Southeast's track and field team competes at Ole Miss

Two weeks ago marked the official start of the outdoor track season for Southeast Missouri State. The Joe Walker Invitational was held on March 17 and 18 involved all competitors in Oxford, Mississippi.

The Joe Walker Invitational is one of the team's bigger meets, and distance coach Ryan Lane said it would be very competitive.

"Senior thrower Kayla Gutierrez, junior pole vaulter Sierra Maddox, senior mid-distance runner Megan Parks, senior mid-distance runner Jordan Brown and junior distance runner Jaime Zarate are all returning for this meet," Lane said.

In the indoor season, and even now, some of the team is not participating. Athletes are trying to get back to full health. Everyone who was expected to return did compete, and some of the results included Gutierrez taking sixth in shot with a throw of 13.84 meters. Also, Parks received a time of 2:29.97 in the 800-meter race.

Sophomore sprinter Miya Dorsey has continued to place in the 400-meter hurdles as she did during the indoor season and captured first place this weekend with a time of 1:01.51. Freshman hurdler Rachel White placed second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.60 seconds.

Continuing the women's feats, junior mid-distance runner Eilish Overby placed 13th overall in the 800-meter race and her time was 2:17.97. Along with this, sophomore distance runner Anna Thomas finished seventh in the 3,000-meter race coming in at 10:12.45.

The men's team began with freshman multi-event athlete Nick South placing sixth in the heptathlon. Sophomore distance runner Curtis Reed also placed in the 3,000-meter race, receiving fourth place with a time of 9:42.05.

The sprinters also had Brannon Right placing just above top eight, while taking ninth place in the 400-meter race at 49.48. Also, junior sprinter Andre Bluitt placed 13th in the 100-meter race clocking in at 10.97.

Freshman thrower Logan Blomquist and sophomore Steven Zagurski both placed in their events. Blomquist took seventh in shot put with 15.91 meters. Also, Zagurski received ninth in the shot put with a throw of 15.62 meters.

The Joe Walker Invitational was a meet with many top schools, but Southeast's team was able to place in many events. March 31 and April 1 are days of the Joey Haines Invitational, which will be held at Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex. It is Southeast's first and only home meet of the outdoor season.