MOREHEAD, Ky. — Just two days after returning to campus, the Morehead State indoor track and field team will open the spring semester portion of its schedule with a trip to Huntington, W.Va., for the Marshall Alumni Classic on Saturday. Competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Jeff Small Track in the Chris Cline Indoor Athletics Complex on the campus of Marshall University.
It will be the sixth time in seven years the Eagles will have participated in the meet. Last winter, the women's club finished seventh. In 2002, it was third.
Saturday will be the first time in which the men also will compete. This is the first season since 2007 that MSU will field a men's team during the indoor campaign.
"I'm excited to get the season in full gear with the entire squad. We'll see what kind of shape they are in this weekend. We just had our first practice (on Thursday) and everyone is looking good," MSU head coach
Clay Dixon said. "Anyone who does exceptionally well we'll consider taking them to Youngstown State next week for another early-season meet. Everyone else we will really focus on training and getting in good shape for (the PNC) Bellarmine (Invitational) on the second (of February)."
On Saturday, Morehead State will send 20 men and 17 women to compete in 11 events. Included in that group are four individuals who are joining the team this semester.
As usual, the bulk of the participation will come in the distance races, with both men and women entered in the 800-meter run, mile and 3,000-meter run. The first event on the track begins at 2 p.m.
At least 12 teams are expected to compete at the meet, which will include 32 events. Among the schools with entries are Marshall, West Virginia Wesleyan, Otterbein (Ohio), Campbellsville (Ky.), Univ. of Charleston (W.Va.), Bluefield State (W.Va.), Point Park (Pa.), Rio Grande (Ohio), Marietta (Ohio), Wright State, West Virginia Tech and MSU.
Freshman
Ginger Hayden will begin the day for the Blue and Gold with the long jump at noon. Newcomer
Cade Sullivan will follow at 2:45 p.m. with the prelims of the 60-meter dash. If he advances to the finals, it will take place at 4:15 p.m.
Freshman
Taylor Allen, juniors
Cloe Copas and
Lucy Singleton, sophomores
Kaylyn Holman and
Casey Skaggs, and redshirt junior
Jennifer Ramirez will be the next Eagles to toe the line when they participate in the women's mile at 2:55 p.m. The men's mile will follow at 3:10 p.m. Seniors
Toby Cook and
Kyler Stewart, fifth-year runners
Kyle Embry and
Jarrett Forrest, and freshmen
Keghan Thompson and
Garrett West are entered in that event.
Another newcomer,
Cheyenne Stark, will run in the women's 400-meter dash at 3:30 p.m. Redshirt junior
Micah Gray and newcomer Derrill Carr will compete in the men's version of the event at 3:40 p.m.
There will be a bit of a break before the Eagles return to action in the 800-meter run. The ladies will start at 5 p.m., with the guys following at 5:10 p.m. Redshirt sophomore
Bella Almodovar, sophomores
Natalie Curry and
Hope Harris, freshmen
Brady Baker and
Asher Jack, and junior
Austin Montgomery will represent the Eagles in those races.
Sullivan will be back to run in the 200-meter dash at 5:35 p.m. He is the lone team member who is slated to compete in two events.
The 3,000-meter run will cap off the day for the Blue and Gold. Newcomer
Lani Baskett, sophomores
Christiana Brittian and
Abby Taylor, junior
Megan Bush, freshman
Emily Spradlin, and senior
Laikin Tarlton will run in the women's race at 5:55 p.m. Seniors
Justin Bland,
Peyton Fairchild and
Alex Murray; freshmen
Noah Bunting,
Armando Montes and
Aidan Whitsell; junior
Sam Lucas; and redshirt junior
Jacob Vogelpohl will toe the line for the men at 6:20 p.m.
It will be the teams' second meet of the season and the second time they will compete at Marshall. Gray and Hayden both participated in the Marshall Opener on Dec. 8.
Singleton was the Eagles' top performer at the meet a year ago, when she won her section of the mile and placed 11th overall. Tarlton (16th), Copas (17th), Holman (22nd) and Ramirez (23rd) also ran in that race.
Taylor led the MSU pack in the 3,000m in 2023 by finishing 22nd, while Bush was 26th and Skaggs was 32nd. Curry also ran the 800m and claimed 17th.
Live stats can be found at the link:
https://results.kvtfoa.net/20240113/.
Coach Dixon has made a change in the schedule. The Eagles next race will be at the Youngstown State Collegiate Invitational presented by Southwoods Health in Youngstown, Ohio, on Friday, Jan. 19.
