March 28, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University men's track and field squad host the first of two 2008 home meets this weekend when they participate in the 10th annual Southern Ohio Cup on Saturday at the George L. Rider Track complex.

While Miami, Cincinnati, and Ohio are the traditional participants in the event, Xavier, Central State, Ohio State and Northern Illinois will also take part in Saturday's 38-event competition.

Events, starting with the hammer and long jump, begin at 1 p.m., while the last event, the 4X400 relay, concludes the day at 4:55 p.m.

Junior Kevin Dwyer has highlighted the early season performances for Miami, hitting the NCAA provisional mark in the decathlon with 7066 points at last weekend's Clemson Relays.

Dan Beach got off to a strong start as well last weekend, finishing second in the hammer throw with a mark of 186-2, the fifth-best throw in Miami history. He also took fourth in the discus at 157-3.

Junior distance and cross country standout Pat Sovacool will compete in Saturday's 800-meter run as well as the 4X400 relay. Sovacool qualified for the NCAA Championships in cross country last fall and finished fourth in the MAC Championships.

Following the Southern Ohio Cup, Miami will next travel to the University of Cincinnati on Saturday, April 5 for the UC Invitational.