NORMAN, Okla. – The Southeastern Louisiana men's and women's track and field teams will compete in the 2011 Southland Conference Indoor Championships, which begin Friday at the Mosier Indoor Facility on the University of Oklahoma campus.

The meet runs through Saturday. Live results from the Southland Indoor Championships will be available at www.Southland.org.

Southeastern Louisiana head coach Sean Brady brings one of his youngest squads to Norman. Brady is hopeful his young team can follow the lead of its few established veterans. The Lions finished fifth at last season's indoor meet, while the Lady Lions came in 11th.

“Over half our roster we're bringing with us has never competed in the conference meet,” Brady commented. “We have to see how those new faces respond to this level of competition. Historically, we've put together some of our best performances at the league championships.

“We've been preparing them and explaining to them that this is when they need to be peaking,” Brady continued. “Competing for the Southland championship is why we put in all this hard work. For us to be as successful as we would like this weekend, our new kids have to step up their performance and our veterans that we count on have to do their part.”

Chief among those veterans is senior Adonson Shallow, who will be competing in the weight throw Friday night and the shot put on Saturday. The Lion All-American has won the Southland indoor weight throw title each of the past two seasons and was the Southland Conference Outstanding Indoor Field Performer a season ago.

“It's no secret on the men's side that Adonson is our big gun,” Brady commented. “We expect him to challenge his own Southland Conference record in the weight throw and he has a good chance to repeat in the shot put as well. Adonson's as fierce a competitor as I've coached and is a great competitor on the big stage. He's going to do his part.”

Shallow was not the only Lion that Brady expects big things from in the championship meet.

“Michael Rheams has been battling injuries this season, but is pretty healthy heading into this meet,” Brady said. “Between Michael, Phillippe Moore and Brandon Daniels, we have a chance to score very well in the long and triple jumps.”

Among other Lions Brady singled out as poised for big performances were Kovey Simmons, who heads into the meet with a league-best and school-record 5.05 meter performance in the pole vault, as well as senior distance runner Henry Rop and freshman sprinter Antonio Herbert.

On the women's side, Brady looks for his squad to greatly improve their performance from last season's meet.

“We think the women certainly have a chance to double their point total this year,” Brady said. “Judith Schultheis in the 60 meter hurdles, Michelle Ogashi in the triple jump and Renada Living in the weight throw, as well as our two pole vaulters Brittany Pfantz and Colleen Butler rank high in their respective events and we'll need big showings from them this week.”

Brady also has high hopes for his distance medley team of freshman Heather Fitzhenry, junior Brittany Blackmon, senior Clara Wells and senior Whitney Curry. Brady also believes freshman Tess Mullings (60 meter hurdles) and sophomore Shalicia Rochon (shot put) are possible scorers in their events.

“We head into this meet with a young team and fewer sure things than we've had in the past,” Brady said. “That being said, these meets aren't run on paper and our athletes are ready to compete and see where we stack up with our peers in the league.”