Jan. 22, 2008

There will be a big track weekend at McNeese State this week with colleges running on Friday and high schools on Saturday at Ralph O. Ward Arena.

McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy said that six teams including the Cowboys and Cowgirls will take part in the collegiate indoor meet on Friday and that 70 teams and 450 prep athletes are expected to run on Saturday.

"It's been a while since we held a big meet like this here," he said, "and I think that we're going to have some good performances both days."

Collegiate teams joining the Cowboys and Cowgirls will be Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, Grambling, Texas State and Houston Baptist. Field events will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday with running events to start at 3 p.m.

Saturday's prep meet will run all day long.

Complex records could be broken on Friday in the collegiate meet, Jimmie Heath challenging the pole vault record and Erik Whitsitt taking a crack at the shot put mark.

Heath, a junior on this year's McNeese team, has an indoor best of 17-2 3/4 and will be after the 17-3 mark that was set in 1995 by high school standout Jacob Davis of Orangefield High.

In his only meet this season Heath went 16-6 3/4 in winning the pole vault at LSU last week.

Cowboy coach Erik Whitsitt will be after rec-complex shot put record.

Whitsitt, a Cowboy assistant coach, will compete unattached and will be after the 61-0 record set by Kevin Toth in 1992. Last week Whitsitt won the shot at the LSU meet.

Gilroy said that he should have a full team for the meet with several football players joining the roster.