Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Track & Field garners three MVC weekly honors
01/27/2011 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Jan. 26, 2011
SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois track & field athletes Jeff Schirmer, Malaikah Love, and Gwen Berry have all earned State Farm Missouri Valley Conference athlete of the week honors, the conference announced Wednesday.
A week removed from a second place finish in the mile run at the Saluki Open, Schirmer took it one step further with a dominating win in the 5000m invitational at the Gladstein Invitational. The senior's time of 14:07.32 not only was four seconds better than unattached runner Mark Fruin, but it is also the fastest time in the nation, besting Kiplangat Tisia of Kent State by 15 seconds.
Love turned in one of the more remarkable performances at last weekend's Gladstein Invitational with a convincing win in the women's pentathlon with 3979 total points. The Carbondale, Ill., native won four of the five events - the 60m hurdles, shot put, long jump, and 800m run - in the process and finished third in the high jump. Additionally, her 3979 points put her in the top ranked spot in the nation.
Berry notched her first event win of the season Saturday at Indiana's Gladstein Invitational with victory in the women's weight throw with a distance of 74-06.25. The senior, who set a new personal best with the toss, would defeat teammate Jeneva McCall by two and a half feet, while also topping Louisville's D'Ana McCarty - the NCAA's two-time defending weight throw national champion. Berry's mark also landed her at the top of the national list in women's weight throw.
The Saluki track & field teams both maintained their national rankings in the latest edition of the USTFCCCA rankings. For the women, they jumped one spot up to No. 8, while the men dropped two positions to No. 50.
The Dawgs will return to action this Friday and Saturday, when they head to Kentucky for the Rod McCravy Memorial in Lexington, Ky.
Players Mentioned
