COLUMBUS, Ohio - Austin Peay State University women's track and field team will have a homecoming of sorts at the Buckeye Tune-Up, Friday, inside a renovated French Fieldhouse at Ohio State University.

"A number of our top people are from Ohio and this will give them a chance to compete in front of friends and family," said head coach Doug Molnar. "It's always special to go to a place like Ohio State, with their great tradition, and bring a solid team and show them what we're all about."

Senior pole vaulters Molly Bartkiewicz (Westlake, Ohio) and Carrie Burggraf (Marion, Ohio) will use their return home as an opportunity to reach the NCAA automatic qualifier position. The jumpers - senior Amanda McCoy, sophomore Latoya Monger and freshman Jessica Runyon-Davis in the high jump and freshmen Leigha Tolliver and Cenitra Hudson in the long and triple jumps - also will be heavily relied on.

On the track, sophomore Janelle Avery (Huber Heights, Ohio) will be competing in both the mile and the 800-meter run. She will have to improve her mile time to qualify for a good heat in the Ohio Valley Conference Championships next week.

The relay team will seek improvement, while the 400-meter dash runners - juniors Chiamaka Obi and Candace Johnson and sophomore Jasmin Scott - will use this final tune-up to hopefully gain some personal best times before the championships.

"It's all about getting ready for the OVC's," said Molnar. "It should be fun and fast and that's what it's all about - speed and distance."

- AP -