Redhawks get fast start out of blocks

~ The Southeast men and women are in position to retain their titles.

Southeast Missouri State coach Joey Haines could not have asked for much more than what transpired Friday as the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor track and field meet got under way in Cape Girardeau.

Although Southeast's men and women both have plenty of work left to do today, the host school at least set itself up to repeat its dual championships from a year ago.

"It was a great day for us," Haines said. "We've done well. I'm really, really proud of our athletes on both sides."

After Friday's events at the Abe Stuber Complex -- which featured six finals in each division, along with a host of preliminaries -- Southeast's men and women both held leads.

The Southeast men, who upset Eastern Illinois last season to deny the Panthers a ninth straight OVC outdoor championship, got out of the gates quickly with 80 points.

Eastern Illinois, which easily beat Southeast earlier this year for its sixth consecutive OVC indoor title, is lurking with 66 points. Tennessee State is third with 39 points in the seven-team field.

"At the indoor, we were pretty well buried after the first day," Haines said. "I knew we had to at least hold our own the first day.

"We're in a position where, if we perform very well [today], we can win it, but so can Eastern Illinois. It should be exciting."

In the 10-team women's division, Southeast has 56 1/2 points to 50 for Eastern Illinois, although several other teams are expected to pose challenges as the Redhawks chase their fourth consecutive OVC outdoor title and their seventh straight conference crown. That string includes the last three indoor titles.

"It should also be a good battle with the women," Haines said.

Action begins at 11 a.m. today, as 13 finals will be contested in both divisions.

Southeast won three events Friday, including two on the women's side.

Senior Heather Jenkins, a Central High School graduate who ranks as one of the top throwers in OVC history, added a 12th league title to her resume by winning the shot put.

Jenkins trailed until her last throw, which carried 47 feet, 7 inches and tied Tennessee State's Latheria Lewis. But Jenkins was awarded the victory because her second-best throw topped that of Lewis.

"You've got to love Heather Jenkins," Southeast throws coach Eric Crumpecker said. "She seems to always come through under pressure."

Jenkins will be favored to win today's discus. She has by far the OVC's top performance this season -- 166 feet, which ranks 42nd nationally. Jenkins also had the top shot put prior to Friday.

One Southeast athlete who did not have the top performance in her event entering the meet -- sophomore Lindsay Hearne -- nonetheless won the javelin.

Hearne, third last year, threw 130-7 to prevail by about 10 feet.

"I'm excited. My first OVC championship," Hearne said. "Even though I didn't have the best throw going in, I was confident."

On the men's side, Southeast's victory came from sophomore Kevin McNab, who handily won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9 minutes, 15.37 seconds. He beat the runner-up by more than 13 seconds.

"I got second last year, and this feels really good," said McNab, who had already met the NCAA regional qualifying time in an earlier meet.

Said Haines: "Kevin is really having a good year. Coach Heins has done a great job with him."

Eric Heins is Southeast's distance coach.

Southeast's men got second-place finishes from Bill Nekula in the shot put, Jason Thoedorakos in the javelin and Sikeston product Andrew Lambert in the high jump. Lambert was also seventh in the long jump.

On the women's side, Southeast's runner-up finishes were by Kris Woolf in the 10,000 and Juli Koenegstein in the 3,000 steeplechase.

Another highlight for Southeast's men was the third-place, regional-qualifying performance of John Berry in the long jump as he went 24-3 3/4. He was also seventh in the high jump.

"John had a great day," Haines said. "The long jump field was awesome."

A host of other top-eight finishers contributed points for Southeast, including several area high school graduates.

For the women, freshman Rebecca Martin from Jackson was third in the javelin and eighth in the shot put, while Central's Lainie Bohnsack equaled her personal best in the high jump and tied for the top height at 5-7, but was fourth based on misses.

For the men, Central's Anthony Harris was sixth in the long jump and Jackson freshman Andy Glass was seventh in the shot put.

Southeast All-American Miles Smith coasted to the top time in the 400 preliminaries (47.13), showing no ill effects from a hamstring problem that has plagued him in recent weeks.

"I felt good," Smith said.

Tennessee State's Buford Williams had quite a day, winning the long jump and high jump while placing sixth in the javelin.