Redhawks football gears up for spring practice

Southeast Missouri State will begin preparations for the 2010 football season at 6 a.m. Wednesday when the Redhawks hold their first spring practice session.

The NCAA allows college football teams 15 spring practices, including a spring game, which for the Redhawks will be at noon April 24.

Southeast also will practice this week at 6 a.m. Friday and noon Saturday.

Beginning next week, the Redhawks will work out at 6 a.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and at noon each Saturday leading up to the spring intrasquad contest.

The Redhawks kick off the season Sept. 2 at Division I-A Ball State. Their Ohio Valley Conference opener is Sept. 11 at Murray State, while their first home game is Sept. 25 against OVC opponent Tennessee Tech.

Southeast went 2-9 overall and 1-7 in the OVC last season, the Redhawks' fourth under coach Tony Samuel.

Track wins two titles

The Southeast track and field program won two titles over the weekend at the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Junior Tyler Terry won the long jump with a distance of 24 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

Senior Juli Koenegstein captured the 5,000 meters with a time of 17 minutes, 40.33 seconds.

Junior Josh Uchtman was second in the discus (168-7) and first among collegiate athletes. He also was third in the shot put (55-9 3/4) with an outdoor personal best.

Senior Brandon Colbert placed second in the shot put (56-5 3/4), third in the hammer throw (188-1) and eighth in the discus (153-0).

The Redhawks' 6,000 relay team of Alex Zisser, Jason Lumpkin, Joel Krause and Chris Loseman was second (16:33.33).

Southeast's women turned in three other top-five finishes.

Senior Samantha Espiricueta was third in the javelin (147-8); senior Ashley Brewer was fourth in the discus (146-11); and the 1,600 sprint medley relay of Rachel Kahle, Travon Beard, Jerika Lewis and Tiffany Mead placed fifth (4:13.71).

Brewer also was seventh in the shot put (48-3 1/4).

Southeast teams return to action this weekend, hosting the annual Joey Haines Invitational. The meet begins Friday with the hammer throw. The rest of the competition will be Saturday.

-- From staff reports