MSU Women To Compete For SEC Indoor Championships This Weekend
STARKVILLE, Miss. - After an impressive January and February that featured several records being set, the Mississippi State women's track and field team looks to extend the momentum for another weekend at the 2010 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
The three-day competition begins Friday and concludes Sunday at the Randall Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus.
"This is what we've been working toward all season long," veteran MSU coach Al Schmidt said. "I'm excited to see what we can accomplish this weekend."
Fourteen Lady Bulldogs are making the trip, including standout seniors LaQuinta Aaron and Wendy Copeland. Aaron is set to compete in the pentathlon, where she finished fourth at last year's championships, the 60-meter hurdles and as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team.
Copeland will battle it out in the long and triple jumps. Already this season, Copeland has achieved NCAA Indoor provisional qualifying marks in the long jump with her second MSU all-time leap of 20 feet, 9.25 inches at the Tyson Invitational two weeks ago.
Sophomore thrower Favion Cowards is looking to fare well this weekend in the throwing events. Cowards set a school record with her 59-01.50 20 lb. weight throw at the Tyson Invitational, and looks to better her eighth-place finish at last year's SEC's.
SEC competition begins Friday at 1:30 p.m., with the start of the women's pentathlon.
Also competing this weekend are two Bulldog sprinters. Sophomore D'Angelo Cherry and freshman Tavaris Tate travel to Albuquerque, N.M. , for the 2010 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Cherry, who set a USA Junior record at this meet in 2009, will compete in the 60-meter dash. Tate, the MSU indoor 400-meter record holder, will put his skills to test in the 400-meter dash and vie for a spot on the National 4x400-meter relay team as well as individual honors. The preliminary rounds of their respective events begin at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, and the finals will be televised Sunday on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.
"Both guys are extremely excited about competing against the best athletes in the United States ," MSU assistant coach Steve Dudley said. "It brings even more excitement as they'll have a chance to represent Team USA on the world stage."