PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas| The quest for the 2019 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) outdoor track and field championship begins Friday morning on the campus of Prairie View A&M University.

Alabama State looks to continue their run in cross country / track and field in the conference, having won three of the four championships this season. The Lady Hornets look to repeat as the outdoor champion on the same track they won the event last season, while the men look to improve on their runner-up finish last season.

The meet starts at 8:30 am Friday with the men's javelin, continuing throughout the day with field events and multi-events. The meet will run through Sunday when the champions will be crowned at the end of the event following the 4x400-meter relays.

Several Hornets are at, or near, the top of the performance list entering the meet and will look to improve on their marks to get to the medal stand.

On the track, David East has the fourth-fastest time in the conference this season in the 100-meters with a time of 10.47 seconds at the UNF Spring Break Invitational, while Norris Spike has run the sixth-fastest time at 10.54 seconds. Meanwhile, on the women's side, Charminiqu Hackney has one of the fastest times in the country in the 100-meters at 11.20 seconds – while teammates Nia Jack (11.66) and Ulani Toussaint (11.88) are second and third respectively.

Hackney also has the fastest time in the women's 200-meter dash with a time of 22.95, while Toussaint (24.16) and Jack (24.21) are second and third respectively. On the men's side, Kevin Spraggins owns the fastest time in the 200-meters at 20.88 seconds, while East is fifth (21.22). The Hornets are in the hunt for the medal stand in the 400-meter dash with Lezoghia Member-Menah third (47.49) on the men's side, and Toussaint (55.39) on the women's side.

In middle distance competition, Andrew Jackson is third in the 800-meters (1:52.79) on the men's side; while Arion Span is at the top on the women's side (2:10.12) and she is followed by Hannah Mezidor (2:10.62) with the second-fastest time. The Hornets also own some of the fastest times in the 1500-meters, led by Joshua Coffelt (4:00.40) on the men's side at the top and Kevin Smith (4:04.74) with the fourth-fastest time. On the women's side, Span has the fastest time (4:37.71) and Mezidor (4:50.39) the second-fastest.

Coffelt and Mezidor are each third in the conference in the 5000-meters, with Coffelt running at a time of 15:27.66 and Mezidor at 19:05.52. Meanwhile, three Lady Hornets are in contention in the 100-meter hurdles led by Shamaria Lovett at 13.25 seconds. Meanwhile, Christine Lavallias (14.25) and Ariayanna Val (14.30) are fourth and fifth entering the meet,

Lovett has also run the fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles this season at 59.99 seconds, followed by teammate Kyana Evans at 1:01.01. The teams also have the two top times in the 3000-meter steeplechase with Coffelt leading the way at 9:45.09 and Mariyah Archibald at 12:05.93.

In field events, Alabama State is also at the top in many events including the men's high jump, where Marcus Cade has a height of 2.06 meters (6-09); while Latisha Locker is sixth on the women's side at 1.58 meters (5-02.25). The Hornets have the third-best mark in the pole vault for both men and women, with Javaris Goins on the men's side with a height of 4.00 meters (13-01.50) and Locker at 3.05 meters (10-00) on the women's side.

Jamie Brown has the top distance in the long jump with a distance of 7.73 meters (25-04.50), while Cade is third at 7.30 meters (23-11.50). Brown also has the third-best jump in the triple jump with a distance of 14.93 meters (48-11.75).

Meanwhile, Caesar Kemp will challenge for the medal stand in several throwing events including the shot put where he owns the best mark in the conference at 16.96 meters (55-07.75) and the discus at 47.50 meters (155-10).

Kristen Thompson is fifth in the shot put at 13.55 meters (44-05.50) and discus at 45.89 meters (150-07). Several other Hornets will challenge for the medal stand, with several at eighth or better in their events. Meanwhile, Locker has the top mark in the Heptathlon at 4,665 points – and the event begins Friday morning at the championships.

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