NEW SPONSOR FOR SEMOTION RELAYS

The name has changed, but little else figures to be different about the SEmotion Relays, which this year will be held under the name ALL SPORT Relays.

ALL SPORT Body Quencher and the Marion (Ill.) Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company have assumed sponsorship of the annual track and field event hosted by Southeast Missouri State University.

This year's ALL SPORT Relays will be contested April 4-5 at the Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex. There will be team titles for the men's division, women's division and a combined team title.

Last season, in the 15th annual edition of the meet, Southern Illinois-Carbondale won the women's title, Northern Iowa won the men's title and Southeast captured the overall crown.

The competition begins at noon on Friday, April 4, and continues at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 5. Opening ceremonies will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, with former relays high jump champion and 1907 U.S. Olympic team member Cameron Wright of Southern Illinois honored.

Favorites for the 1997 ALL SPORT Relays will include Southeast, Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Southwest Missouri in the women's competition. Southeast won the women's Ohio Valley Conference indoor title while Illinois State won the Missouri Valley Conference indoor title, with Southern Illinois second.

In the men's division, Illinois State will be favored, with challenges from Western Kentucky, Marquette, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Southeast. Overall, Southeast, Southern Illinois and Illinois State should contend for the title.

Top individuals will include two-time defending javelin champion Randy Johnson of Southeast; defending 100-meter champion James Duncan of Illinois State, who recently second in the NCAA indoor 200-meters; long jumper Michelle Baptiste of Southwest Missouri, who was seventh in the recent NCAA indoor championships; and distance runner Sue Daggett of Illinois State, who finished sixth in the NCAA indoor 5,000.