THE LATEST LINE: SEMO COACH TOUCHED BY OUPOURING OF AFFECTION

Southeast Missouri State University's track and field program was touched in a tragic way last weekend and it resulted in an outpouring of affection that left coach Joey Haines somewhat in awe.

Katie Drentlaw, a high school senior from Minnesota who had just a few days earlier signed a letter of intent to compete for SEMO next school year, had traveled to the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.

Several SEMO athletes were competing in the Drake Relays, so Drentlaw had an opportunity to meet her future teammates as well as see her future coach, Haines.

But Drentlaw will never get the opportunity to run for SEMO or to do any of the things that an 18-year-old is supposed to be able to do with the rest of her life.

After apparently falling asleep at the wheel while heading back home, the sport-utility vehicle she was driving left a highway in southern Minnesota and crashed. Drentlaw was dead at the scene.

What happened over the next several days left Haines amazed. He flew to Drentlaw's home town of Prior Lake for Monday's visitation and Tuesday's funeral.

"It was the most unbelievable thing I have ever witnessed," said Haines. "There were over 2,000 people at the visitation. It took until 11:30 p.m. for everybody to get through the line. The line started at 3:30. It was eight hours non-stop.

"This is a town of 12,000 people. Most of them were at the funeral."

Haines presented a SEMO track jersey to Drentlaw's parents at the funeral.

By all accounts, Drentlaw was a vibrant, talented, energetic young lady who seemingly had an unlimited future.

Haines said she was a poet and a writer who wanted to major in English. She was a founding member of her school's ski club and active in the mentor program. Athletically, she was a state hurdles champion and a standout soccer player.

This tragedy is just another example of how nothing in life is guaranteed, not even waking up to a new day.

And it's a reason why we should all try to live and enjoy each day to the fullest because nobody knows what the future might hold.

Drentlaw apparently did just that. Jodi Hedstrom, a close friend of the Drentlaw family, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

"It's a good thing she lived every day like it was her last, because she didn't have many of them."

* Angela (James) Poindexter, a former standout athlete at both Cape Central and SEMO, is making quite a name for herself as a coach in the St. Louis area.

She was recently named one of four finalists for St. Louis area high school girls coach of the year, although the award went to another coach.

Poindexter is the head girls cross country coach, assistant girls track coach and head sophomore girls basketball coach at St. Charles West High.

A 1986 Cape Central graduate, she won the state high jump title in high school before competing in basketball and track at SEMO.

* SEMO spring sports fans haven't had to travel very far this weekend to witness some big events, what with the OVC softball tournament and a crucial baseball series with Morehead State all taking place.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian