SEMO'S PURHAM PULLS OFF RARE FEAT

Lutricia Purham has placed herself in some pretty select company.

Since Southeast Missouri State University made the move up to the NCAA Division I level in 1991, only one of the school's track and field athletes had qualified for the National Championship Meet -- until now.

Purham, a Southeast junior, will become only the second Southeast track athlete -- and the school's first female track athlete -- to compete at Division I nationals when the NCAA Championships begin Wednesday in Boise, Idaho. Purham qualified in the shot put with a school-record toss of 50 feet 9 3/4 inches.

Although Purham's impressive shot put -- which ranks 20th nationally -- was recorded back in March, she wasn't totally assured of making the NCAA field until a few days ago, when all the final rankings had been tabulated.

"I pretty well knew I would make it because of the rankings, but I've still been pretty nervous about the whole thing," said Purham with a laugh. "One of my goals before I left SEMO was to make nationals and I'm really excited."

And Purham's coaches at Southeast are just as excited for her, particularly because making the NCAA Championships in track and field is so difficult. The only other Southeast athlete to qualify in Division I is Terrance Branch, who finished a remarkable fourth in the 400-meters in 1994.

"It's quite an accomplishment for Lutricia," said Southeast head coach Joey Haines. "In other sports, teams go to regionals. In track, you go all the way to the national finals and you have to qualify from among the top people from all over the country."

Said Southeast assistant coach Eric Crumpecker, who works with the throwers, "It's quite a feat for Lutricia. When you start thinking about being in the top 20 in the country at what you do, it's really something. Most of the schools on the list of qualifiers are some of the nation's powerhouse programs."

But the good-natured Purham, who will compete in her event at nationals Thursday, said she doesn't really concern herself with what other schools the nation's top throwers represent. With the kind of schedule Haines puts together every year, Southeast athletes are constantly going up against some of the country's best programs.

"I've competed against most of the schools, except on the West Coast, so it won't be a surprise for me," she said.

As good as Purham has been for Southeast the past two years -- she won both the Ohio Valley Conference indoor and outdoor titles shot put titles this year while capturing the OVC outdoor crown last season -- the St. Louis native originally balked at the idea of competing in the throwing events.

"I started with track in the fourth grade and I would run the relays," she said. "In ninth grade, my coach asked me to start throwing and I didn't like it. It wasn't until probably my junior year that I started enjoying it."

With enjoyment came success. Purham won the Class 4A state shot put and discus titles as a senior at Marquette High School.

She decided to come to Southeast for a couple of reasons.

"I got a good scholarship and I was guaranteed to have a throwing coach," said Purham. "Coach Crumpecker does a great job with me and all the throwers."

Purham, who is majoring in middle school education and wants to coach some day, figures she's lucky she turned in her impressive throw of 50-9 3/4 early in the outdoor season this year. It wasn't long after that performance that she suffered an ankle injury that hampered her for several weeks.

"I made the throw in the first meet of the outdoor season," she said. "I was really excited, then I struggled a little because of the ankle injury. But I'm back at 100 percent now, like before I got hurt."

If anything, Crumpecker said the injury might work to Purham's advantage at the national meet.

"After missing those few weeks, she's hungry now and ready to go throw," he said. "The thing about nationals, it seems like the hardest part is getting there. All but about three or four people are capable of about the same thing and it's whoever is on that day."

Purham agrees with her coach.

"With throwers there are peaks and valleys," she said. "You just have to be ready. You never know if you're going to have a good day or a bad day. I've been asked before prior to meets how I'm going to do and I just say I'm going to do my best."