Track And Field Preview: Redhawks Open

Friday, February 21

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

3:30 pm CT

University of Memphis

Redhawks Open

Oliver Tomann, 2019-20 Men's Track and Field

Photo by: Michael Wade

Feb 20, 2020 | Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Redhawks Open Schedule Redhawks Open Heat Sheets

Tigers getting in their final tune-up before next weekend's conference championships.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis track and field team heads to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for the Redhawks Open Friday, Feb. 21 in what has become the annual "tune-up" meet for the Tigers heading into the conference championships.

Friday's action starts at 3:30 p.m. (CT) with the field events. The running events begin at 6:30 p.m. (CT). All events are scheduled to be held at the Southeast Missouri Student Recreation Center.

This is the 12^th-consecutive year Memphis is competing in Southeast Missouri's home meet the week prior to the conference indoor championships. The 2020 American Athletic Conference Championships are set for Feb. 27-29 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

Head coach Kevin Robinson comments
"I look at this meet as a final tune-up for the field events, short sprints, hurdles and multis. This is a chance to clean up a few things technically. Although it's not a big meet, this gives us an opportunity to execute under some pressure. Hopefully that will set us up for next weekend's conference meet.

"It may not be a high-level meet, but that doesn't mean I don't expect some high-level performances. We have some athletes, especially in the throws group and a couple of jumpers, who are ready to put something big out there. Even though it's a smaller meet, the expectations from me on those athletes producing something big is definitely going to be there. We need every opportunity we can get to be on an indoor track. If we weren't there, we'd be here practicing. So let's go there and get some work done."

Team Scoring
The Redhawks Open is a scoring meet.

Tigers Tidbits

This is the 17^th indoor season the Tigers are competing in Southeast Missouri's Redhawks Open, dating back to the 2003-04 campaign.
Friday's meet at Southeast Missouri is a homecoming for head coach Kevin Robinson, who hails from Perryville, Mo. Perryville is an approximate 45-minute drive from Cape Girardeau.
Memphis head coach Kevin Robinson mentioned Friday's Redhawks Open is a smaller meet than previous ones in the indoor campaign. Friday's action has all six individual field events for both men and women (12 total), but only eight track events. In addition, the SEMO Recreation Center track is only 170 meters rather than the normal 200 or 300 meters. As a result, shorter running events take place like the 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles.
The past three seasons, the Tigers have used the Redhawks Open as momentum-builder for the American Athletic Conference Championships, and it's worked. From 2017-19, Memphis has combined for 25 titles and 68 top-three performances.
In last year's Redhawks Open, the Memphis women swept the podium in the shot put, with DeeNia McMiller taking the title, Mona Jaidi second and Samantha Lenton third.
DeeNia McMiller and Mona Jaidi both posted two top-three performances in last year's meet at Southeast Missouri. In addition to their finishes in the women's shot put, McMiller was second in the women's weight throw and Jaidi third.
On the men's side at the 2019 Redhawks Open, Adar Sheere had top-three performances in the weight throw (2^nd) and shot put (3^rd).