Track Teams Open Season with Christmas Invitational

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's track teams open the indoor season Saturday, hosting the MT Christmas Invitational at Murphy Center. Teams competing include the men's and women's teams from Western Kentucky, Tennessee State and Milligan College along with the women's team from Vanderbilt. The Blue Raider men's team is the defending conference champion both indoors and outdoors, taking the 2006 indoor title at Murphy Center last February. Thrower James Thomas was voted the Most Outstanding Track Performer indoors last season and head coach Dean Hayes, starting his 43rd year at the helm of the program, was named the men's Coach of the Year at both conference championships. "This is a good way to culminate the end of fall workouts and see where everyone stands heading into the break," Hayes said. "It's a nice preview and gives the kids something to shoot for, a competition at the end of the fall. Plus we have lots of new ones this year, so it's good to see them in a meet." The men return All-American Orlando Reid, who won three individual and three relay conference championship events last season. Reid placed sixth in the 200-meters at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships, becoming the 42nd different athlete to garner All-America honors under Hayes at Middle Tennessee. Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Pete Senatus also returns for the men after winning the intermediate hurdles and placing fifth in the high hurdles at last year's Sun Belt Outdoor Championships. For the women seniors Shanna-Kay Campbell and Tiffany Owens and jumper Stephanie Tamgho lead a group that struggled to find consistency in 2006. A strong cross country season, led by junior Marjorie Gombert and senior Sara Lunning and the return of Catherine Chester, Tiffany Sawyer and Kaitlyn Hammond after their January hit-and-run accident should also boost the women's squad. Live meet results may be found at http://www.cfpitiming.com/results/index.htm and a schedule of events may be found at http://www.goblueraiders.com/content.cfm/id/22862. The Blue Raider teams return to action after the break on January 12-13 at the Kentucky Invitational in Lexington, Ky.

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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