May 6, 2008

McNeese State's young distance runners have been taking it one step at a time this spring but with the Southland Conference track and field championship meet set to begin Friday, a little bit bigger leap might be needed.

"I have really been pleased with them," head coach Brendon Gilroy said of his group, most of them freshmen and sophomores. "Most have realized personal bests this season and I see them really having a good chance to place high this week. There has been no going backward with this group. All have been moving forward."

The entries for the Cowboys in the distance events will be: Michael Dyer and Jordan Neil in the 800 meters, Neil, Stephen Scullion and Matt Fontenot in the 1500 meters and Scullion, Alasdair Russell , Johnathan Koenck and Kenneth Pierce in the steeplechase.

For the Cowgirls, the entries will be: Carly Thurman and Sara Jayne Boyce in the 800 meters, Amy Guinn, Boyce and Katarina Caraway in the 1500 meters and Guinn in the 5000 meters.

There will be no Cowboys runners from McNeese in either the 5,000 meters or the 10,000 meters and no Cowgirl will enter the 10,000 meters.

Guinn, a freshman out of Lake Charles' Barbe High, has the best chance for the Cowgirls of medaling.

She will go in with the league's sixth best clocking in the 1500 meters, a 4:41.71 and will be debuting in the 5,000 meters.

"I think that Amy gained a lot of confidence during the conference indoor meet when she finished fifth in the mile run," Gilroy said.

In the 1500 meters she will be going up against two time defending champion Clerc Koenck of Lamar who also happens to be the sister of McNeese's Johnathan.

Dyer in the 800 meters and Scullion in the steeplechase just may have a shot at a title.

A graduate student from Northern Ireland, Dyer is completing his collegiate eligibility with the Cowboys this season and posted a 1:51.97 clocking in the 800 during the Kansas Relays. That time is only one second off the best in the conference this year, a time posted by UTA's Idilio Campos.

Scullion, a freshman, won the steeplechase event at the Northwestern State Relays this season and has a best of 9:12.55 which ranks fourth in the conference. However, he's about 11 seconds in back of leader Kalphys Kemboi of Southeastern Louisiana.

Koenck, a rookie who is 10th with a 9:37.16 best, and Russell, also a freshman who is 12th at 9:52.16, could contend for points in the event.

In the 1500 meters, Neil, a freshman, ranks third in the league at 3:52.56 and Scullion is fifth at 3:55.04. Both are expected to be chasing Lamar's Francis Kassagule who has run a 3:46.76.

"No matter how we do in the distance races," Gilroy said, "it will be a step up from last year."