Southeast Missouri State trio to compete at NCAA Outdoor Championships

Southeast Missouri State track and field has for years represented arguably the university's most consistently successful sports program.

The Redhawks might have even topped themselves this year.

In addition to once again performing at a high level during the regular season, Southeast is enjoying one of its best postseasons ever on the Division I level as three athletes qualified for this week's NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore.

"We're really excited. It's one of the best showings we've ever had," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said.

Sophomores Blake Carter (long jump), Kevin Farley (shot put) and Reggie Miller Jr. (high jump) are all preparing for the national meet that will be held Wednesday through Friday on the University of Oregon campus.

That trio represents Southeast's first qualifiers for outdoor nationals since 2009 and the program's first male qualifiers since 2008.

"It's great that three of us made it," Farley said. "Nobody wants to go to a track meet by themselves."

Crumpecker considers simply qualifying for an NCAA regional a major accomplishment. The top 48 in every individual event from each of the nation's two regions made the cut.

Taking the next step, to the national meet, requires a top-12 finish at the regional, meaning Southeast's three qualifiers have established themselves as among the top 24 in the country in their event.

Carter was seventh in the long jump, Farley was eighth in the shot put and Miller Jr., tied for ninth in the high jump during the recent West Regional in Austin, Texas.

"Just to get to the regional, you're basically in the top 100 in the country at what you do," Crumpecker said. "You're not getting in by competing against the OVC. You're getting it done against the big boys in the country, the top programs in the country.

"Then to make it to nationals, you're at least in the top 24 in the country. That's a tremendous accomplishment considering there are probably 300 Division I schools with several competitors in each event. I'm awfully proud of them. And the great thing is, they're all sophomores so they've got two more years."

Crumpecker expected the three to all have a solid chance of getting out of the regional because they ranked among the top 15 entering the meet.

They will attempt to earn All-American honors this week. The top eight finishers this week are designated first-team All-American, with the next eight placers making second-team All-American.

"They're all capable of finishing in the top eight and definitely in the top 16 for sure," said Crumpecker, who credits Southeast assistant Matt Koelling -- he works with the program's jumpers -- for much of Carter's and Miller Jr.'s improvement.

Carter, Farley and Miller all participated in their second regional meet after having big years.

Carter was Southeast's lone postseason qualifier during the indoor season, when he made the cut for the national meet with a school-record long jump of 25 feet 6 inches and wound up earning second-team All-American honors by placing 13th.

Carter's regional mark of 25 feet 4 inches was a career best outdoors.

"It's been a great year for me," said Carter, a graduate of Fort Zumwalt North High School in O'Fallon, Mo. "I'm really excited."

Carter said earning a berth in his second national meet did not surprise him, and now he's shooting for first-team All-American honors.

"I came into regionals with the mindset I was going to get to Oregon," he said. "I feel like I've got a good chance to get in the top eight. Going there with Blake and Kevin, it's going to be an experience."

Farley, the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor male field co-athlete of the year who was voted the top male athlete at the OVC outdoor meet, broke his own school record at the regional with a shot put of 60-8 1/2.

"He just keeps getting better and better. He's coming on at the right time," Crumpecker said.

Farley had only recently surpassed the program's oldest record that had stood since 1971

"I was pretty pumped when it happened. I've been wanting it all season," said Farley, who is from Springfield, Ill.

While breaking the school record was a goal, it lags behind his national berth.

"That's probably my biggest goal since I got here," Farley said.

As for his outlook this week, he said: "Finish in the top five if not win it. That's always the goal."

Miller Jr.'s regional high jump was 6-11 1/2, a bit off his best of 7-1 that ranks second all-time at Southeast. He owns the school's indoor high jump record.

"It's going to be tough, but it should be fun," said Miller Jr., a native of Kansas City, Mo., regarding this week's meet.

Earning a national berth was just phase one of Miller Jr.'s big goal.

"It brought me a step closer toward my goal of being an All-American," he said.