MSU track and field participates
today and tomorrow in the
War Eagle Invitational at Auburn.
The Maroon and White look
to focus on regional qualifications
in individual events before
returning to action Wednesday
at the more team-oriented Penn
State Relays in Philadelphia, Pa.
The team looks forward to the
challenge of good opponents at
the War Eagle Invitational, head
coach Al Schmidt said. The SEC
outdoor championships were held
at Auburn in 2008, so this year,
the university’s invitational has
drawn more competitive schools
like Penn State and Florida.
Assistant coach Brian Fetzer
said he feels good about the
meet’s competitiveness.
“[We want to] stay healthy
and improve upon some things
that you need to improve upon,
but this meet will not be short of
competition,” Fetzer said. “Penn
State is one of the best teams in
the Big Ten and Florida is one of
the best teams in the SEC along
with Auburn.”
Sophomore distance runner
Matthew Cameron will compete
in the 1,500-meter run tonight.
Schmidt said the race is set up to
be somewhere in the low 3:40s.
“[Auburn is] going to set up
a fast race with Kenyans and
some of the better athletes in the
conference, so that is going to be
exciting,” he said.
Cameron has already qualified
for regionals, so Schmidt said he
feels his invitational run has the
potential to produce a time that
will get him closer to reaching
nationals.
“[His fastest time] is something
that he just needs to keep
getting faster and faster and
move himself up on the national
performance list,” Schmidt said.
“We are trying to give him the
best opportunity.”
Also tonight, participating
in the hammer throw will be,
respectively, Kiley Aguar for
the men’s division and Trumesa
Banks for the women’s division.
For Saturday’s events, sophomore
Adam Lenz and senior
Robert Scribner will run in the
college 1,500-meter. Schmidt
said he wants the distance runners
to work on building speed
in the shorter distance.
Freshman sprinter D’Angelo
Cherry will run the 100-meter
dash. Associate head coach Steve
Dudley said the format for the
run is what he wanted Cherry
to run.
“We’ve got prelims and finals
[at this meet], and I like that
because again, that’s more like
what it would be like at conference,
regionals and nationals,”
Dudley said.
Cherry, junior Dwight Mullings
and sophomore Emanuel Mayers
will have good competition to
face, Schmidt said.
In an attempt to qualify for
regionals, Mullings will make
his debut in the 400 meter-run,
Dudley said. He said he has no
doubts that Mullings is prepared
to qualify.
“I do not see any reason why
he should not go on and better
his time,” he said. “Practices are
going good, and the competition
is going to be better this week
than last week.”
Mayers will also strive to
qualify in the 400-meter. Most
of the team has met the marks
needed, so Dudley said he hopes
to bring more of his sprint team
to regionals, and then have a shot
at nationals.
“By now, we are only a few
standards away from having all
my guys qualify for an NCAA
regional,” Dudley said. “Once
you do that, then you give yourself
a chance to make it to the
NCAA championship.”
For the women, senior Marrissa
Harris and junior LaQuinta
Aaron are going to run the 110-
meter hurdles and junior Crystal
Wilson will run the 400-meter
dash.
Fetzer said he expects a good
run from Wilson.
“[Wilson’s] workouts have
been very good,” he said. “I am
excited to see what she does on
Saturday.”
In the jumps, Harris, senior
Priscilla Gaines and junior
Wendy Copeland will take the
weekend off because they will
jump at Penn Relays, Fetzer said.
He said the focus this weekend at
Auburn will be sprints.
For men’s field, junior Kendrick
Poullard will try to best his
regional mark in the triple jump.
Freshman Tevarus Christian and
senior Daryl Brady will participate
in various decathlon events.
Fetzer said the events will work
individual aspects in the athletes’
better events.
After the War Eagle Invitational
and Penn Relays, MSU track and
field will return to action at the
Mississippi Open at Ole Miss on
May 3.