Smith returns from injury, wins 400 meters in opener

~ The Redhawks opened the season at the Arkansas State Kickoff Classic.

The Southeast Missouri State track and field program had several strong performances during its opening meet of the indoor season, Saturday's Arkansas State Kickoff Classic.

More than 600 athletes from 12 schools participated in the non-scoring meet in Jonesboro, Ark.

Southeast's men were led by All-American senior Miles Smith, who redshirted last year with a hamstring injury.

Smith won the 400-meters in 47.29 seconds, which provisionally qualified him for the NCAA indoor championships and was the top time around the nation on the opening weekend of the season.

Smith also anchored Southeast's 1,600 relay team that won with a time of 3:13.29. Other relay members were senior Chris Poindexter, junior Chris Gill and freshman Robert Delaria.

"Miles is healthy and looking good," Southeast coach Joey Haines said. "He hadn't run really in almost a year [after being injured in January], but he did a lot of lifting, a lot of cross training. He's a bigger, stronger athlete.

"Our mile relay team was really, really good. They barely missed qualifying provisionally [for nationals]."

Gill, who formerly went by the last name of Williams, placed second to Smith in the 400 with a solid time of 48.51.

"He ran really well. He's really been pushing Miles in practice," Haines said.

Sophomore Brandon Colbert, last season's OVC freshman of the year, won the weight throw (59 feet 10 1/4 inches) with one of the top performances in school history, and he was second in the shot put (56-5 3/4).

"He had an outstanding meet," Haines said.

Another top performance on the men's side was by Malden product Ryan Criglar, a freshman who was fifth in the 200 (22.34).

"Two freshmen [Criglar and Delaria] did really well," Haines said.

On the women's side for Southeast, junior Orie Ibe was second in the 55 hurdles (8.30), while junior Whitney Thomas placed fourth (8.36).

"The two hurdlers had a really good race," Haines said.

Freshman Brianna Egbuka, from Cape Girardeau, was third in the shot put (44-2), while sophomore Ashley Brewer placed fifth (41-10).

"She did well," Haines said of Egbuka. "She'll be OVC champion as a freshman if she doesn't get hurt."

Sophomore pole vaulter Audrey Harwood was fifth (11-0), while freshman Cara Harbstreet was fifth in the high jump (5-5).

Southeast's 1,600 relay team of junior Elizabeth Prewitt-Allen, sophomore Jerica Hamm, Thomas and freshman Melina Lewis placed second (3:56.69).

"The mile relay ran really well," said Haines, who added: "We had some very good performances out of a lot of people. The competition was very strong."

Southeast will take a few athletes to a meet this weekend at Southern Illinois. The majority of the men's and women's teams will resume competition Jan. 18 at Southern Illinois.