MSU Heads To Gainesville For SEC Outdoor Championships
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? After a highly competitive and successful regular season that saw Mississippi State’s men’s and women’s track teams collect 29 regional qualifying marks, the focus now is postseason, starting Thursday with the SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The four-day event, which will air on Fox Sports Net on May 23, is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
“On the NCAA level, the SEC is the best track and field conference,” coach Al Schmidt said. “That’s why a lot of times, the SEC Championships can be, as far as excitement level, better than even the NCAA championships.”
The meet will take place at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressley Stadium starting at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday with the women’s heptathlon, an event MSU senior Marrissa Harris has dominated in the past.
Harris, a native of
As a team,
On the men’s side, the 43rd-ranked men’s team also faces some of the nation’s top squads. In addition to top-ranked
Matthew Cameron is scheduled to compete in the 1500-meter, Dwight Mullings in the 400- and 200-meter and D’Angelo Cherry looks to have a full load with the 4x1-, 4x4- and 100-meter sprints.
Schmidt sees the sprints, jumps and hurdles as MSU’s strongpoint that must be counted upon.
”Our strength has got to be performed,” Schmidt said. “We’re one of the best sprint teams in the country, but there’s about four or five of those (in the SEC). So each kid has to run seasonal bests or sometimes career-best to qualify for regionals. It’s always an exciting time because it gives the kids a chance to be an SEC champion. And once you’re an SEC champion, you’re always an SEC champion.”
Following this weekend’s meets, regional-qualifying Bulldogs continue their season at the NCAA Mideast Regional at the