ND prepares for tough competition at Invitational
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Assistant Sports Editor
The Irish are looking for a little Meyo magic.
The 10th annual Meyo Invi-tational brings in some of the most talented track and field athletes from the nation, often including several Olympians. The Irish generally draw a big boost from the home fans in matching up with the top-quality athletes.
"The crowd is definitely going to help out," sophomore Luke Watson said.
Some of the world-class athletes competing include Olympian Natasha Kaiser-Brown in the 400-meter run, top hurdler Tonya Lawson in the 60 meter hurdles and NCAA 800-meter champion Brian Peterson of Missouri.
"I think it helps them knowing that the competition is going to be so tough," Notre Dame sprint coach John Millar said. "It's kind of like running at nationals; you have to rise to the level of the competition."
The Irish face a fresh slate of teams this weekend.
The men go up against Michigan, Missouri, Wake Forest, Alabama, Miami (Fla.), Tulane and Rice. The women will take on Michigan, Missouri, Tulane, Wake Forest and Iowa.
Several Irish athletes have Meyo Invite titles to defend.
"I think mainly what we're trying to do is give people some opportunities to improve on their performance and maybe get some NCAA times," Millar said. "We're pretty much going to run one event and let them focus on one event."
Senior Phil Mishka is out to capture a second straight title in the 1,000-meter run and thrower Matt Thompson is also aiming to make it two in a row.
Two of the top athletes on the men's side will be missing in action.
Marshaun West, an NCAA finalist long jumper and the 1999 200-meter champion at the Meyo Invite, will sit out the meet with an injury.
Junior distance runner Ryan Shay will also be gone due to an injury.
High jumper Jennifer Engelhardt and pole vaulter Natalie Hallett both won their events a year ago.
Head track and field coach Joe Piane is aiming for improvement among athletes with a shot at qualifying for the NCAAs or scoring points in the Big East meet.
On the women's side, the best chances for scoring lie in Liz Grow in the 400-meter run, All-American Alison Klemmer in the 5,000-meter run, long jumper Tameisha King and All-American high jumper Jennifer Engelhardt.
"There's going to be some good competition for my race," Klemmer said, "So I'll just try to run with them and hopefully come through in a time that's close to qualifying for nationals."
For the men, Piane is focusing on 800-meter runner Mishka, miler Watson, 400-meter runner Chris Cochran, thrower Thompson, pole vaulters Nathan Cahill and Josh Heckand distance medley relay team of Mishka, Cochran, Tim Kober and Watson.
"There are going to be at least one or two All-Americans in the race," Watson said. "It's going to be a great opportunity for me to see what I can do. I'm going to put it all on the line and hopefully surprise myself."
This will be the first major meet of the season for the Irish, who are using the Meyo Invite as a tune-up for the Big East championships in two weeks.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 4, 2000
