Gamecocks Prepare for OVC Track and Field Championships - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Thursday, May 9

Cape Girardeau, MO

Jax State

OVC Outdoor Championships

5/8/2019 1:45:00 PM | Track and Field

Watch on ESPN+Live Results Event Program Championship Central

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State's track and field team hits the road for the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor championships held in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The 2019 championship hosted by Southeast Missouri State begins Thursday and continues through Saturday.

Head coach Steve Ray's Gamecocks head into conference with momentum following a series of personal bests being set during the spring season. Underclassmen have bolstered JSU's track lineup, while Jax State remains a top contender across the field events.

Senior Brittany Cook has led JSU throughout her career in the jumps. She has season bests of 5.84 meters in the long jump and 12.06 meters in the triple jump, and set her career mark in both events at last year's OVC championship. Freshmen Emily Burrowes and Jahleah Harris will also contend for the podium in those jumps.

Fellow senior Erica Edwards will challenge for the high jump title. She will be joined by juniors Madison Rollins, Briana Caudle and Baylee Porch in one of the Gamecocks' strongest events. Porch will also take part in the heptathlon, where she recently set a career mark with 4,672 points at the Tennessee Relays to help her earn OVC Field athlete of the week in April. Megan Mohon rounds out JSU's jump team with the pole vault.

In the throws, junior Greta Romei, the 2017 outdoor OVC runner-up, leads the Gamecock throwers heading into the weekend. The Casina, Italy, native, has the second-longest javelin toss in the OVC this season at 144 feet, just five feet behind Belmont's Karly Hibbard. Freshman Imani Debrow and junior Mary Cagle will also compete for the javelin title. Cagle has made her mark this season in the shot put where she has a season-best 12.35-meter throw. Freshman Adrian Rock will look for her first outdoor conference medals competing in the shot put, discus and hammer throw.

On the track, junior Emily Sorrell enters with the 10th best time in the conference in the 800 meters, while junior Chemutai Nereo has an equal rank in the 5,000-meter distance event. In the sprints, JSU will turn to freshmen Ayanna Rollins, Reagan Cook and sophomores Andrianna Raggs and Zaria Coprich to score in the 100 and 200-meter events.

Sophomore Tylynn Register and freshmen dup Ashton Coats and Leandra Custodio will take part in the 100 and 400-meter hurdles for JSU. Register and Custodio enter the weekend with the fourth and eighth-fastest 400h times across the league this season.

The Gamecocks will look to improve upon last year's seventh-place team finish in the outdoor championship. The event will be streamed on ESPN+ with live results available on JSUGamecockSports.com.