Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
MVC Indoor Championships
Saluki men in first, women third after Day One of MVC Indoor Championships
02/28/2015 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Saluki men's and women's track and field teams are respectively sitting in first and third place after Day One of the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the UNI-Dome.
Only six events are final and scored, but the Saluki men -- who were picked to finish third in the pre-championship poll -- are sitting in first place at 50 points, five points ahead of favorited Indiana State. The Saluki women are also in the running after six events on Day One, three of which they emerged as the champion in. The No. 13-ranked SIU women sit in third place with 42 points, only four points off leader and favorite Wichita State.
The day began as it had any other weekend this indoor season -- with a Saluki sweep in the men's and women's weight throw. Senior DeAnna Price got SIU going in the day's first event, winning her first career MVC title in the weight on a throw of 21.06m (69-01.25). Price -- one of only six Saluki females to ever eclipse 70 feet in the weight -- is now SIU throws coach John Smith's 10th women's weight throw champion in 11 tries since his first season in 2004-05. Prior to Smith and head coach Connie Price-Smith, the Saluki women had never won an MVC weight throw title.
A whopping 22 of the Saluki women's 42 points on Day One came from the weight throw. Senior Sophia Lozano, who entered as the defending MVC weight champion, took the runner-up slot in second place at 20.56m (67-05.50). Sophomore Freya Block (sixth, 18.40m/60-04.50) and junior Alexus Scott (eighth, 17.90m/58-08.75) chipped in their part, and freshman shot put phenom Raven Saunders nearly scored as well in ninth place at 17.58m (57-08.25).
It was a near mirrored performance in the men's weight throw, where the Saluki men nabbed 21 of their 50 total points on Day One. Senior Curtis Wideman, a multiple All-MVC honoree during his Saluki career, brought home his first ever MVC championship on a throw of 20.79m (68-02.50). Junior and 2013 NCAA weight throw national qualifier Bradley Sauer took home the runner-up at 20.39m (66-10.75), and junior Josh Freeman finished sixth at 18.88m (61-11.50).
At the tail end of the meet, senior Lauren Cheadle put in yet another career performance in the UNI-Dome for her second-straight indoor MVC long jump title. Cheadle, who was the MVC's No. 1 long jumper this season at the exact distance she leapt to victory in 2014, blew by her previous personal best to win by six inches at a career leap of 6.17m (20-03.00). Her newest best moves her up to third all-time on SIU's indoor list.
It was also a historic day on the track for the women's distance runners, who came away with their first MVC title in the distance medley relay since 2001. Mobola Rotibi, Victoria Archie, Kelley Gallagher and Allison Gallo won by less than one second at 11:53.22 in an exciting race.
The Saluki distance crew didn't stop there as senior Juan Carrera earned All-MVC honors in the 5000 meter run -- an event dominated by Indiana State All-American John Mascari year-in and year-out in recent past. Carrera clocked in at a 10-second personal best time of 14:31.24 to finish third overall, earning his first career all-conference nod in the process. Carrera is also a two-time All-MVC cross country runner during his Saluki career.
Arguably the most impressive performance by an overall group on Day One came from the men's pole vaulters, who scavenged an incredible 15 points together. All five Salukis entered scored, taking the final five scoring spots in the event. Sophomore Chad Weaver continued his current string of excellence with a fourth-place finish at 5.08m (16-08.00). Weaver was actually in contention for All-MVC at his height, but he had one more miss than third-place finisher Connor Curley of Indiana State.
Weaver was followed by junior transfer Jonathan Walsh and senior Alex Lietz in a tie for fifth place at 4.98m (16-04.00) -- a career best for Lietz. Sophomore Nathan Schuck also set a new PR in seventh place at 4.88m (16-00.00), as did freshman Chase Black in eighth place at the same height.
The Year of the Vault continues not only nationwide, but for SIU pole vault coach Brian Porter and his pupils. After today's performance, the Saluki men now have four active 16-foot male vaulters -- this coming after only having one in the last two seasons (Ryan Sidwell, 2013). Porter's vaulters now hold three of the top-10 marks all-time at SIU indoors, combined with the six top-seven clearances he holds in the record book on the women's side.
The Saluki men also received scoring performances in the men's long jump from sophomores Franklin Adams and Kyle Landon. Adams, who entered as the defending indoor long jump champion, leapt the exact distance that won him a title in 2014 at 7.36m (24-01.75) -- except this time it was good for a fourth-place finish. Landon, the No. 7 high jumper in the NCAA this season, finished seventh at 7.21m (23-08.00).
Southern also set itself up for several key events on the track on Day Two by qualifying in prelims on Saturday.
Before winning the distance medley, Kelley Gallagher and Mobola Rotibi etched their name on the final heat sheets in two distance events on Sunday. Gallagher won the first heat of the mile at 4:59.46, the second-fastest qualifying time on Day One. In the 800 meter prelims, Rotibi hit a season-high 2:13.28 for the fourth-best prelim time. Rotibi holds the third-best indoor time in SIU history at 2:11.28, recorded just last season.
Senior Oscar Medina will also have a chance to score some points for the Saluki men in the mile, where he snared on of the last qualifying spots with the eighth-best time of 4:16.75. Less than two seconds separated all mile qualifiers.
The Salukis also have a chance to make some noise in the sprints. Junior Remy Abrought ran the third-fastest qualifying time in the 60 meter hurdles at 8.50 seconds in what was an extremely talented qualifying pool; Wichita State's Nikki Larch-Miller broke the all-time MVC Championships record with the day's top time at 8.39 seconds.
Freshman Mystique Thompson continued to turn some heads in the 60 meter dash prelims where she recorded the third-fastest time in school history at a personal-best time of 7.55 seconds. Thompson's time was the fifth-best in qualifying.
The men's 60 meter dash won't be without Salukis, either, as junior transfer Tyrone Echols grabbed hold of the final qualifying slot with his eighth-best time of 6.93 seconds.
Day Two will begin with the conclusion of the men's heptathlon at 9:30 a.m. ESPN3 will live stream the action, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST.
Men's Team Scores:
1. Southern Illinois - 50
2. Indiana State - 45
3. Wichita State - 43
4. Loyola - 40
5. Illinois State - 22
6. Northern Iowa - 15
7. Bradley - 10
8. Drake - 9
Women's Team Scores:
1. Indiana State - 46
2. Wichita State - 45
3. Southern Illinois - 42
4. Illinois State - 28
5. Bradley - 22
6. Missouri State - 17
6. Northern Iowa - 17
8. Drake - 9
9. Loyola - 8
Day One Champions:
Lauren Cheadle - Long Jump
DeAnna Price - Weight Throw
Curtis Wideman - Weight Throw
Women's Distance Medley Relay - Mobola Rotibi, Victoria Archie, Kelley Gallagher, Allison Gallo
Other Day One All-MVC:
Sophia Lozano - Weight Throw, second place
Bradley Sauer - Weight Throw, second place
Juan Carrera - 5000 Meter, third place
Other Day One Scorers:
Franklin Adams - Long Jump, fourth place
Chad Weaver - Pole Vault, fourth place
Jonathan Walsh - Pole Vault, fifth place
Alex Lietz - Pole Vault, fifth place
Freya Block - Weight Throw, sixth place
Josh Freeman - Weight Throw, sixth place
Kyle Landon - Long Jump, seventh place
Nathan Schuck - Pole Vault, seventh place
Chase Black - Pole Vault, eighth place
Alexus Scott - Weight Throw, eighth place
Day One Finals Qualifiers:
Remy Abrought - 60 Meter Hurdles
Tyrone Echols - 60 Meter Dash
Kelley Gallagher - Mile
Oscar Medina - Mile
Mobola Rotibi - 800 Meter
Mystique Thompson - 60 Meter Dash
Players Mentioned
