SE CROSS COUNTRY TO HIT TRAIL

Eastern Kentucky's women's cross country team has won the past 17 Ohio Valley Conference championships.

The Lady Colonels will be favored to make it 18 in a row this year and Southeast Missouri State University coach Joey Haines figures they deserve that preseason tag.

But Haines also believes his Otahkians will be squarely in the hunt for the title.

"Eastern Kentucky has a tremendous team, but we think we have a chance to win the OVC this year," said Haines. "We can't control what the other teams do. We just have to run the best we can. But I think we can challenge (for the title)."

Southeast's women and men will open the 1998 season Friday in the Memphis (Tenn.) Invitational. Southeast will have one home meet, on Oct. 17, and the OVC Championships will be held Oct. 31 in Cookeville, Tenn.

Haines has extremely high hopes for Southeast's women's squad, which has been one of the OVC's best in recent years, and he also is optimistic about Southeast's young men's team.

"Both teams are working hard and we're looking forward to the season," he said.

Southeast's women placed third in the OVC last season after previously bringing home five straight second-place finishes.

The Otahkians should be led by four returning regulars, three of them all-OVC performers last year.

Junior Leslie McNamara made first-team all-OVC by placing fourth in the conference meet. Senior Janelle Quigley and sophomore Celeste Ramsey (Perryville High) were both second-team all-OVC as they finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in the OVC Championships.

Junior Tammy Wenkel, one of the school's top track athletes, also returns.

"We're expecting big things out of those four," Haines said. "They're a very talented group and they work really hard."

Haines also has high hopes for four freshmen with impressive credentials: Amy Arteme (Kelly High), Kate Gilbert, Hannah Stuckenschneider and Jessie Thompson.

"That's an excellent freshmen group," said Haines. "Five places are scored in meets and any one of them could step up and be the fifth girl, or maybe even fourth. This is more depth than we've had in eight or 10 years."

On the men's side, Southeast lost its top two runners and returns only three members of last year's squad that finished sixth out of 10 OVC teams.

"We're kind of in a rebuilding situation, with a lot of young guys. Six of our nine are freshmen," said Haines. "But we feel like this group can really develop. And our goal for this year is to be in the first division in the OVC (top five)."

The Indians' top returnee is sophomore Ryan Layton (Perryville High), who was 34th at last year's OVC meet.

Also back from last season are juniors Ty DeCramer (Cape Central High) and Brock Alspaugh.

Among the freshmen, Haines said that Tyson Brown (Perryville High), Nathan Speer and Jeff Neumann have been particularly impressive.

Haines also has high hopes for the other three freshmen, Mike Dickey, Jeff Engebertson and Adam Shupe.