Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Track Teams Venture Outside to Host First Outdoor Meet
03/24/2004 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
March 24, 2004
CARBONDALE, Ill. - As the sneezin' season begins, the Southern Illinois University men's and women's track teams will look to give opposing squads a dizzy spell as the Salukis host the Spring Classic - the first outdoor meet of the season for SIU.
The scored Classic, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, will showcase nine Division I women's teams and five men's teams this year, including such schools as Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Miami (Ohio), Western Illinois and Louisville, as well as rival Missouri Valley Conference schools Bradley and Illinois State.
For this year's meet, one Saluki has something to prove - that her performances last year wasn't a fluke and that other competitors should keep an eye on her.
"I think I'm ready to run even faster," senior hurdler Korto Dunbar said. "(This year) should be even better for me. I'm looking past conference towards nationals, and possibly even qualifying for the Olympics, so my training level has gone up. I think I'm ready to compete at that level."
Dunbar posted a regional qualifying time of 13.84 in the 100-meter hurdles last year in just the first meet of the season. She won the event and set herself on a course that would lead to her eventual appearance at the NCAA National Championship. But ... at the regional meet Dunbar would post a time of 13.43, earning the distinction as the second-fastest 100-meter hurdler in SIU history.
"I think I'll hit that time a lot sooner than I expect to because we have some good meets to compete in," Dunbar said. "I know I want to break that record. I know that I'll reach it - it's a high goal - but there is a lot of work left to be done before I get there."
Though Dunbar is fast, she is not alone.
Sophomore Ray Scotten, who was just named an indoor All-American for finishing fifth in the pole vault at the 2004 national championship, also finished first last year. His mark of 16 feet, 6.75 inches tied him for seventh place all-time at SIU, but that wasn't good enough. Two meets later, Scotten posted a height of 17-09 - breaking a Saluki record that hadn't been broken for 19 years.
"If I clear anything over 17 feet at this meet, but 17-6 would be ideal," Scotten said. "I already have the record, so I just want to be able to jump well at the end of the season, unlike I did last year."
Scotten placed third at last year's regional, but wasn't able to score a mark at the national championship in his freshman season.
"I'm going focus on being an outdoor All-American," Scotten said. "I'm a better outdoor vaulter, so I don't want anyone to think I'm just an indoor athlete. I want people to know I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to show up at every meet ready to compete."
SIU posted 17 top six finishes at last year's Spring Classic to garner an overall third-place team finish for both the men's and women's team.
The Spring Classic will be held at McAndrew Stadium, which is home to Lew Hartzog Track, all day on Saturday. Results of the meet can be found at www.SIUSalukis.com. Admission is free.
