CLINTON, Miss. – Jackson State University's head track and field coach, Mark Thorne, used his team's first outdoor meet of the season, the Mississippi College Outdoor Season Opener, to give his freshmen their first taste of competition on the college level. 
 
He also used it to let some of his upperclassmen compete in events that they usually don't compete in. 
 
Both had the ultimate goal of preparing for what he hopes will be a competitive outdoor season culminating in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) men's and women's outdoor track and field championships.
 
Reflecting on both his men's and women's teams performances at the Mississippi College Outdoor Season Opener on Saturday, Thorne said he was pleased with what he saw in both teams.
 
"It was a meet for the freshmen to kind of get their feet wet coming off the indoor season so that we could get things in place and so that they'd know what the expectations are for outdoor going forward," said Thorne.  "There wasn't a whole lot of pressure at the meet because I think we were the only Division I team there, so it was a meet where they could get accustomed to some competition.
 
"There were some others who competed (besides the freshmen) who ran events that they don't usually run," added Thorne.  "Most of the team competed. We were just coming off the indoor season, so we just needed to see where they are after the SWAC indoor championships and see what we needed to adjust going forward."
 
With the men's team, Thorne said he was particularly pleased with how his freshman hurdlers ran, particularly Nazir Imhotep and Tyler Tremble in the 110-meter hurdles (Imhotep finished first at 15.13; Tremble finished second at 15.28).  He also said senior Jallah Galimah ran well in the 800-meter run (third at 1:53.90) and sophomore Davison Center performed well in the shot put (second at 14.47m).
 
"Our expectations are always to compete for a championship," said Thorne.  "We are usually in the Top 3, indoor and outdoor, so we are always in contention with the men's team. That's the goal, to win the conference championship and get some kids to qualify for the NCAA Preliminary Round, which is the Eastern Region."
 
Thorne said his men's team has a bevy of talent which will make it a legitimate contender again for the SWAC outdoor championship, including distance runners Galimah and freshman Brian Koringo.  Center is expected to score medals in each of his three events (shot put, discus and hammer). Senior Austin Fields is the defending outdoor champion in the high jump, an event that sophomore Tevin Thompson finished second in last year.
              
Others expected to lead the charge for the men are defending outdoor champion Loftin Keys, a graduate student in the 110-meter hurdles, and sophomore Quandaveus Gilliam in the 400-meter hurdles.
 
What about the women's team at the Mississippi College meet?
 
"I was very pleased with the women's performance," said Thorne. "As usual, (graduate student) Hannah White, the team's leader, did well in her events – the shot put (first at 14.20m), the discus (first at 50.57m) and the hammer (first at 44.08m). The freshman hurdlers ran well in the 400-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles. The high jumpers did okay, and the sprinters have some work to do, but they'll get better. With the distance runners, the freshman from Kenya (Joan Kiplagat), ran well in the 1500 meters (fourth at 5:03.14).
 
Transitioning from the indoor season to the outdoor season, Thorne hopes his women's team's performance at the SWAC indoor championships will be a glimpse of the marked improvement which can be expected during the outdoor season.
 
"We were sixth indoors this year," said Thorne, "but we were very competitive because we scored the most points that we've scored in a long time.  So as for the expectations going forward for outdoor, I think we can be a Top 3 or Top 4 team at the conference meet in May."
 
The next meet for JSU's men's and women's teams will be the Jim Mize Relays at Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. on March 18 and 19.