Track and Field opens indoor season Friday
12/07/2005 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Dec. 7, 2005
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University track and field teams open the indoor season Friday when they host the Saluki Fast Start Invitational.
The unscored meet will feature eight teams, including Louisville, Wright State, Missouri Baptist, and several unattached athletes.
The SIU track and field program has plenty to be excited about, as it enters the 2006 campaign following an impressive season a year ago.
Connie Price-Smith, who begins her fifth year as head coach, was named 2005 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Indoor Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Dawgs to their first indoor crown since 1995.
Meanwhile, the Saluki men will look to build on fourth and fifth-place finishes at the league's indoor and outdoor championships, respectively.
Under the direction of John Smith, Saluki throwers had a massive season in 2005.
After five years working as the throws coach at Ohio State, Smith returned to his alma mater a year ago, and led Saluki throwers to a combined six MVC titles between indoor and outdoor competition.
Smith, who was named USTCA Mideast Region Coach-of-the Year, also had three NCAA Regional qualifiers, eight NCAA Mideast qualifiers and one USTAF Junior National Champion under his tutelage in his SIU debut.
"I think we'll have a really strong team of throwers again this season," said Price-Smith. "I look for them to score a lot of points both indoors and outdoors, and have even a better season this year."
This year's group of throwers will be centered around senior Amarachi Ukabam, who followed Smith to SIU from OSU in 2005.
Ukabam dominated in her first year as a Saluki, which saw her collect MVC indoor titles in the shot put and 20lb weight and outdoor championships in the shot put and discus. She was also a four-time NCAA All-American, NCAA Mideast Regional Champion and USA Nationals Finalist.
Ukabam will be joined by other NCAA qualifiers Megan Cenkush and Mark Milleville.
Cenkush enters her senior year after winning a Valley title in the javelin at the 2005 MVC Outdoor Championships. She also garnered all-conference honors in the indoor shot put.
Also a senior, Milleville earned all-conference honors in the indoor weight throw and shot put, and was named MVC Field Athlete-of-the-Week on two occasions.
Sophomore Brittany Riley is also expected to make a big impact. Riley, who began throwing the hammer for the first time in her career last season, broke the school record on two occasions. She also qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional and was the USA Junior Nationals Champion in the hammer.
Sophomore Brenton Siemons and senior Matt Weishaar add even more depth to an already dangerous arsen. Siemons and Weishaar, like Riley, also qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional in the hammer. Price-Smith expects sophomores Joe Mueller and Yovonne Williamson and freshmen Jasmine Matthews and Sasha Leeth to be key contributors as well.
Seniors Anthony Acklin and Felix Anderson return to spearhead the Saluki men sprinters and hurdlers.
Acklin, a NCAA qualifier, won the 110-meter hurdles title at the 2005 MVC Outdoor Championships, while Anderson earned outdoor all-conference laurels.
Sophomore Antoine Jennings also returns. He posted all-MVC outdoor honors as a member of SIU's third-place 4x100 relay team as a freshman.
On the women's side, juniors Marquita Vines, April Heath and Leslie Murillo, along with sophomore Andrea Norris lead the charge.
Vines, Heath and Murillo were each all-conference performers a year ago, while Norris collected 10 top-10 finishes in 13 meets.
Freshmen Terri Counts and Tracy Walker are also among the mix.
"The men's and women's sprinters, although lacking depth in some areas, should be strong this season," said Price-Smith.
The right combination of youth and experience should alsomake the Saluki jumpers a force to reckon with in 2006.
SIU's women's squad has several new faces, including Central Michigan transfer Donielle Davenport and freshmen Ashley Tjardes and Amy Petty.
Davenport holds the indoor high jump record at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Tjardes was a four-time state qualifier in the pole vault at Gibson City High School and Petty joins the Dawgs from Effingham High School.
"Donielle, Ashley and Amy should contribute immediately," said Price-Smith. "They are all very talented."
The Saluki men will be sparked by the return of 2005 NCAA Regional qualifier Kenen Shadd.
Shadd finished among the top-five in the triple jump in every meet throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons before placing eighth at regionals.
Junior Antwon Stapleton is also back from a year ago. He, too, was an NCAA Regional qualifier, where he finished 12th in the triple jump.
"I look for Kenen and Antwon to qualify for the NCAAs again this year," commented Price-Smith.
Freshmen Ryan Doris (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Lance Hartley (Taylorville, Ill.) should also be consistent scorers in jump events for the Dawgs.
Doris was both an all-state and All-American selection at Bolingbrook High School, while Hartley was a state qualifier and all-conference pick at Taylorville High.
"The jumpers and throwers are probably the two strongest parts of our team this year," said Price-Smith.
Nearly all Saluki distance runners from a year ago return in 2006. Seniors Tony LaChiana and Eli Baker are the two major threats back on the men's side.
LaChiana won a MVC indoor title in the 3000-meter run and earned all-conference honors a year ago, while helping lead the Saluki cross country team to a share of the league title.
Baker, on the other hand, will look to have a breakout year after he participated in four indoor meets, before missing the outdoor season due to injury.
Freshmen Mark Bowman, Matt Damhauser, Mohamed Mohamed and Brad Pirok should also help the Saluki men.
As for the Saluki women, they will be led by the patented junior trio of Sarah Rinker, Brittani Christensen and Lindsay Wagner.
Rinker earned all-MVC indoor honors as a member of SIU's second-place distance medley relay team, Christensen was tabbed all-conference in the outdoor 3000-meter steeplechase and Wagner was an all-MVC performer in cross country.
Senior Ty-Nica Davis, juniors Katie Ringelestein and Cherylynn Schilling and sophomore Shelby Brice round out the distance runners.
Of that group, Davis was most productive a year ago, where she won a MVC indoor title in the 800-meter run.
Field events will begin at 12 p.m. in the SIU Recreation Center. The running events starting at 5:30 p.m.
Players Mentioned
