Injuries threaten women's bid for repeat

Despite being riddled with injuries, Southeast Missouri State's women will look to continue their Ohio Valley Conference domination this weekend.

And the Southeast men will try to finally get over the hump, as the program shoots for a rare sweep during the two-day OVC Outdoor Meet in Clarksville, Tenn. Austin Peay is the host for the event, with action beginning 1 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.

Southeast's women have dominated the OVC in recent years. They'll be shooting for their third consecutive outdoor title, in addition to the two straight indoor crowns they've captured.

But coach Joey Haines knows his women will likely face their biggest challenge yet during the streak. That's because they've been decimated by injuries the likes of which Haines has not seen since taking over Southeast's program in 1982.

No less than 10 key Redhawks athletes will either miss the meet or be limited by injuries.

"Legitimately, we've got about 60 to 70 points that won't be competing. That would be enough to finish third or fourth alone," Haines said. "It's just been one of those years with injuries. I've never seen anything like it."

Among the athletes who have missed the entire outdoor season and will redshirt are thrower Heather Jenkins, distance runner Lindsay Zeiler, sprinter Juanita Coleman and middle-distance runner Taryn Phillips -- all of them all-conference performers.

Jenkins, a Central High School product, has dominated the OVC throws the past three years, winning 10 conference titles and several athlete of the year awards. Zeiler won the 1,500 and placed second in the 5,000 last year.

"That's 38 points right there," Haines said. "The good thing is that all four will redshirt and be ready to go next year."

As many as six more top Redhawks athletes either were injured late in the season and won't compete or will compete this weekend while being severely limited. Among those banged up are sprinters Nyisha Porter and LaQuita Andrews, distance runner Kim Krieger, and jumpers Heather West (Jackson High School) and Meleisa Greene. They have all either been all-conference or finished high in conference meets.

"It's been amazing, all the injuries," Haines said.

But Haines is not about to rule out a three-peat, although he knows things won't be nearly as lopsided as last year, when Southeast more than doubled up second-place Eastern Illinois by scoring 205 points to 101 for the Panthers.

"It won't be easy. It will be a battle. But we can still win," Haines said. "We'll just really have to perform well, with no margin for error. But the girls really have a lot of pride, they're not going to give it up."

Haines looks for Eastern Illinois, Samford and Tennessee State to be among the Redhawks' major challengers -- and he said if another team is going to unseat Southeast, this is the year to do it.

"On paper, this was the best team we've ever put together," Haines said. "But we'll have a lot of those injured athletes back, we'll have a lot of young athletes back and we've had a really good recruiting year. This is the year for somebody to get us."

Defending individual champions for the Redhawks are Brooke Woodruff, who has won two straight 800-meter titles (along with three consecutive indoor crowns); and Michele Jett, who has captured the pole vault the last two years.

Freshman Kathy Coleman, who enters her first OVC outdoor meet, won the triple jump and 60-meters at the OVC indoor, while finishing second in the long jump.

Redhawks hunt EIU

On the men's side, Southeast has finished second the last two years -- both outdoors and indoors -- but the Redhawks have not been able to overtake the depth of Eastern Illinois.

The Panthers have captured eight consecutive outdoor titles to go with four straight indoor crowns, although the Redhawks -- whose last OVC championship came in 1996 -- have consistently narrowed the gap.

"This is by far the best men's team we've had since we've been Division I," Haines said. "Eastern Illinois will be favored because of their depth, but if we have a good meet, we can win.

"We're running really well right now, and we're pretty healthy. We're going to run some people in events they don't normally run to try to score extra points. We're definitely going to make a run at them, we just have to have a couple of people step up."

Sophomore Miles Smith, who has the nation's eighth-fastest 400-meter time, is Southeast's only defending individual champion. He captured the 400 last year while finishing second in the 200. He also claimed this year's indoor 400.

Brian Knippen, a Murray State transfer, won the indoor shot put, while the 1,600-meter relay team of Smith, Walt Washington, Chaz Brown and Alonzo Nelson also prevailed indoors.

OVC champions automatically qualify for the regional meet, in addition to those who have already qualified through times and distances posted during the season.

Already making the regional cut for Southeast are Woodruff (800), Coleman (long jump), Smith (400), Knippen (shot put) and Nelson (400 hurdles), along with the men's 400 and 1,600 relays.