May 11, 2004
Eagles take aim at GLVC Championships
The University of Southern Indiana men’s and women’s track and field teams are making their final preparations for the GLVC Outdoor Championships this week. The Screaming Eagles will compete for GLVC titles Thursday and Friday, May 13 and 14, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Leading the Eagles’ women is sophomore Heather Cooksey (Brownsburg, Indiana) and freshman Candace Perry (Anderson, Indiana).
Cooksey, a Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year candidate, has posted provisional qualifying times in four events. She ranks second in the nation in the 3,000 meters (9:42.57) as well as sixth in the country in the 1,500 meters (4:30.07) and 5,000 meters (16:46.79).
Perry ranks first, nationally, in the long jump and has posted the nation’s top three marks in the long jump this spring with her top jump of 19 feet, 11 ½ inches coming at the Indianapolis Relays.
Both are coming off All-America performances during the Indoor season and will be looking to add to their respective trophy cases when the conference championships get underway.
While Cooksey and Perry are locks for nationals, sophomore Abby Boberg (Bicknell, Indiana) will be looking to improve upon her provisional mark in the high jump.
Boberg has a good shot to make her third trip to an NCAA II Championship event after qualifying for and competing at nationals in both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a freshman in 2003. She is in a tie for 12th in the nation with a mark of five feet, 7 ¾ inches. A jump of five feet, eight inches, could solidify a spot at nationals for the 2003 Indoor All-American.
USI’s men are led by senior Doug Schwartz (Centralia, Indiana) and junior Jesse Davis (Bloomington, Indiana). Both have posted strong provisional qualifying times in their respective events, with Schwartz qualifying in the 5,000 meters and Davis in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Schwartz ranks 10th in the 5,000 meters (14:30.81), while Davis ranks fourth in the steeplechase (9:08.83).
The NCAA II Outdoor Championships will take place Thursday through Saturday, May 27-29, in Walnut, California.
The Eagles will practice Tuesday at the Reitz High School Track at 3:45 p.m. They leave for Indianapolis Thursday morning.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
