SOUTHEAST ROUNDUP: Redhawks qualify for NCAA track prelims, Ray brings in big man

The Southeast Missouri State track and field team will be represented by nine athletes at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships West Prelim next weekend.

The Redhawks had competitors qualify in eight individual events and one relay team for the preliminary competition, which will be Thursday through Saturday at the University of Kansas.

Cheyanne Tunti and Chante Mosby qualified on the women’s side; Jarred Pasley, Jacob Kent, Chris Martin and Kevin Farley qualified for the men’s team and the team of Pasley, Brannon Wright, Brandon Chunn and Notre Dame graduate Jordan Barber qualified in the 4x400-meter relay.

Farley, who was named the Male Athlete of the Ohio Valley Conference Championships last week, qualified in the hammer throw, shot put and discus. It is the fourth NCAA prelim appearance for Farley, who missed outdoor season last year. He finished eighth in the shot put in 2013 to advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he finished seventh.

Martin, a Cape Girardeau Central graduate, will compete in the triple jump at the prelims. It’s his third consecutive trip to the competition. He finished fifth in the triple jump last year to advance to the national meet, where he finished 21st.

Kent will compete in the men’s long jump and Pasley will compete in the men’s 400-meter dash. Tunti will run in the women’s 40-meter dash and Mosby is set to compete in the women’s high jump.

The top 12 event finishers in both the East and West prelims advance to the national meet in Eugene, Oregon, which is June 8-11.

Men’s basketball

The Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball team added some much-needed size on Friday.

Six-foot-8, 230-pound William Tchiengang, a transfer from Midland College in Texas, signed to play for coach Rick Ray.

“William is a tremendous worker and will be an asset to our team with his ability to run the court,” Ray said in a press release. “We obviously had a need to add size and strength to our team, and William provides that. He also has the ability to make mid-range shots along with driving and finishing at the rim. We are happy to have William in our program.”

Tchiengang, from Yaounde, Cameroon, averaged 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds last season. He shot 61 percent from the field and blocked 10 shots during the Chaparrals’ 21-9 season.

As a freshman he averaged 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and blocked eight shots.

He’s the eighth player to sign with Southeast for next season, joining guards Ray Kowalski, Denzel Mahoney, Daniel Simmons, Tahj Eaddy, Dondre Duffus and Jonathan Dalton and forward Milos Vranes.

“I want to commend my staff for the job they have done putting together this large recruiting class,” Ray said. “Coach [Adam] Gordon, Coach [Chris] Moore and Coach [Benjy] Taylor have really worked to identify the type of student-athletes that will help us get on the right path to success on the court without sacrificing the values that we covet off the court.”