SOUTHEAST TRACK TEAM EYES OVC INDOOR MEET

Southeast Missouri State University's women's track and field team has had an impressive indoor season, winning several meets and placing high in others.

Now the Otahkians will look to put a fitting cap on the indoor campaign when they compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships.

The OVC indoor meet will be held today and Saturday at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Southeast's women, the defending OVC indoor champions, figure to receive a rugged battle from Eastern Kentucky.

"The women's meet will be really close between our team and Eastern Kentucky," said Southeast coach Joey Haines. "Eastern Kentucky will pick up a lot of points in the distance races, but we have better balance and hopefully we can pick up enough fringe points to go along with our top people who will score a lot of points.

"Our women have really had a good indoor season. They've competed extremely hard and we've had a lot of great results. I think we'll have a good chance (to defend the indoor title)."

The Otahkians will have two defending individual champions. Yvonne Hente will defend her title in the 400-meters and she will also run the 200 and mile relay. Janelle Quigley will defend her title in the 3,000 in addition to competing in the 800 and mile.

Tammy Wenkel, an NCAA provisional qualifier in the 800-meters, will be favored to win that event and she will also compete on the mile relay team that will be favored.

Heather Denihan, another NCAA provisional qualifier, will be favored in the long jump while Latricia Purham is expected to challenge three-time defending champion Shelly Johnson of Middle Tennessee in the shot put.

Freshman Natalie Talley has the fastest time in the OVC 55-meters this season and another freshman, Heather Keltner, is expected to score high in the 200 and 400 while also competing on the mile relay.

The Otahkians will be without sprinter Shauna Birge, who will be held out of the meet with a leg injury.

Meanwhile, Southeast's men will be shooting for a spot in the top four in a meet that features Eastern Illinois as the favorite.

"Middle Tennessee is probably right behind Eastern Illinois and we should be in a battle with Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State for a spot in the top four," Haines said.

Jon Riley, who did not compete in last year's OVC Indoor Championships, is a two-time winner in the long jump, prevailing in 1995 and 1996. He also captured the triple jump in 1996.

Riley, an NCAA provisional qualifier in the triple jump, will face stiff competition in both jumping events.

In the long jump, Riley will go against Tennessee State freshman sensation Cameron Howard, who has the longest jump in the nation this season at 26 feet 1 inch. Middle Tennessee's Steve Reid will provide rugged opposition in the triple jump.

Southeast's Bryan Alfultis is the defending champion in the shot put and he has the best throw in the OVC this season.

"It should be a great OVC championship meet," said Haines. "We will need a total team effort by both the men and women. Every point will be big."