History in mind as Kats enter championships
2/14/2016 5:49:00 PM | Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
It has been 10 years since the Sam Houston State men's and women's track and field programs swept the Southland Conference championships, but speaking to his squads on Saturday night, eighth-year head coach David Self was not afraid to let it be known they are due.
“It was an exciting time for our program,” Self, who served as an assistant at the time, said. “We matured into a team that learned how to win all the time. It was a turning point where our program became one of the elite in the Southland Conference. People thought about us when it became championship time.”
The 2016 Southland Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held Monday through Tuesday at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala. Sam Houston's women won the event in 2014, the CrossPlex's first year hosting, and took second last year while the men have secured a runner-up spot the past three indoor meets.
“A lot of times, especially in track, it's just about the kids learning to have an attitude of rising to the occasion,” Self said. “Last year, we had some bad things happen and it was a big wet blanket over us. We never recovered. I keep telling this group that we're due.”
During the regular season, the Sam Houston men and women combined to claim eight of the conference's 16 weekly awards, including three from senior weight thrower Ashley Jenkins, who ranks third nationally at 71 feet, ½ inch.
The women hold the top spot on the Southland Conference's performance list in nine events including the 60 meters (Danielle Demas – 7.53), 200 meters (Demas – 24.31), 800 meters (Camry Grigsby – 2:10.81), 60-meter hurdles (Demas – 8.18), 4x400-meter relay (3:43.95), pole vault (Ashley Thompson – 12 feet, 11 ¾ inches), shot put (Kristine Hanks – 48 feet, 9 inches), weight throw (Jenkins –71 feet, ½ inch) and pentathlon (3,576 points).
Meanwhile, the men boast three top league performances entering the event, highlighted by the 800 meters (Jeffrey Moore –1:49.63), distance medley relay (10:05.17) and heptathlon (Tyler Adams – 5,187 points).
The meet will be streamed live in its entirety via southland.org/watch and the Southland Conference app. The men's and women's multi-events begin the championships at 8:30 a.m. on Monday The women's weight throw will start Monday at 1 p.m. along with select field events with the preliminary rounds of running events beginning at noon.
On Tuesday, men's multi-events will continue at 8:30 a.m. and field events will resume at 11 a.m. with running-event finals beginning after the opening ceremony at 11:45 a.m. Team championship trophies and the meet's top male and female high-point scorer will be presented at approximately 4:30 p.m.
“When you look at our conference records, they have all gone up,” Self said of competing at the CrossPlex. “It isn't necessarily just because of the banked tracks and things like that. Just having it in such a high-quality environment and atmosphere has led to better performances in all the events. I think the kids respond.”
While all 13 league schools will be in competition, the meet is also an annual renewal of the Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin rivalry, one that Self believes is just as fierce in track and field as any other sport.
“It's as heated as any I've ever been a part of,” Self said of the rivalry. “As a guy that has just worked at Sam – I never went to school here – but losing to them is not a good thing to me. It's as heated as the football or basketball one if not more so.”
For the latest live results, visit Southland.org and stay tuned to GoBearkats.com for coverage following both days.
