The Reflector

Media Credit: Ariel Nachtigal MSU senior Priscilla Gaines flies through the air during an outdoor competition in Alabama.

MSU track and field participates today and tomorrow in the War Eagle Invitational at Auburn. The Maroon and White look to focus on regional qualifications in individual events before returning to action Wednesday at the more team-oriented Penn State Relays in Philadelphia, Pa.

The team looks forward to the challenge of good opponents at the War Eagle Invitational, head coach Al Schmidt said. The SEC outdoor championships were held at Auburn in 2008, so this year, the university's invitational has drawn more competitive schools like Penn State and Florida.

Assistant coach Brian Fetzer said he feels good about the meet's competitiveness.

"[We want to] stay healthy and improve upon some things that you need to improve upon, but this meet will not be short of competition," Fetzer said. "Penn State is one of the best teams in the Big Ten and Florida is one of the best teams in the SEC along with Auburn."

Sophomore distance runner Matthew Cameron will compete in the 1,500-meter run tonight. Schmidt said the race is set up to be somewhere in the low 3:40s.

"[Auburn is] going to set up a fast race with Kenyans and some of the better athletes in the conference, so that is going to be exciting," he said.

Cameron has already qualified for regionals, so Schmidt said he feels his invitational run has the potential to produce a time that will get him closer to reaching nationals.

"[His fastest time] is something that he just needs to keep getting faster and faster and move himself up on the national performance list," Schmidt said. "We are trying to give him the best opportunity."

Also tonight, participating in the hammer throw will be, respectively, Kiley Aguar for the men's division and Trumesa Banks for the women's division.

For Saturday's events, sophomore Adam Lenz and senior Robert Scribner will run in the college 1,500-meter. Schmidt said he wants the distance runners to work on building speed in the shorter distance.

Freshman sprinter D'Angelo Cherry will run the 100-meter dash. Associate head coach Steve Dudley said the format for the run is what he wanted Cherry to run.

"We've got prelims and finals [at this meet], and I like that because again, that's more like what it would be like at conference, regionals and nationals," Dudley said.

Cherry, junior Dwight Mullings and sophomore Emanuel Mayers will have good competition to face, Schmidt said.

In an attempt to qualify for regionals, Mullings will make his debut in the 400 meter-run, Dudley said. He said he has no doubts that Mullings is prepared to qualify.

"I do not see any reason why he should not go on and better his time," he said. "Practices are going good, and the competition is going to be better this week than last week."

Mayers will also strive to qualify in the 400-meter. Most of the team has met the marks needed, so Dudley said he hopes to bring more of his sprint team to regionals, and then have a shot at nationals.

"By now, we are only a few standards away from having all my guys qualify for an NCAA regional," Dudley said. "Once you do that, then you give yourself a chance to make it to the NCAA championship."

For the women, senior Marrissa Harris and junior LaQuinta Aaron are going to run the 110- meter hurdles and junior Crystal Wilson will run the 400-meter dash.

Fetzer said he expects a good run from Wilson. "[Wilson's] workouts have been very good," he said. "I am excited to see what she does on Saturday."

In the jumps, Harris, senior Priscilla Gaines and junior Wendy Copeland will take the weekend off because they will jump at Penn Relays, Fetzer said. He said the focus this weekend at Auburn will be sprints.

For men's field, junior Kendrick Poullard will try to best his regional mark in the triple jump. Freshman Tevarus Christian and senior Daryl Brady will participate in various decathlon events. Fetzer said the events will work individual aspects in the athletes' better events.

After the War Eagle Invitational and Penn Relays, MSU track and field will return to action at the Mississippi Open at Ole Miss on May 3.

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