Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
NCAA Indoor Championships
Love, McCall earn All-American honors on Day One of NCAA Indoor Championships
03/11/2011 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
March 11, 2011
By Michael Benson
SIUSalukis.com
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Southern Illinois thrower Jeneva McCall and pentathlete Malaikah Love garnered All-American honors for the second consecutive season Friday, as the Saluki track & field team opened up competition at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
After the first day of competition, Southern Illinois women sit in a tie for seventh place with 10 points. The Salukis are deadlocked with Oklahoma, Villanova, Arizona, and Southern Mississippi.
"We had a good meet and a bad meet," said Saluki head coach Connie Price-Smith. "We're critical-minded and we'll look forward. We got 10 points on the board, but it was kind of a bittersweet day."
McCall, who finished fourth in the weight throw in 2010, bested that mark by placing second with a mark of 73-08.25. The junior trailed only Indiana State's Felisha Johnson, who took the national title with a 74-05.50 toss in the finals to seal the win.
"Jeneva competed really well," Price-Smith said. "She fouled her first two throws, but managed to put it together after that. I'm really proud of the way she competed."
Meanwhile, senior Gwen Berry took tenth at 63-05.50 and freshman Erin Atkinson took 15th with a toss of 61-02.75.
"Gwen didn't have a good meet," Price-Smith said. "She went in with great intentions and it just didn't happen for her. Erin had been throwing where she was all year."
Love began the day with a seventh place finish in the pentathlon with 4054 points. In the individual events, the junior placed 12th in the 60 meter hurdles (8.85 seconds), tied for 10th in the high jump (5-05.25), third in the shot put (42-08.75), seventh in the long jump (18-10.00), and 10th in the 800 meters (2:21.21). Not only did that mark earn her All-American honors, but the Carbondale, Ill., native became the first Saluki athlete to top 4000 points in the event.
"Malaikah did a great job," Price-Smith said. "She finished seventh, which was way ahead of where she was ranked coming in."
For Saturday's schedule, McCall will return to competition in the women's shot put, while J.C. Lambert will represent SIU in the men's weight throw.
Players Mentioned
