Jenkins kicks off Gatorade Classic with a career first

Heather Jenkins won the first Gatorade Classic title of her career Friday -- but not in the event most would expect.

Jenkins, a sophomore track and field athlete at Southeast Missouri State University, captured the hammer throw as the 22nd annual Gatorade Classic began at Southeast's Abe Stuber Complex.

The men's and women's hammer throws were the only events contested Friday. The bulk of the nine-team meet will be today beginning at 11 a.m.

Jenkins, a Central High School graduate, specializes in the discus and shot put. She set the school record in the discus and qualified for the NCAA Championships last year as a freshman, and this season she has already qualified for the new NCAA regionals in the discus and shot put.

Jenkins hopes to win both events today -- she was second in the discus and fourth in the shot put last year -- and figures Friday's performance should set a tone for the weekend.

"It's nice to win here at home, and hopefully I'll get two more tomorrow," Jenkins said.

The hammer throw -- consisting of an eight-pound ball with a metal wire attached to it, which is used to perform the throw -- is not an official Ohio Valley Conference event, so Jenkins did not compete in that area last year. Friday's performance was her first in the hammer throw during an actual meet, although she has been practicing.

After her winning toss of 158 feet, 1 inch, a smiling Jenkins said, "It was different, but I think I did pretty good, and I think I can get better. I plan on doing this the rest of the season."

Jon Cargill of Murray State won the men's hammer throw with a distance of 176-10.

Jenkins and her teammates will chase team titles as well as individual championships today.

Southeast swept all three divisions last year -- winning the men's, women's and combined titles -- but coach Joey Haines expects stiff competition from several schools, including Southwest Missouri, which Haines considers the meet favorite.

"It should be an outstanding meet," Haines said.

mmishow@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 132