May 7, 2008

Three athletes with something to prove will be among those competing for McNeese State when the Southland Conference track and field championship opens Friday in Huntsville, TX.

Seniors Freddie Hannie and John Jamail are looking to go out winners while freshman Christi McRae is hoping to prove that she belongs among the league's top sprinters even though it will be her first outdoor championship.

"I would think that Freddie and John will be looking for medal finishes," McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy said. "Both have been among the conference leaders in their events throughout the season and even though it's probably going to take their very best efforts, they should be contenders.

"Christi has exceeded our expectations this season," Gilroy added. "This is really her first year of track and she will even go into one event leading the conference. She has come a long way and with this only being her freshman year, she's got a lot of track ahead of her."

Jamail, a native of Friendswood, TX, will be entered in three weight events for the Cowboys - the shot put, discus and hammer throw. Just a week ago he went a career best of 56-3 in Lamar's Ty Terrell Relays and that ranks third in the league, only two feet shy of the top mark posted by Teremine White of Southeastern Louisiana.

In the discus, Jamail ranks 15th while he is 5th in the hammer at 173-5.

An all-Louisiana performer in the shot put last year, Jamail was sixth indoors this past season and finished fifth outdoors last spring.

Hannie goes in with a school record best of 189-4 and was third in the event a year ago. His mark currently ranks second in the league but 11 feet shy of the top mark of Chris Cralle of Sam Houston State.

Freddie Hannie is a SLC leader in the hammer throw.

A year ago 56-8 3/4 won the SLC shot put title and 189-11 took the hammer throw.

McRae, who has taken first places in two meets this season, will run the 200 and 400 meters as well as a leg on the Cowgirl 4x100 meter relay team.

She has bests of 24.34 in the 200 and a 53.91 in the 400. Her clocking in the 400 tops all SLC performers and her mark in the 200 is fourth best.

McRae's effort in the 400 meters also ranks as the second fastest in school history.

It could be in the 400 that she will excel on the weekend as her strength is in her finish.

In this year's SLC indoor championship she led the Cowgirls with a second place in the 400 meters and a fifth in the 200 meters.

She's a native of New Orleans who went to high school at both Eleanor McMain in the crescent city and at Washington-Marion High in Lake Charles. McRae later went to Southern but did not run track and transferred to McNeese a year ago.

John Jamail will be the Cowboys' top entrant in the shot put.

Some other athletes would could be expected to earn points this coming week are Julie Buller in the javelin and pole vault for the Cowgirls, Amy Aguillard in the women's pole vault, DeAnn Washington in the discus and shot put and Lindsay Brooks in the high jump.

Buller has gone 11-5 3/4 in the pole vault and has tossed the javelin 134-6 while Aguillard has a team best 11-6 in the pole vault. Washington has a 148-8 toss in the discus and a 42-7 in the shot put while Brooks, the school record holder in the high jump at 5-10 3/4, has cleared 5-7 in the high jump this spring.

Jacob Domingue with a 52-1 3/4 best in the shot put and 143-6 in the hammer throw will compete in those events for the Cowboys.