Southeast Missouri State’s track and field team had its first and only home meet of the season on March 3 through April 1at the Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex. This was expected to be a very competitive meet according to head coach Eric Crumpecker.

Crumpecker said he wants all of the athletes to use these meets at the beginning of the season for preparation.

“At this time of the year, we are trying to build and improve,” Crumpecker said.

The team at Southeast is still developing a game plan for all the athletes, and with key athletes such as junior sprinters Jarred Pasley and Haile Wilson injured, there are adjustments the team has to figure out.

Paisley Won multiple titles for Southeast and has received multiple Adidas OVC Track Athlete of the Week honors. Along with him, Wilson also has won several titles, while helping lead Southeast to gold in the 4 x 100-meter relay and receiving silver in the 100-meter dash.

Throughout the adversity, the team was still able to be successful. Senior sprinter Zach Gordon and junior Andre Bluitt were back to back, with Gordon getting second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.87 seconds and Bluitt receiving third coming in at 10.90 seconds.

Also placing for Southeast, senior sprinter Brannon Wright got second place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.53 seconds .Junior sprinter Jordan Barber received first place in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.20 seconds.

The track team may be down a few competitors, but they are still showing what they can do without some of their best athletes.

“You put in your work right now and peak at the end of the season,” Crumpecker said.

With how the season is set up at Southeast, they are treating these meets toward the beginning as if they were practice meets. There weren’t as many high seatings for the women’s team, but some did stand out.

Sophomore distance runner Kaitlyn Shea is continuing her feats in the outdoor season by earning second in the 5,000 meter with a 17:09:39.

Senior thrower Kayla Gutierrez showed that her recent injury has not going to stop her by getting second in the hammer throw with 53.96 meters.

The meet had a lot of competition, as the coach expected, and he is planning to use this meet like the others to figure out what they need to work on for the more important meets coming up.

The team’s next meet is in Auburn, Alabama, on April 7 and 8 at Auburn University.