Southeast teams up for first place

Southwest Missouri State ruined Southeast Missouri State University's hopes of winning a third consecutive women's title in its own Gatorade Classic Saturday.

But Southeast did not come away empty-handed, as it captured the combined championship in the 23rd annual track and field meet at the Abe Stuber Complex.

SMS won the nine-team women's division with 171 points, holding off Southeast (159). Illinois State was a distant third (99.5).

Rend Lake (Ill.) College, one of the nation's premier junior-college programs, captured the 10-team men's division with 111.5 points, followed by Memphis (101), Western Illinois (100.5) and Southeast (97.5).

Combing the women's and men's scores, Southeast finished with 256.5 points and SMS was second with 241.

"It's good we won the combined championship," Southeast coach Joey Haines said. "We would have liked to win the women's title, but our women competed really well.

"Southwest Missouri just has an outstanding team. They're the class of the Missouri Valley Conference on the women's side, and they're one of the top 50 teams in the country. They're very good, and our women are very good, too."

The Bears from Springfield won seven events and the Otahkians captured six.

"We have a pretty good team and it was a good meet for us to win," SMS coach Ron Boyce said.

One of the most inspiring performances for the Otahkians was senior Lyndsey Stevenson's win in the 100-meter hurdles, an event she also captured last year. She prevailed in 14.33 seconds despite being sick most of the week -- and she was still not feeling all that hot Saturday.

"I don't know what I had but I was in bed all week until Wednesday," said Stevenson, who said she had flu-like symptoms. "I knew I would compete, but I didn't know how well I would do. I'm pretty happy to win considering I don't feel well."

Said Haines: "Lyndsey had a very gutsy performance."

Sophomore Michele Jett repeated as pole vault champion with a height of 11 feet.

"It was all right for the beginning of the season but I'm still looking for a big one," Jett said. "But my goal was to win and I'm happy."

Junior Heather Jenkins, a Central High School product, repeated as discus champion with a solid 173-4 a day after she had won her second straight hammer throw title. But Jenkins fell short in her bid for another three-win Gatorade Classic as she was fourth in the shot put (49-3) after capturing that event last year.

Other winners for the Otahkians were sophomore Brooke Woodruff in the 800 (2:10.63) and junior Colleen Burke in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:17.14).

Placing second for the Otahkians were Lindsay Zeiler in the 1,500 (4:36.44), LaQuita Andrews in the 400 (56.80) and Kaci Pilcher in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:26.19). Among the third-place finishers was freshman Heather West, from Jackson High School, in the triple jump (39-1 1/4).

Southeast had one men's champion, as senior Jay Heddell captured the shot put (56-7 1/4). He also won that title in 2002.

Finishing second for the Indians were Collin Sheridan in the pole vault (14-0), Perryville's Jared Tanz in the 800 (1:53.91) and Alonzo Nelson in the 400 hurdles (52.70)

Among Southeast's third-place finishers were Perryville's Shawn Statler in the long jump (23-3 1/4) and Sikeston's Andrew Lambert in the high jump (6-6 3/4). Lambert was also fifth in the long jump (22-4 1/4). Kelly's James Brainer was fourth in the javelin (153-5).