Southeast Missouri State's Smith, Miller to compete at NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

Two Southeast Missouri State track & field athletes will compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships this weekend.

Seniors Blake Smith, of Jackson, and Reggie Miller each qualified for the meet, which begins today in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Smith, who finished 14th in the long jump at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships, will compete in the 60-meter dash. His time of 6.65 seconds from the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 28 ranked 21st in the nation, but multiple medical scratches allowed him to qualify as the 16th seed.

The preliminary round of the event is at 7:35 p.m. today. The finals for the 60-meters will be 7:10 p.m. Saturday.

Oklahoma State's John Teeter's enters the championships with the top time at 6.52 seconds.

Miller will compete in the triple jump at 6 p.m. Saturday. He qualified as the 16th seed with a distance of 52 feet, 9 1/2 inches, which he posted Jan. 24 at SIU Edwardsville.

Miller was 17th in the triple jump in last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Florida's Marquis Dendy's jump of 56-6 1/2 is the top distance entering Saturday's competition.

---

Southeast senior thrower Kevin Farley was recognized as the Male Athlete of the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships, it was announced Thursday.

Farley, who was named male co-field athlete of the year for the past two indoor seasons, won the weight throw with an OVC Championship record distance of 67 feet, 4.57 inches as well as the shot put.

Tennessee State's Clairwin Dameu, who won the 60-meter hurdles, long jump and pentathlon with an OVC Championship record of 3,856 points, was tabbed as the Female Athlete of the OVC Indoor Championships.