Feb. 21, 2008

McNeese State opens competition in the annual Southland Conference indoor track and field meet on Friday afternoon with the field events expected to be its strength.

The meet is being held on the campus of the University of Houston and runs through Saturday.

McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy said that he expected to see an improved showing by both the Cowboy team and the Cowgirl team over last year's performance.

" We have several athletes who should content for titles in certain events and I certainly expected that we will score better than a year ago," he said.

In 2007, the Cowboys finished eighth with 38 1/2 points while the Cowgirls were only able to produce two points and finished last in their division.

Twenty of the Cowboys points last year came from first place finishes by Brad Gebauer in the pole vault and Jon Fagan in the heptathlon. Both have graduated.

Going in with top five marks among conference athletes for the Cowboys will be Darrick Brown, Marcus Brown, Jimmie Heath, John Jamail and Vaalyn Jackson while among the leading Cowgirls entered are Christi McRae, Lindsay Brooks, Julie Buller and DeAnn Washington.

Darrick Brown ranks second in the conference in the long jump with a best of 24-7 while he is fourth in the high jump at 6-8 3/.4 and ninth in the triple jump at 47-0 1/4.

Brother Marcus ranks fourth in the long jump at 43-8 while Heath is third in the pole vault at 16-6 3/4.

Jamail leads all shot putters with a 55-6 best and is sixth in the weight throw at 54-5 1/4. Jackson, who earned conference athlete of the week honors this week, is fifth in the weight throw with a school record 55-4 1/4 effort.

McRae leads the Cowgirls in both the 200 and the 400 meter runs, Brooks has gone 5-4 1/2 in the high jump, Buller has a best of 10-10 in the pole vault and Washington has 42-6 1/4 throw in the shot.

The Cowgirls distance medley team ranks second in the league with a 12:49.33 best.