Otahkians track team grabs second place at Illinois meet

Southeast Missouri State University's track team won six individual events and got a second-place finish from the women at the Illini Classic at the University of Illinois on Saturday.

Central graduate Heather Jenkins won two events, the shot put (47 feet 4 3/4 inches) and the weight throw (59-11 1/4). Brooke Woodruff won the 800 meters (2:13.73), Jackson graduate Lindsey Meyr won the long jump (18-3 1/4), Michele Jett won the pole vault (10-11 3/4) and Jay Heddell won the shot put (47-5 3/4).

Southeast's women finished with 141 points, right behind Illinois with 160.

The Southeast men finished fourth with 43 points. Illinois won the men's division with 217 points.

Southeast's next meet will be the Adidas University of Nebraska Classic on Feb. 14.

Other Southeast resultsSecond-place finishes -- Miles Smith, 400-meter dash; Heather West, triple jump; Rose Fulton, 60 meters; Megan Youse, shot put; the women's 4x400 relay team (Nyisha Porter, Woodruff, Juanita Coleman and LaQuita Andrews).

Third-place finishers -- Porter, 200 meters; Andrews, 400 meters; Jordan Willi, pole vault; Megan Rosenkoetter, pole vault; Meleisa Green, long jump; Lindsay Zeiler, 3,000; Andrew Lambert, high jump; Daniel Jones, weight throw; and Nichole Portell, shot put.

Tennis team loses opener

The Southeast Missouri State University women's tennis team opened its spring season Friday in Columbia, Mo., with a 7-0 loss to Northern Iowa.

Southeast put five first-year players on the court, including three freshmen.

The Otahkians failed to take a set off Northern Iowa, with No. 5 singles player Krista Hoebing coming closest in a 6-4, 6-1 loss.

No. 1 singles player Kay Ehlke lost 6-0, 6-1 to Northern Iowa's Jaime Noyce. Ehlke paired with freshman Kimmy Anderson at No. 1 doubles for an 8-2 loss to Noyce and Meredith Esbeck.

Southeast's next match will be Friday at Arkansas-Little Rock.

Northern Iowa 7, Southeast Missouri State 0

SinglesNo. 1 -- Jaime Noyce (NI) def. Kay Ehlke, 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 -- Agnese Pukse (NI) def. Kimmy Anderson, 6-2, 6-0; No. 3 -- Korkbi Quaye (NI) def. Kelly Mitchell, 6-0, 6-0; No. 4 -- Meredith Esbeck (NI) def. Kolby Hoebing, 6-0, 6-1; No. 5 -- Mariana Muraca (NI) def. Krista Hoebing, 6-4, 6-1; No. 6 -- Marcia Willis (NI) def. Beckie Prendergast, 6-0, 6-0.

DoublesNo. 1 -- Noyce-Esbeck (NI) def. Ehlke-Anderson, 8-2; No. 2 -- Pukse-Muraca def. Hoebing-Hoebing, 8-1; No. 3 -- Maifield-Willis (NI) def. Mitchell-Prendergast, 8-0.