HAMMOND – The Southeastern track and field team opens its indoor season Friday at the ASU Kickoff Klassic in Jonesboro, Ark. The meet is the first of four regular-season indoor meets for the Lions and Lady Lions.

“The meet at Arkansas State is certainly an early meet, but it's still an opportunity for us to compete,” head coach Sean Brady said. “It's a culmination of all the hard work and effort in the fall. I'm excited and anxious to see who will step up and compete.”

Thirty Southeastern athletes, including 16 Lady Lions, will compete in the meet. Antonio Herbert returns after posting the Lions' top three times in the 60-meter dash last season. On the women's side, Southeastern returns its two best pole vaulters in Brittany Pfantz and Colleen Butler.

“We know we have some quality pole vaulters and another horizontal jumper on the men and women's sides – Phillippe Moore and Michelle Ogashi, respectively,” Brady said. “We have good core group of sprinters. Shannon Grover is coming back for his final campaign.”

Last season, Moore recorded four of the Lions' six best efforts in the long jump while Ogashi recorded the Lady Lions' three best finishes in the triple jump.

Following this week's opening meet, it will be more than a month before Southeastern competes in UAB's Blazer Invite on Jan. 12-13, 2012.