CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri track and field opens the 2022-23 indoor season Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Edmonds-Wilt Invitational hosted by Purdue. The Purdue track & field team will host the Edmonds-Wilt Invitational at the recently-renovated Lambert Fieldhouse in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Field events will open the meet Saturday at 9:30 a.m., CT with the women's weight throw and women's high jump. The women's 60 meter hurdles prelims commences the running events at 11:15 a.m., CT after the National Anthem.
Last season, SEMO Men's Track and Field captured the 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship title in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Redhawks competed in seven indoor meets last January and February before the 2022 outdoor season.
SEMO last competed in the OVC indoor championship February 23- 24 in Birmingham, Ala. The men secured the title with 198 total points beating Eastern Illinois who finished second with 196.5 total points.
Luke Hatfield-Jackson captured gold in the men's high jump, overcoming a height of 6-11 (2.11m) on his second attempt. Hatfield-Jackson also grabbed Silver in the triple jump, delivering a mark of 48-2.75 (14.70m).
Shea DeGraaf earned Silver in the high jump with a personal-best 6-9.75 (2.08m).
In the weight throw, Freshman Marshall Swadley captured the gold medal. The Willard, Missouri-native secured first place with a throw of 53-11.25 (16.44m).
Clay Alewelt earned Silver in the weight throw with a heave of 53-2.75 (16.22m).
Shea DeGraaf captured the gold in the Heptathlon setting an OVC indoor championship record of 5,040 points. Isaac Readnour took silver in the Heptathlon with 4,738 and Jon Bissell took the bronze medal with 4,698 points.
DeGraaf, Readnour, and Bissell also captured the gold, silver, and bronze in the Heptathlon Pole Vault. DeGraaf vaulted a height of 4.70m followed by PR from Readnor with a height of 4.50m, then Bissell with 4.30m.
On the women's side, Southeast Missouri women's track and field finished fourth in the 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship totaling 103 points as a team.
Breanna Miles finished the 200 meter in 24.35 for third while also breaking the SEMO Indoor record which was 26.44 set in 1994 by Torvia Bradley. She also concluded the 60-meter dash in 7.93 (eighth) and the 400-meters with a time of 56.28 for fourth.
Madelyn Gray was clocked at 2:20.43 (eighth) in the 800-meters.
Hannah Eastman then led the Redhawks women in the mile, she completed the race in 5:02.78 for fourth followed by Gray (5:03.98, fifth) and Taylor Fox (5:15.75, sixth) as SEMO had three scorers in the event.
Serena Williams took fourth in the women's triple jump competition, registering a mark of 38-5.5 (11.72m)
In the women's pole vault, Nicole Silverlake tied for eighth, overcoming 10-10 (3.30m).
In the weight throw, Megan Deimeke added a mark of 42-10.75 (13.07m) for sixth.
The Redhawks also took sixth in the 4x400 meter relay with the squad of Laila Hardin, Claire Morrill, Brianna Payton and Brianna Miles finishing the relay in 3:53.27.
Kaitlyn McGinnitey finished fourth in the pentathlon with a personal best 3,319. McGinnitey was first overall in the 60-meter hurdles with a PR time of 8.93 to open the pentathlon. McGinnitey then closed the pentathlon with a first-place finish in the 800 meters in 2:33.36 (PR).
The Redhawks were awarded six post-meet All-Ohio Valley Conference Awards including Breanna Miles (Female Freshman of the Year), Nicole Humphreys (Female Field Athlete of the Year), Marshall Swadley (Co-Male Freshman of the Year), and Shea DeGraaf (Co-Male Field Athlete of the Year).
Head Coach Eric Crumpecker was awarded the Men's Coach of the Year for the third time in his career at SEMO, for the sixth post-meet award of the championship.
Following the Edmonds-Wilt Invitational, SEMO will host the 2022 Redhawks Invite Saturday, Jan. 14 at the SEMO Rec Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The invite will start at 12:00 p.m., CT.
