ALL SPORT UNDERGOES CHANGES IN 19TH EDITION

The format has changed, but the competition in the All Sport Classic should be as fierce as ever.

Southeast Missouri State University will host to the 19th annual event this weekend at the Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex. The majority of the meet will be held Saturday, with only the hammer throw being held today, at 5 p.m.

In the past few seasons, the meet has featured a relays format, but this year the All Sport Classic will be contested like a regular track meet, with scoring tabulated in every event.

"There are so many relay meets out there, but individuals don't get a chance to perform in those kinds of meets," said Southeast coach Joey Haines, who serves as meet director. "Our athletes perform so well at home, we feel like this gives them a chance for some (national) qualifying times.

"This kind of meet should also be more exciting for the fans. Most of them have been at regular track meets and they're familiar with how the scoring goes. This is going to be just like that. And the competition should be excellent."

Another change is the fact the meet is basically a one-day event this year. Field events begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, with running events slated for a 10 a.m. start. The competition is scheduled to conclude with the always-popular 1,600-meter relays at 3:55 p.m.

"Track meets just take a long time, but we've streamlined it as much as possible," Haines said. "Fans should really enjoy it. Hopefully people will be able to come out for the entire meet, but if not, they can come out and see the events they really enjoy."

Ten women's teams and nine men's squads will compete, including Southern Illinois-Carbondale, which captured the men's, women's and overall titles last year under the relays format that primarily featured scoring in relay events.

Other schools fielding both women's and men's teams, in addition to Southeast, will be Arkansas State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Missouri-Kansas City, Western Kentucky, Murray State and Tennessee-Martin. Austin Peay will enter only a women's squad.

Haines looks for SIU and Southeast to be the primary contenders for the women's title, with Arkansas State, Missouri-Kansas City and perhaps even a few other teams challenging.

On the men's side, Haines considers Memphis and SIU to be the favorites, with Arkansas State perhaps challenging those two.

"The women should be a battle with several teams. SIU is very strong and we should be right in there, along with some others," said Haines. "With the men, Memphis is really good and so is SIU. Arkansas State also has a strong team. Middle Tennessee would have a good chance if they were bringing their whole team, but they're not bringing everybody."

Returning defending individual champions for Southeast's women are Lutricia Purham in the shot put, Shauna Birge in the 100 and Kelly High product Amy Arteme in the 5,000. The Otahkians also captured the 4x100 relay in 1999 and the entire group of Heather Keltner, Birge, Kim Stewart and Natalie Talley return.

In addition to the above performers contending for titles Saturday, Haines believe he has several other contenders, including Keltner in the 200 and 400; Stuckenschneider in the 400; Talley in the 100; Becky Shull in the javelin; Sara Kaznica in the pole vault; Christy Williams in the 1,500; Leslie McNamara and Jessie Thompson in the 3,000; and the 4x400 relay team of Stewart, Keltner, Hannah Stuckenschneider and Robbi Durham.

Purham, who placed 15th in the shot put at the NCAA Championships last year, could pull off an impressive double Saturday by winning both the shot and the discus.

"Lutricia is really looking good, as are quite a few of our other athletes," Haines said. "We should have a lot of people do well, and both our relays should be really strong."

Southeast's men, while somewhat depleted as a team because of several key athletes redshirting, should also have some strong individual performances. Garvin Ambrose is the Indians' only returning individual champion as he won last year's high jump.

In addition to Ambrose, Haines mentioned Sikeston product Adrian Barnhill in the high jump, 6-foot-10, 320-pound Brandon Myer in the discus, Cape Central graduate Jim Fox in the pole vault and Perryville product Tyson Brown in the 800 as all having solid chances at winning titles.

According to Haines, the men's high jump should be a particularly strong event. Barnhill, a freshman, cleared seven feet to win the Ohio Valley Conference indoor title and he'll be going up against a pair of SIU jumpers who cleared seven feet indoors.