INDIANS CLAIM FIRST PLACE IN THEIR OWN ALL SPORT CLASSIC

The Southeast Missouri State University men's track team outdistanced a seven-team field to capture the team championship at the 20th annual All Sport Classis on Saturday.

Southeast won the men's title with 187 points to runner-up Southwest Missouri State's 152.5, and took second in the women's division with 145 points, behind Southwest's 186.

Contested under near ideal conditions at the Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex, the Indians won the title for the first time since '94.

"It was the best meet we've had in five or six years, as far as depth of the field," said Southeast Missouri State University coach Joey Haines, "and probably the second or third best day (weather-wise) ever for the meet."

In the combined results, Southeast totaled 332 points, just shy of overall champion Southwest's 338.5. Western Illinois took third with 192. Other teams entered in order of finish were UMKC, Arkansas State, Murray State and Southern Illinois. Austin Peay and UT-Martin participated in the women's division only.

"We were really happy with the results," said Haines. "but we would have liked to have won the combined. That was our goal."

On the men's side, bringing home the gold as double winners were Southeast's stellar weight man Brandon Myer, who won the shot put (56'-2 1/2") and the discus (181'-9 1/2"), and sprinter Derrick Brown, winner of the 100 meters (10.56) and anchor of the winning 4 x100 relay team. Brown also had a third in the 200 meters.

Although outdistancing the other competitors quite easily, Myer had bigger goals in mind.

"I was pretty pleased with the results, but I was actually hoping for a little bit more distance to kind of get me on the (NCAA qualifying) list," said Myer. "We go to Tennessee next weekend and hopefully I'll get it there."

Southeast's Jay Heddell finished second to Myer in both the shot put and discus.

Glenn Haley recorded a personal best in his 110-meter hurdles win (14.26) and finished a close second in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

The Indian trio of Tyson Brown, Jared Tanz and Adam Shupe swept the top three places in the 800 meters. Brown's time of 1:54.44 broke his own ALL SPORT Classic record of 1:54.78.

Other Southeast gold-medal winners were Jaret Willi in the pole vault (16-1) and Garvin Ambrose in the high jump (6-10).

The Southeast women managed only two wins, but scored heavily with second and third-place finishes.

Megan Youse took the shot put (43-0) and Courtney Haman won the javelin with a toss of 126-5.

"On the women's side we did some really good things," said Haines. "Our best athlete, Heather Keltner, got a second (400-meters) and a third (200-meters), but the girls that beat her are very outstanding athletes. She (Keltner) ran her fastest times of the year and came pretty close to lifetime bests, so you can never be disappointed with that."

Keltner, previous record holder in the ALL SPORT Classic 200 and 400 meter events, saw both her records eclipsed by Southwest Missouri State runners, even though she bettered both of her record times.

Southwest's Camille Clarke, a double winner in the 100 and 200 meters set the record in the 200 at 23.89 seconds, while teammate Cheasa Gibson lowered the 400-meter mark to 54.06.

Amy Arteme, Southeast outstanding distance runner, took second-places in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races. Arteme was edged by little more than a second in the 5,000 meter run.

Freshman Lyndsey Stevenson deserves mention for her third-place finish in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Stevenson, having never competed in the hurdles until this year, finished less only a half-second behind the leaders.