provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet in the long jump, where she is ranked in the top 20 nationally.

"She could win all four events, depending on how worn out she is. It will be a long two days for her," Haines said.

Also having the top time in the OVC is senior Kris Woolf (5,000-meters), while two Jackson High School products -- senior Lindsey Meyr (long jump) and sophomore Heather West (triple jump) -- should contribute points after each placed second last season.

On the men's side, defending champions include junior Jordan Willi, who has won the past two pole vault titles but is still recovering from a bout with mono, along with senior David Herman (60-meter hurdles) and senior Daniel Jones (weight throw). Jones has the OVC's top throw entering the meet.

Big points figure to come from sophomore sensation Miles Smith, who is ranked first in the OVC in the 400-meters, is a narrow second in the 200-meters, and anchors the 1,600-meter relay team that has the top time by about eight seconds.

Smith, who has provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet in the 400, is ranked 12th nationally, while the 1,600 relay has also provisionally qualified for nationals and is ranked among the top 20 nationally. Also on that group are juniors Walter Washington, Alonzo Nelson and Chaz Brown.

"I think we're going to win it this year," said Smith of the men's chances as a team. "We have the depth now, and a lot of talent we didn't have last year."

Others ranked first in the OVC entering the meet are senior Tim Jefferson (55-meters), senior Brian Knippen (shot put) and junior Andrew Lambert (high jump).

Several other athletes are ranked second, including Washington in the 400 by a solid margin -- but he happens to be behind his own teammate Smith.

"He'd be the heavy favorite in the 400 if Miles weren't in the race," Haines said.

Lambert, a Sikeston High School product, figures to score well after last year's performance that saw him place second in the high jump, third in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. He currently ranks second in the long jump.

The Redhawks were second last season with 123 points, to Eastern Illinois' 203 as the Panthers won their fourth straight title, and seventh in the past eight years.

"I expect it to be really tight, and we don't have any room for error," said Haines of the men's meet. "But if we have outstanding performances, we'll be hard to beat."