Southeast Missouri State athletes win seven events at OVC meet

The Southeast Missouri State men's track and field team had an impressive Ohio Valley Conference outdoor meet, winning six events.

But host Eastern Illinois again proved too strong, capturing its fifth straight OVC outdoor title during the meet held Friday and Saturday in Charleston, Ill.

The Panthers scored 222.5 points to prevail in the seven-team meet. The Redhawks had 189.5 points as they repeated their second-place finish from last season. SIU Edwardsville was a distant third with 131.5 points.

EIU also claimed its fifth consecutive OVC outdoor women's title, winning the 11-team meet with 145.5 points.

Southeast's women, who upset EIU to win this year's OVC indoor, were third with 115 points. Murray State was second (124).

"Our men came to compete this weekend," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said. "Other than a few mishaps, we did what we were capable of. Unfortunately we fell a little short. Our men are a young team and the future is bright for them.

"The women's meet has also become quite the battle. Unfortunately we came out a little flat on the first day and it hurt us a little bit."

Southeast's women brought home one individual title. All event winners were designated as first-team all-OVC, with event runners-up nabbing second-team all-conference accolades.

Sophomores Reggie Miller Jr. and Kevin Farley both captured a pair of titles.

Miller Jr., this year's OVC indoor male field athlete of the year, won his second straight conference title in the high jump, clearing a career-best 7 feet, 1 inch -- second on the program's all-time list and one-quarter inch short of the school record. He set the school indoor high jump record this year at 7-0 1/4, third on the program's overall top-10 list.

Miller Jr. also claimed the triple jump with a distance of 47-5 1/4.

Farley, who last week was voted the OVC outdoor co-male field athlete of the year, won the discus with a mark of 166-6 and the shot put with a distance of 56-3 1/4. He was also second in the hammer throw (177-10).

"They both had great meets," Crumpecker said.

Senior Jared Siemers, a Central High School graduate, captured his first OVC title by winning the hammer throw with a career-best distance of 189-2.

Junior Blake Carter, a second-team All-American in the long jump during the indoor season, leaped an outdoor career-best 25-0 3/4 to win the long jump.

Junior Courtney Gapelu, the school record-holder in the shot put, captured that event with a distance of 48-4 3/4.

Gapelu was also fourth in the javelin and sixth in the hammer throw.

Finishing second for Southeast's men, in addition to Farley, were senior Craig Robinson in the shot put, senior Brian Grote in the javelin and junior Charles Johnson in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Robinson was also third in the hammer throw and fourth in the discus.

Senior Jerika Lewis had a hand in four place-winning events for Southeast's women. She was third in the 200 and seventh in the 400 while anchoring the 1,600 relay that placed third and running a leg on the 400 relay that was fifth.

Sophomore Sarah Hall placed among the top six in three events. She was fourth in the shot put and discus while finishing fifth in the hammer throw.

Several other athletes who graduated from high schools in the Southeast Missourian coverage area contributed points to the Redhawks' cause by finishing in the top eight.

On the men's side, sophomore Blake Smith (Jackson) was fifth in the long jump and seventh in the 100; while sophomore Zach Horrell (Central) was sixth in the javelin.

For Southeast's women, senior Jill Schnurbusch (Notre Dame) was fourth in the pole vault, an event in which she holds the school record; sophomore Mary Dohogne (Central) was fifth in the 3,000 steeplechase and eighth in the javelin; and sophomore Melanie Lacey (Scott City) was sixth in the 10,000.

Southeast's season is not done. The Redhawks will compete at two separate meets next weekend and will have several qualifiers at the NCAA West Regional May 23-25 in Austin, Texas.

OVC Outdoor Track

MEN

Team scores -- 1. Eastern Illinois 222.5; 2. Southeast 189.5; 3. SIU Edwardsville 131.5; 4. Eastern Kentucky 79; 5. Tennessee State 68; 6. Belmont 43.5; 7. Morehead State 28

Southeast results

(Point scorers)

100 -- 3. Kendrick Farr 10.90; 4. Blake Carter 10.91; 7. Blake Smith 11.00; 8. Alexander Anderson 11.01

200 -- 5. Alexander Anderson 22.29; 6. Kendrick Farr 22.41

400 -- 4. Ellis Maise 49.06

800 -- 3. Tyler Holmes 1:53.61

1,500 -- 7. Ryan Anderson 4:04.34

10,000 -- 3. Craig Munie 31:35.56

3,000 steeplechase -- 2. Charles Johnson 9:28.68; 6. Ryan Anderson 9:48.67; 7. Brent Collins 9:49.21

110 hurdles -- 8. Prentice Ivy 16.01

1,600 relay -- 3. Ellis Maise, Alexander Anderson, Tyler Holmes, Kameron Long, 3:18.84

High jump -- 1. Reggie Miller Jr. 7-1; 4. (tie) Kenny Hosp 6-4

Long jump -- 1. Blake Carter 25-0 3/4; 5. Blake Smith 23-5 1/2; 8. Alexander Anderson 22-3

Triple jump -- 1. Reggie Miller Jr. 47-5 1/4

Pole vault -- 5. Jeff Spangler 13-5 3/4

Shot put -- 1. Kevin Farley 56-3 1/4; 2. Craig Robinson 55-6 1/2; 6. Jason Walker 45-7

Discus -- 1. Kevin Farley 166-6; 4. Craig Robinson 148-11; 7. Jason Walker 145-4

Hammer throw -- 1. Jared Siemers 189-2; 2. Kevin Farley 177-10; 3. Craig Robinson 173-2; 7. Jason Walker 153-2

Javelin -- 2. Brian Grote 196-8; 3. Joel Krause 179-9; 4. Jason Walker 166-0; 6. Zach Horrell 142-10

WOMEN

Team scores -- 1. Eastern Illinois 145.5; 2. Murray State 124; 3. Southeast 115; 4. SIU Edwardsville 99; 5. Tennessee State 92; 6. Eastern Kentucky 63; 7. Jacksonville State 55; 8. Austin Peay 44.5; 9. Belmont 30; 10. Morehead State 8; 11. Tennessee Tech 3

Southeast results

(Point scorers)

200 -- 3. Jerika Lewis 24.56

400 -- 7. Jerika Lewis 56.02

800 -- 6. Alyssa Rebecca 2:15.79

5,000 -- 4. Rebekah Lawson 17:44.85

10,000 -- 6. Melanie Lacey 39:45.06

3,000 steeplechase -- 4. Gloria Westlake 11:23.88; 5. Mary Dohogne 11:28.66; 6. Maria Trowbridge 11:33.43

400 hurdles -- 7. Unique Hooks 1:07.72

400 relay -- 5. Ayonna Cartwright, Jerika Lewis, Unique Hooks, Cheyenne Tunti, 47.72

1,600 relay -- 3. Jovannie Spears, Cheyenne Tunti, Alyssa Rebecca, Jerika Lewis, 3:50.07

High jump -- 5. Macy Ritter 5-5 3/4; 6. Jessica Brown 5-5 3/4

Long jump -- 4. Jessica Brown 18-9 1/4

Triple jump -- 5. Kim Moye 37-10

Pole vault -- 4. Jill Schnurbusch 12-5 1/2; 5. (tie) Erica Grajales 11-11 3/4; Nikki Buchheit 11-11 3/4; 7. Haley Holton 11-5 3/4

Shot put -- 1. Courtney Gapelu 48-4 3/4; 4. Sarah Hall 43-5 1/4; 8. Kayla Gutierrez 40-10 1/2

Discus -- 4. Sarah Hall 132-2; 7. Kayla Gutierrez 129-0

Hammer throw -- 4. Kayla Gutierrez 164-0; 5. Sarah Hall 163-5; 6. Courtney Gapelu 157-3; 8. Emilea Old 150-7

Javelin -- 4. Courtney Gapelu 120-7; 8. Mary Dohogne 110-2