Men’s and women’s track preview Cape

SIUC women’s track and field distance runner senior Kelly French is anxious to compete against some strong distance runners at the 17th annual All Sport Relays at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo., this weekend.

French expects some tougher competition this weekend than from previous meets this season.

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Hopefully, it will help us get a better look at some good distance runners, French said. I think it’s great that we’ll be up against some strong teams.

The University of Missouri and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga are expected to challenge the Salukis’ distance runners in the meet.

Our really strong point is our distance runners, and we will be going up against two very strong distance teams, women’s coach Don DeNoon said. Then we have to see if we can balance out the rest of the competition.

The women’s team is fresh off a first-place showing at the Washington University Invitational last weekend, but the Salukis expect some tougher competition this weekend.

There all tough from now on, DeNoon said. We’re going from tough to tougher to the toughest.

I’d hate to say one meet is going to reflect the entire season, but I hope to see some improvement from week to week until conference (May 14-17 in Cedar Falls, Iowa).

The men’s team is looking to repeat last year’s first-place finish at the meet, which features a less competitive field than in recent years.

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I don’t think they have quite as many teams as usual, men’s coach Bill Cornell said. Missouri will be there they are pretty tough. They’ll be the main competition.

Cornell thinks the weather may have driven some teams away from the meet last year but is hoping for better weather this year.

The men’s team is coming off a 15th-place finish at the competitive University of Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where it was handicapped by two dropped batons in the relay competition.

We’d like to see what our relay team can do when they get it all the way around the track, Cornell said.

However, Cornell is looking forward to the shorter drive this weekend than last weekend’s Alabama trip.

It’s nice to be only 50 miles away from home, Cornell said. It’s nice to be able to drive over in the morning and come back that evening after the meet.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams will be competing at the All Sport Relays in Cape Girardeau, Mo., this weekend.