The Southern Oregon track and field team will open the 2010 season Saturday with the 22nd annual Artie Sullivan Invitational at Raider Stadium.

The meet, named after a former SOU track and field student-athlete who passed away in the late 1980s, will feature men's and women's teams from SOU, Oregon Tech, College of the Siskiyous and Southwestern Oregon Community College. The field events start at 11 a.m., with the track events set to start at 12:30 p.m.

The opening of the season marks the second season for head coach Brent Ericksen. Much like with what he's done with the SOU cross country program, Ericksen has added some much needed depth to the Raider track and field program.

“The most important thing is now we can cover more events,” Ericksen said. “Last year we hardly had any throwers, very few jumpers and sprinters. Now we are trying to be a more well-rounded track and field team. It's still a work in progress.”

Even with the added depth, the 2010 version of Raider track and field will be carried by the distance squads.

David Laney (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) (10,000), Ryan Ghelfi (Redding, Calif./Redding Adventist) (10,000), Ryan Sorenson (Sheridan, Wyo./Sheridan) (10,000) and Chris Paterson (Forest Grove, Ore./Forest Grove) (Steeplechase) are four of the five returning National Championship Qualifiers.

Newcomers Hector Aleman (Seaside, Calif./Seaside) and Andrew Milne (Redding, Calif./Redding Adventist Academy) will add some depth on the men's side.

On the women's side, freshman Seena Frantz (Ashland, Ore./Ashland), junior Tara Krempley (Sherwood, Ore./Sherwood) and freshman Anya Martinez (Central Point, Ore./Crater) will be counted on as major point scorers.

The women's squad will also be helped by a trio of new throwers. Freshmen Holly Haga (Central Point, Ore. /Crater) and Kaitlyn Higgins and junior Tamra Beardsley will all have an immediate impact on the Raiders.

The Raider men will see some added stars in the sprints, hurdles and jumps.

Kwame Agyemang (San Jose, Calif./Achimota) and Wendell Sells (Salinas, Calif./North Salinas) should shine in the 100, 200 and relays.

Dennis Olstedt (Seaside, Ore./Seaside), Zack Elliott and Erik Evasovic (Reno, Nev./Robert McQueen ) will give a men a deep hurdles squad, while Amy Nelson (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) and Chenin Young (Upland, Calif./Upland) will run hurdles on the women's side. Young finished third at the Cascade Conference Championships last year.

In the jumps, Seth Lindquist (Boring, Ore./Damascus Christian) may be SOU's top athlete with the capability to score points in the triple jump, long jump and high jump.

In the multi-events, Alex Waroff (Rogue River, Ore./Rogue River) is the top returner on the men's side after a trip to the Nationals last year and Rosie Converse (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) is the tops on the women's side.

The Raiders will return to Raider Stadium on March 13th for a dual with Willamette.