Coach 'O' Invitational Set for Saturday
Troy University Trojans Athletics Official Site: TroyTrojans.com

TROY, Ala. - Troy University Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Jill Lancaster, has been in Des Moines (IA) all week being honored as an Athlete of the Century at the Drake Relays. She will return this weekend just in time to see the Trojans host their lone home meet of the season, the Coach 'O' Invitational, and to be able to send the seniors out with their last regular season meet before the conference meet in two weeks.

The Trojans have set aside the last weekend in April for the Coach 'O' Invitational for several years, and this year was no different. The only difference this year, than last, is that many of the Trojans will be competing even if they have all ready locked up an NCAA Qualifying bid.

Senior Lamar Hicks will compete in the 100-meters, 200-meters and 4x100-meter relay. He has all ready qualified for the 200-meters with a time of 21.47 - the fifth best in the Sun Belt Conference this season - but is looking to qualify for the 100-meters. Last season, Hicks was the second-fastest man in the Sun Belt Conference, and has missed narrowly on a pair of occasions this season on qualifying for the regional. He will also team with Matavis Madden, Payton McGhee, Antonio McLeod and Burke Leonce in the 4x100-meter relay, looking to get the Trojans back to the regionals for the first time since 2007.

Norman Austin will be competing in his last home meet as a Trojan this weekend as well, attempting to qualify for the regionals in the javelin. After a throw of 61.42 meters at the Georgia Relays, Austin has slipped at other meets but will attempt to qualify for the regionals on his home turf; with the qualifying mark being 61.60 meters - a mark he met last season at the Coach 'O' Invitational.

Senior Mike Conley, a multi-event star for the Trojans, will compete in hurdles and the javelin this weekend for the Trojans. He will also be preparing himself for the Decathlon in two weeks at the Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Murfreesboro. He has competed well in the multi-events this season, finishing second at the FSU Relays earlier this season.

Ryan Schmeling will also be competing in his last meet for the Trojans, as he will compete in the throws; while middle distance runner Dennis Acree will see his final action as a Trojan this weekend. Distance runner, Denzel Ramirez, will complete his one-year career at Troy with an appearance in his first and only home track and field meet of his career at Troy on Saturday.

Although not a senior, junior Leander McKenzie is the only other male to have qualified for the NCAA Regionals this season for the Trojans as he qualified in the 110-meter hurdles last weekend at the War Eagle Invitational. He joins Hicks as the only student-athletes on the men's side to have qualified thus far this season.

Meanwhile, on the women's side, senior jumper Agata Cichoszewska will make her final appearance at home for the Trojans in the triple jump. She is currently the school record holder in the event, setting the mark this season and has qualified for the NCAA Regionals. She has also competed in the long jump, javelin and heptathlon this season for the Trojans.

Jenean Corcoran will round the track for the last time for the Trojans in distance competition. The senior has competed in the 1500-meters, 3000-meters, 3000-meter steeplechase and 5000-meters over the past couple of seasons; and look for her to compete in the 1500-meters and 3000-meters this weekend for the Trojans.

Senior thrower Monique Jordan will attempt to dethrone teammate Tiphanie Baker for top honors this weekend in the hammer and discus. The senior is second behind Baker all-time at the school in both categories, but placed in the the top five last weekend at the War Eagle Invitational. She will be attempting to unseat Baker, just a junior, who holds the school record in the shot put, hammer and discus and has qualifed for the regionals in all three events.

The other seniors competing in their last home meet are Shay Matthews (hurdles and sprints), Brittney McGhee (sprints) and Stephanie Yawn (throws).

Although just a redshirt sophomore, Latoya Ragland has joined Baker and Cichoszewska as NCAA Regional qualifiers, as she qualified earlier this season in the 100-meter hurdles for the Trojans.

The meet will feature Florida A&M, Jacksonville State, Birmingham-Southern, South Alabama, Bevill State, Concordia-Selma and Chattahoochee Tech. Like each year, the meet will also feature some of the country's finest competing as unattached athletes, as well as athletes from other countries that compete on a yearly basis.

The Coach 'O' Invitational begins at 10 am at the J.O. Colley Track and Field Complex on the campus of Troy University, and admission is free to the general public.

For up-to-the-minute information on Troy University Athletics, visit www.TroyTrojans.com. For ticket information, call the Troy University Athletics ticket office at (877) 878-WINS (9467).

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