MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee men's and women's track programs open the indoor season Saturday, hosting the MT Christmas Invitational at Murphy Center beginning at 10:30 a.m.
The Middle Tennessee track and field teams suffered through a down year in 2005, claiming only one conference championship and sending only one individual to the NCAA Championships. But 41st-year head coach Dean Hayes has reloaded with a whole new group and looks to regain the program's dominance in the Sun Belt Conference indoors and continue to add championships outdoors.
Both the men and women fell short indoors last season, ending a string of four straight SBC titles for both, or every year since joining the league. The men suffered because of a lack of depth caused by a myriad of problems, including ineligibility and discipline issues. The women were much better suited for the outdoor meet because of the team's strength in field events and the added sprint events, including relays.
Both squads placed third at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships in Jonesboro, Ark., with Kishara George and Candice Robertson and the women's 4x400-meter relay winning events. The men and the women should be much stronger this season heading into the indoor championships with the addition of quality sprinters Samuel Adade, Tavaris Leak and Orlando Reid, along with returners VanTonio Fraley and Linnie Yarbrough for the men, and Iceca Epps, Erika Palmer and Carlissa Shaw to go with veterans Kerry Barrow, Robertson and Tiffany Owens.
The women should also be helped by the improvement of the cross country team, who placed third at the SBC Championships in October in Bowling Green, Ky., behind the efforts of freshman Ashley Comstock and sophomore Miranda Galloway.
Hayes is a world-renowned sprint and jump coach, but the Blue Raiders must show improvement in the jumps - long, triple and high - to have the all-around team to compete both indoors and outdoors.
Sophomore Stephanie Tamgho (long, triple) and newcomer Colleen Daley (high) will be counted on for the women, while Julius Defour and Pierre Ingram must replace all-conference performer Alex Pruitt in the high jump. Newcomers JaKeith Hairston, Brandon Jones and Juan Walker will contribute in the long and triple jumps, as will the return of junior Sean Waller.
In the field events, junior James Thomas and the return of Willie Parker after a redshirt year gives the men two quality throwers, but senior Nick Diel is the only other thrower on the roster. On the women's side, Meaghan Byrd had a breakout season and will be counted on along with Lasean Bell to pick up valuable points when it comes championship time.
The women claimed their first outdoor championship since 2000, winning the SBC Championships in New Orleans, La., by more than 30 points. Hayes must replace six seniors who all contributed heavily to that championship - Jessica Anderson, LaToya Brown, KeKe Deckard, Kelley Enoch, Laetitia Florimond and George.
The men did not fare as well outdoors, placing fifth because of the lack of depth.
Yarbrough was the only Middle Tennessee trackster to participate in the NCAA Championships, making it through two rounds before false-starting in the finals of the 110-meter hurdles. The senior has been to the last two NCAA outdoor meets and looks to add to the Blue Raider trophy case with another All-America honor in 2006, adding to the 77 already earned by 39 different athletes under Hayes. Both teams will get a chance to reclaim their indoor titles at home with Murphy Center hosting its 22nd indoor championship, February 25-26.
From GoBlueRaiders.com