SOUTHEAST WOMEN `RUN' OVC CHAMPIONSHIP STREAK TO FOUR

Southeast Missouri State University's recent dynasty in Ohio Valley Conference women's track and field just keeps rolling on.

The Otahkians made it four straight OVC championships -- two indoor and two outdoor -- last weekend by winning the outdoor crown in Clarksville, Tenn.

Southeast's women finished with 156 points to hold off a strong challenge from runnerup Eastern Kentucky (146.5).

"Our women have been hot the last couple of years," said Southeast coach Joey Haines. "We're really proud of their accomplishments."

Southeast's men also fared well, placing third despite having to endure several key injuries. The Indians scored 111 points, finishing just eight points behind runnerup Middle Tennessee (119). Eastern Illinois ran away with the title, scoring 205 points.

"Injuries are just part of it. Everybody has injuries," Haines said. "I thought our men had a very good meet."

Rain and cold temperatures made things difficult on all the athletes in the meet. Haines was particularly proud of the way his athletes responded to the adversity.

"The conditions were terrible, but everybody really competed well," he said. "The conditions hurt the performances but not the efforts. We had a lot of tremendous efforts."

Southeast's women won four individual titles and both relays, the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter.

Candice Parker, Heather Keltner, Tammy Wenkel and Yvonne Hente comprised the 4x400 group that clocked 3:48.89 while Keltner, Hente, Kim Stewart and Natalie Talley made up the 4x100 team that timed 46.55.

Keltner, a freshman, also won the 400-meters (54.94) after claiming that event at the OVC indoor meet as well.

Talley, another freshman, claimed the 100-meters (12.03).

Yet another freshman, Lutricia Purham, won the shot put with an impressive toss of 47 feet 8 1/4 inches to unseat three-time defending champion Shelly Johnson of Middle Tennessee.

Southeast's other champion was senior Heather Denihan, who repeated her long jump title by leaping 18-3 1/4.

Hente took second in the 400 and third in the 200; Wenkel was second in the 800; Jennifer Phillips was second in the javelin and third in the discus; Janelle Quigley placed second in the 1,500 and third in the 800; Keltner was third in the 200; and Celeste Ramsey, a freshman from Perryville, was third in the 10,000.

"We had so many excellent performances," said Haines. "Lutricia Purham had her best throw by almost two feet. Heather Keltner and Yvonne Hente both ran four races, including our winning relay teams. Everybody just performed very well."

On the men's side, Southeast had three individual champions: Randy Johnson won his fourth straight javelin title (194-4); freshman Jim Fox out of Cape Central won the pole vault (15-6) after also capturing the indoor title; and Bryan Alfultis claimed the discus (159-3).

Alfultis was also second in the shot put and third in the javelin while Scott Tate was second in the 110 hurdles.

Freshman Glenn Haley finished third in both the 110 hurdles and 400 hurdles while Jon Riley, bothered by an injury, was third in the long jump.

Perhaps the surprise of the meet for the Indians was the performance of Ryan Steck in the 100. A sophomore out of Jackson, Steck finished second with a time of 10.83.

"That was the fastest Ryan has ever run, in the bad conditions and all," Haines said. "He's our third sprinter (the other two were hurt), but he's turned out to do really well for us.

"Ryan came here as a walkon but he earned a scholarship after his freshman year. He's just getting better and better.

While the OVC meets are now over for the season, Southeast is far from finished with its campaign.

Several Southeast athletes will compete this weekend in the Drake Relays and there will be a few other meets as a few competitors attempt to qualify for the NCAA Championships in early June.

"We've got a few athletes who are pretty close to qualifying and hopefully some can make it," said Haines.