OTAHKS UPROOTED AS OVC CHAMPS

CHARLESTON, Ill -- The Southeast Missouri State University women's track team, the two time defending OVC champions, were displaced by Eastern Kentucky Saturday at the 1999 OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Southeast's women took second place with 85 points, well behind the 109.5 total by the Lady Colonels. Tennessee State took third with 81, followed by Eastern Illinois (70), Middle Tennessee (63), Austin Peay (60), Morehead State (34), Tennessee-Martin (30), Murray State (11) and Tennessee Tech (2).

Eastern Illinois was favored to win the men's competition and did so handily, winning by 54 points over Middle Tennessee. EIU finished with 176 points while Middle Tennessee collected 122. Southeast's men placed third with 83 and were followed by Eastern Kentucky (68), Murray State (66), Tennessee State (42), Morehead State (20) and Tennessee-Martin (6).

For the women, Southeast's Heather Keltner took first place in the 400-meter dash (:55.60) and the 200 (:24.90).

The Otahkian medley relay team consisting of Jessie Thompson, Hannah Stuckenschneider, Laura Van Hoevelack and Janelle Quigley took first place with a time of 12:25.16.

Lutricia Purham also tossed the shot put 48 feet, 4.75 inches for first place.

Other top-eight finishers for the Otahkians included Shauna Birge (55-meter dash, second place, :07.10), Quigley (fourth place, mile run, 5:08.98), Stuckenschneider (400-meter dash, eighth place, :59.4) and Leslie McNamara (eighth, 5000-meter run, 18:30.44; eighth place, 3000-meter run, 10:43.79).

Stuckenschneider, Keltner, Kim Stewart and Van Hoevelack ran the mile relay in 4:00.69, good for fifth place.

The top place-finisher for the men was Derick Brown, who took third in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.4 seconds. Brown also placed fifth in the 200-meter dash with a time of :22.19.

Other top eight performers include Glenn Haley (fourth, 55-meter hurdles, :7.63), Chris Donze (fifth, long jump 22-1.5 inches), Donovan Collier (fifth, triple jump, 46-01.50) and Eugene Staten (eighth, triple jump, 38-9.75).