HAMMOND, La. – With time winding down on the regular season, the Southeastern Louisiana University track and field teams will host the Southeastern Lion Invitational Thursday and Friday at the Southeastern Track and Field Complex.

“This meet is special, in a sense, that we don't have this great tradition of hosting home competitions,” coach Sean Brady said. “So seldom do we a have a chance to compete in front of our friends, family and those here at the university.

“We're using these meets to regenerate our base and get our alumni back,” Brady said. “We had over 100 last year and it's good to be able to give them something back.”

Two events, the men's and women's hammer throws, are scheduled for Thursday while the rest of the competition will take place Friday. The hammer throws take place at 3 p.m. Thursday at the hammer throw field located next to the Southeastern Soccer Complex on the north campus.

Friday, there will be a prize wheel for Southeastern students while fraternities and sororities can also earn double points in Southeastern athletics' Spring Greek Challenge by attending.

A full day of competition begins Friday at 10:30 a.m. with the javelin throw. Field events will conclude with the shot put and pole vault competitions, slated for 2:30 p.m. Running events will kick off prior to that, at 1:30 p.m., with the 4x100-meter relay. The meet's final event, the  4x400-meter relay, is slated to begin at 6:25 p.m. All of the day's events will be held at the track complex located behind the kinesiology building on the main campus.

“We have several former NCAA champions that will be competing,” Brady said. “We'll also have the world's leading discus thrower. Southeastern record-holder Adonson Shallow and his wife, who is also an elite thrower, as well as Chelsea Hayes, one of the best long jumpers in the world, will all be competing. There will be enough competition that every event will be strong.”

Last year at the inaugural Southeastern Lion Invitational, Southeastern won seven individual events in front of a large field of competitors. Among those slated to compete this year are Dillard, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Loyola (New Orleans), McNeese State, Mississippi College, Nicholls State, New Orleans, Northwestern State, Southern Miss, Spring Hill and Tulane. A team of Southeastern alums as well the Southern Stars and the U.S. Express Track Club will participate.

“What I learned last year is that we needed to reduce the field size,” Brady said. “I obviously forgot that because it looks like we'll have more teams this year than last. It's a good fundraiser for us, so it's hard to turn away competitors.”

One year ago, Ikea Kaufman paced four Lady Lions to individual titles as she claimed the high jump with a season-best mark of 5 feet, 6 inches. Jessica Fekete captured the women's hammer throw with a mark of 175-9 while Brittany Pfantz claimed the pole vault (12-11.50) and Michelle Ogashi the triple jump (42-00.75).

On the men's side, Southeastern claimed individual titles in the triple jump, pole vault and discus. Phillippe Moore claimed the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 47-3.75 while Jeffrey Milliron claimed the discus with a throw of 177-3. Kovey Simmons claimed the pole vault with a mark of 17-00.75.

This season, Milliron (men's discus - 187 feet, three inches) and Derek Hampton (men's javelin, 218-04) own the best marks in the Southland Conference. Jonathan Kinchen, a native of Ponchatoula, La., is right behind Milliron with the conference's second-best mark in the discus (164-11), while Milliron is second in the Southland in the men's shot put (54-08.25).

Lady Lion Alicia Noel has the conference's second-best time in the women's 400-meter hurdles (1:01.35). Jessica Fekete and Brittany Pfantz own the third-best marks in the women's hammer throw (172-10) and the women's pole vault (12-07.50), respectively.

The Lion relay teams in the men's 4x100 (41.01 seconds) and 4x400 (3:13.78) also have the third-best marks in the Southland entering the weekend.

“Collectively as a group, I think we're set to move forward this week,” Brady said. “It's a little something extra when you have family, friends and peers come watch. This is an environment that is very familiar to us. If we can be fearless and do our jobs, I think special things can happen.”