Men and Women Picked Second for SBC Championships

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's men's and women's track teams were both picked to finish second at this weekend's Sun Belt Championships in a poll of the league coaches released this week by the conference office. The conference meet runs Friday-Sunday at the Cajun Track & Field Complex in Lafayette, La. The Blue Raider men are the defending SBC Outdoor champions, running away with last year's competition. Middle Tennessee had a huge final day in 2006 and won by a margin of 58.50 points. The squad is picked behind South Alabama this year, with the Jaguars garnering 67 points in the poll of league coaches, followed by Middle Tennessee with 59 points, Arkansas State with 54 and Western Kentucky with 53. The men lead top the Sun Belt Performance List in six running events and one field event heading into this weekend's competition. Senior Orlando Reid is first in both the 100- and 200-meters, posting times of 10.29 and 20.57, respectively, while senior Juan Walker tops the charts in both the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meters hurdles with times of 14.03 and 51.92, respectively. The men's 4x100-meter relay of Walker, Reid, senior Jermaine Barton and sophomore Samuel Adade owns the fastest mark in the league with a time of 39.57, and the men's 4x400-meter relay of Adade, Barton, Reid and senior Sean Waller also has the best mark in the conference with a time of 3:08.39. Senior James Thomas is the only Blue Raider field performer at the top, ranking first in the hammer throw with a mark of 182-6. "The biggest thing is we have to stay healthy and get the points we're supposed to get," head coach Dean Hayes said. "If we get a few breaks, we'll see what happens. The advantage we have is that we can score almost everywhere in the meet and most of the teams really cannot do that." The Middle Tennessee women finished fifth in 2006 in Lafayette in a crowded bunch well behind winner Western Kentucky. The Blue Raiders were just four points from second place at last year's meet. The squad is predicted to finish second behind Florida International this year, with the Golden Panthers garnering 81 points, Middle Tennessee with 77 points and Western Kentucky with 74 points. Freshman MeLyn Thompson is first in the shot put after her school record setting mark of 49-5.75 on April 28 at the Stan Lyons Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind., while freshman Sangau Zamzam ranks first in the 1500-meters with a personal-best time of 4:38.74. Zamzam is also second in both the 800-meters (2:12.03) and 5000-meters (17:21.42). The women's 4x400-meter relay of sophomore TraMayne Gillyard, freshman Sarah Nambawa and seniors Shanna-Kay Campbell and Veronia Patterson hold the league's best mark with a time of 3:38.12. Junior Stephanie Tamgho ranks second in the long jump (20-3) and Nambawa is third in the triple jump (41-10.75) and the 800-meters (2:12.11) in league standings. "I think the women's scores will be lower than normal, so that spreads it out more and gives us a chance. It lets our quality events come through. We have to score where we're supposed to and get a few breaks. That's what happened two years ago in New Orleans and we were able to get on a roll." More information on this weekend's meet as well as live results from the event may be found at http://www.sunbeltsports.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4100&ATCLID=831645. Women's Predicted Order of Finish
1. Florida International 81
2. Middle Tennessee 77
3. Western Kentucky 74
4. North Texas 65
5. South Alabama 52
6. Troy 50
7. Florida Atlantic 34
8. Arkansas State 32
9. Louisiana-Monroe 31
10. Arkansas-Little Rock 22
11. Louisiana-Lafayette 10
Men's Predicted Order of Finish
1. South Alabama 67
2. Middle Tennessee 59
3. Arkansas State 54
4. Western Kentucky 53
5. Troy 45
6. North Texas 34
7. Louisiana-Monroe 29
8. Florida International 21
9. Arkansas-Little Rock 12
10. Louisiana-Lafayette 11

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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