Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Track Competes at Jesse Owens Classic This Weekend
04/28/2004 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
April 28, 2004
By Josh Magill
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Sixty-eight years ago at the Berlin Olympics, a 22-year-old African-American named James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens defied Germany's Adolf Hitler by winning four gold medals in 1936. Owens, who the year before in college broke three world records and tied another in just 45 minutes, has since come to be known as the greatest track and field athlete of all time. This weekend, the Southern Illinois University women's track squad, along with many others, will honor the former Ohio State phenom at the 19th Annual Jesse Owens Track Classic.
The Classic, held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, is fast becoming one of the largest track and field events in the country, sporting more than 17 college schools, as well as competitors from Team USA. This year, the meet will include a number of high school squads competing against each other as well.
Saluki head coach Connie Price-Smith says the Jesse Owens Classic allows her athletes to see some of the best competition in the country just two weeks prior to the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
"We are building up to peak out at conference," Price-Smith said. " There is a lot of great competition at this meet, so you hope everybody rises to the occasion. A lot of athletes are sitting on the fence when it comes to qualifying for regionals, so I'd like to see them get past that and qualify."
So far this season, SIU has qualified five athletes for the NCAA regional meet, including seniors Korto Dunbar (100 hurdles), Noa Beitler (1500m) and Danielle Lawary (shot put), as well as juniors Kelsey Toussaint (100m) and Inna Turevsky (triple jump). Five is the same number SIU sent last season.
But ... with at least 15 Salukis and two relay teams less than three seconds or three feet from the qualifying standard in their respective events, assistant coach Lawrence Johnson, who coaches 10 of the possible qualifiers and the two relay teams, doesn't believe they are quite done adding names to the list.
"I think it's a very good possibility that we will qualify those individuals that are close to hitting those regional standards. It's very possible that some will qualify this weekend," Johnson said. "I would say our primary goal this weekend is to qualify both of the relay teams. We don't want to have to try and qualify at the conference meet because that meet is already going to be tough enough."
Johnson says that regardless of how many Salukis qualify for the NCAA regional, many of the younger athletes have already qualified for the USA Junior Outdoor National Championships meet. Last season, the women's squad sent two to junior nationals, but have already chalked up four athletes on that list this season, with the possibility for more.
"My prediction is that we will have more go to the junior nationals than the NCAA regional meet," Johnson said. "That outcome might happen because of how young we are as a team."
"We're excited. Everything is moving in the right direction and they are making progress," Price-Smith added. "Every year we hope the new kids we bring in can reach those levels."
The women's squad has its goals of qualifying for the regionals, while at the same time preparing for the MVC Championships, but for Price-Smith there is a bit of an added incentive for this meet - very positive and definitely competitive, but not necessarily a rivalry.
Price-Smith, who along with her head coaching duties handles the throwing squad for SIU, will watch her athletes compete against throwers from host Ohio State, which are ironically coached by former SIU All-American and current OSU assistant John Smith - Price-Smith's husband.
"It's not really a rivalry," Price-Smith said with a smile. "We want to be competitive with the athletes competing there, but you are really competing for yourself and trying to better your mark."
"A lot of my coaching and John's training are very similar. He helps me a lot, I help him a lot, and we've learned a lot from each other about the sport. We talk a lot to each other about our athletes, so we know each others kids well."
Results of the Jesse Owens Track Classic, which is scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday, April 30 - May 1, can be found at www.SIUSalukis.com. A schedule of the meet can be found on the women's track schedule page.
