Southeast Missouri State's Espiricueta captures third straight javelin title

No team scores were kept, but the Southeast Missouri State track and field program fared well during Saturday's 30th annual Joey Haines Invitational, the Redhawks' only outdoor home meet.

Southeast captured five titles and claimed five more runner-up finishes at the Abe Stuber Complex. Memphis, SIU-Carbondale, Arkansas State, Murray State and Rend Lake (Ill.) Junior College also competed at the meet.

"We didn't have as many teams as we normally have, but most of the teams that were here are very good," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said. "It was a very competitive meet and we had some really good performances."

Senior Samantha Espiricueta was among the headliners for Southeast. She won the women's javelin for the third year in a row with a distance of 147 feet, 8 inches.

That's despite Espiricueta never feeling like she performs well at her home venue.

Southeast Missouri State's Robert Delaria competes in the 400 meters Saturday.

"I haven't thrown good here the last three years. We don't have a runway, which makes it tough," Espiricueta said.

Espiricueta still is off to another strong start to the outdoor campaign. Her toss of nearly 160 feet at the season-opening Rhodes Invitational entered the weekend ranked 12th nationally. She holds the school record of 166-8 set in 2009.

"My plan is to go 175-plus. That would put me third or fourth in the nation," said Espiricueta, a national qualifier as a sophomore in 2009 who began her Southeast athletic career as a softball player before joining the track program during the 2007-08 school year.

While Espiricueta wasn't happy with her throws Saturday, senior Josh Uchtman was all smiles after winning the men's shot put with a toss of 56 5 1/4.

Uchtman only recently returned to action after missing this indoor season and most of last year's outdoor campaign with a hip injury that required surgery. He now has won two straight shot put titles, including at last week's Vanderbilt Invitational.

"I'm just glad to be back around my teammates, able to compete again," said Uchtman, who won the Ohio Valley Conference indoor male field athlete of the year award in 2009 and 2010. "It's always fun to compete at home."

Senior Tyler Terry, a Central High School graduate who has been a multiple OVC champion, three-peated as men's long jump champion while competing unattached. He leapt a career-best 24-9 3/4.

Other Southeast winners were junior Jessica Bollinger in the women's 5,000 meters with a time of 18 minutes, 28.8 seconds and the women's 400 relay team of junior Angelica Larrier, senior Rachel Kahle from Jackson, junior Magan Edwards and sophomore Jerika Lewis. They clocked 46.42.

Senior Brandon Colbert led Southeast's second-place finishers by breaking his own school record in the men's hammer throw during the only event held Friday. His distance was 203-2.

Colbert was the OVC male field athlete of the year for the indoor season this year as well as in 2008. He won similar awards for the outdoor season in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

"This throw puts him high on the national list," Crumpecker said.

Others second-place finishers for Southeast were sophomore Craig Robinson in the men's shot put (53-9), senior Jason Lumpkin in the men's 5,000 (15:00.08), Lewis in the women's 200 (24.73) and the women's 1,600 relay of Lewis, Edwards, Larrier and freshman Triona Roberts (3:58.77).

Several athletes among the top eight were from local high schools, including three third-place performers: Kahle in the women's 100 (11.92), junior Mary Pearson from Central in the women's long jump (18-0 1/2) and sophomore Jared Siemers from Central in the men's hammer throw (175-9).

Pearson was also part of a third-place 400 relay squad.

Joey Haines Invitational

Winners and Southeast top 8

MEN

High jump -- 1. Kendrick Branch (SIU-Carbondale), 6-8 3/4; 5. Kenny Hosp, 6-3/4

Pole vault -- 1. Karlis Pujats (Memphis), 16-7 1/4; 7. Jeff Wilfong, 14-1 3/4

Long jump -- 1. Tyler Tyler (Southeast), 24-9 3/4

Triple jump -- 1. Jerome Leslie (Memphis), 50-4 3/4; 8. Tyler Terry, 47-4 1/2

Discus -- 1. Jake Deiters (SIU-Carbondale), 188-11; 5. Josh Uchtman, 161-3

Hammer -- 1. J.C. Lambert (SIU-Carbondale), 206-10; 2. Brandon Colbert, 203-2; 3. Jared Siemers, 175-9; 5. Craig Robinson, 174-0

Javelin -- 1. Casey Carl (Memphis), 187-6; 3. Ed Draper, 177-6; 4. Joel Krause, 137-7

Shot put -- 1. Josh Uchtman (Southeast), 56-5 1/4; 2. Craig Robinson, 53-9

5,000 -- 1. Neal Anderson (SIU-Carbondale), 14:57.16; 2. Jason Lumpkin, 15:00.08; 4. Chris Loseman, 15:05.38; 5. Nate Shipley, 15:17.48; 7. Tyler Mullen, 15:57.84

400 relay -- 1. SIU-Carbondale, 41.85

1,500 -- 1. Zach Dahleen (SIU-Carbondale), 3:59.56; 6. Alex Zisser, 4:05.04

110 hurdles -- 1. Robert Jackson (Memphis), 14.34

400 -- 1. Nick Harold (Memphis), 48.51; 6. Robert Delaria, 49.99

100 -- 1. Dushane Farrier (Rend Lake), 10.61

800 -- 1. Guy Hudson (Memphis), 1:53.30; 5. Max Wieser, 1:59.92; 6. Devon Dudding, 2:06.05

400 hurdles -- 1. Brandon Williams (Memphis), 53.52; 7. Anthony Crawford, 1:00.95

200 -- 1. Dushane Farrier (Rend Lake), 21.51

3,000 steeplechase -- 1. Lucas Cherry (SIU-Carbondale), 9:27.99; 3. Brent Collins, 10:03.86; 4. Cody Martin, 10:12.74

1,600 relay -- 1. Rend Lake, 3:17.64; 6. Chris Loseman, Tyler Mullen, Anthony Crawford, Devon Dudding, 3:40.15; 7. Robert Delaria, Max Wieser, Ryan Criglar, Alex Zisser, 3:40.32; 8. Cody Green, Nate Shipley, Jason Lumpkin, Tyson Stoverink, 3:40.77

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WOMEN

High jump -- 1. Kersten Berding (Memphis), 5-8 1/2; 3. Cara Harbstreet, 5-5

Pole vault -- 1. Stephanie Foreman (Arkansas State), 13-1/4; 5. Erica Grajales, 10-11 3/4; 8. Jill Schnurbusch, 10-11 3/4

Long jump -- 1. Malaikah Love (SIU-Carbondale), 19-4; 3. Mary Pearson, 18-1/2

Triple jump -- 1. Kasey Oceguera (SIU-Carbondale), 35-8 1/2

Discus -- 1. Jeneva McCall (SIU-Carbondale), 160-9; 7. Brianna Egbuka, 130-10

Hammer -- 1. Jeneva McCall (SIU-Carbondale), 218-4; 6. Samantha Espiricueta, 165-6; 8. Brianna Egbuka, 161-4

Javelin -- 1. Samantha Espiricueta (Southeast), 147-8; 6. Emilea Old, 104-6; 7. Hannah Groom, 104-0

Shot put -- 1. Jeneva McCall (SIU-Carbondale), 53-4 1/2; 6. Brianna Egbuka, 45-8

5,000 -- 1. Jessica Bollinger (Southeast), 18:28.08;

400 relay -- 1. Southeast, Angelica Larrier, Rachel Kahle, Magan Edwards, Jerika Lewis, 46.42; 3. Unique Hooks, Triona Roberts, Travon Beard, Mary Pearson, 50.03

1,500 -- 1. Ellen Kildal (Memphis), 4:46.41; 8. Kasey Owens, 5:07.57

100 hurdles -- 1. Meredith Hayes (SIU-Carbondale), 13.68; 6. Unique Hooks, 14.72

400 -- 1. Kandise Thompson (SIU-Carbondale), 56.42; 6. Triona Roberts, 1:00.77

100 -- 1. Sharika Nelvis (Arkansas State), 11.83; 3. Rachel Kahle, 11.92; 4. Angelica Larrier, 11.98; 5. Jerika Lewis, 12.03; 6. Magan Edwards, 12.41

800 -- 1. Jennifer Johnston (Memphis), 2:21.86; 5. Tiffany Mead, 2:26.86; 8. Sharoyah Davis, 2:30.43

400 hurdles -- 1. Tredene Gant (SIU-Carbondale), 1:01.68; 7. Travon Beard, 1:07.24

200 -- 1. Lashandra Kershaw (Memphis), 24.60; 2. Jerika Lewis, 24.73; 3. Magan Edwards, 25.37; 4. Angelica Larrier, 25.40

3,000 steeplechase -- 1. Megan Hoelscher (SIU-Carbondale), 10:57.90; 4. Monica Noble, 12:14.16

1,600 relay -- 1. SIU-Carbondale, 3:51.08; 2. Jerika Lewis, Magan Edwards, Angelica Larrier, Triona Roberts, 3:58.77; 4. Unique Hooks, Travon Beard, Sharoyah Davis, Nikki Buchheit, 4:13.34; 6. Jessica Bollinger, Tiffany Mead, Monica Noble, Kasey Owens, 4:27.22