Hounds hope to do damage at LSC championships

PORTALES — For some, this weekend's Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships are an opportunity to produce their strongest performance of the year, while others are trying to fine-tune their techniques heading into the NCAA Division II Championships in three weeks.

For Eastern New Mexico track and field, that appears to be the reality when they head down to San Angelo, Texas to compete for league titles on the campus of Angelo State. The event, which will be held today through Saturday, features a number of NCAA-qualified Greyhounds, such as Marcus Parker, Danee Bustos, Kenneth Lloyd, Ivar Moinat and the women's 400 relay team of Kandace Miles, Lateria Slaughter, Maijah Mathis and Bustos.

"This is kind of the pinnacle of our season, and we've geared our training all year long to this event," ENMU track and field coach Jeff Kavalunas said. "We don't have a lot of depth for the team events, but I'll be happy if we can finish in the same positions that we did at the (LSC) Indoor Championships.

"Individually, there's a lot of people performing really well and they'll all look to have their best performances of the year. For the NCAA qualifiers, we're more geared to getting them ready for the NCAA's. The LSC is still real important, but the NCAA is icing on the cake."

Kavalunas said that the non-NCAA qualifiers from his squad have a different training regimen than the NCAA qualifiers, heading into this event. The qualifiers will have a little extra recovery to prepare their bodies for the coming weeks, while the non-qualifiers will have a "tapered recovered," which, in other words, means that he's had them doing more intense training leading up to this weekend, as he tries to get every last drop out of them to close out the season.

Parker is a 200 meter dash automatic qualifier and currently sits No. 1 in the nation, after recording a time of 20.36 seconds at the West Texas A&M Invitational. That time is actually the second fastest NCAA Division II time in the last 10 years, and should be no surprise, as he's finished first or second in the 100 and 200 meter events seven times during the outdoor season.

Lloyd has recorded a top three finish in high jump four times, including a pair of first place finishes. As for surprises this weekend, while Moinat may already be an NCAA qualifier himself, doing so in the 800 meter run, he nonetheless is someone that Kavalunas has his eye on.

"Ivar's been running very strong this season, and he's capable of a conference title," Kavalunas explained. Kavalunas says that the Texas A&M-Kingsville runners will provide quite a challenge, but he believes that the format of preliminary qualifying, followed by a next day final should suit Moinat well. Thus far, Moinat has two first-place 800 meter finishes, along with a first place in the 1,500 run.

Speaking of 1,500 run, Shane Walsh should be another standout at the LSC Championships, while decathlete Ezra Bagwell and sprinter Travonne Armstead should also find ways to excel at their respective events.

One of the most pleasant surprises this season, however, is the women's 400 relay team. A hamstring injury to Maijah Mathis held the team back earlier in the year, but she was able to return last week to the Abilene Christian Oliver Jackson Twilight Meet.

The team, who had previously qualified for the NCAA Championships, prior to last week, recorded a time of 45.96 seconds at the Twilight Meet, good enough to take the event. The performance also improved their previous qualifying time, allowing them to move to third in NCAA Division II rankings.

According to Kavalunas, working on relay handoffs will be key to the 4x100 winning this weekend, even more than pure speed itself. As for Mathis, she's just glad to be back, after a grueling rehab process for her Grade 2 hamstring tear.

"I had to do a lot therapy, and it was definitely tough, mentally," Mathis explained. "You never know what can happen, and it's a frustrating process. The good thing is that at least now you know how to prevent it, so it was like a blessing in that sense."

As for the LSC Championships, Mathis, who said she was a little gun shy last week, as she "babied" her hamstring - which is currently at about 90 percent, is ready to go out and become a champion this week.

"Honestly, I expect us to win the whole thing," Mathis said. "They say WT is tough, but I have confidence in myself and my teammates that we definitely can win it."