Southern Illinois University
U.S. Olympic Trials
SIU Track & Field well represented at U.S. Olympic Trials
07/05/2016 | 2:08:00 | Track and Field
Seven Salukis past and present will participate during the 10-day event, with five still to compete
Live Results | Schedule | Live Video
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Five former and current Salukis, including two-time NCAA hammer throw champion DeAnna Price, will look to earn their ticket to Rio de Janeiro and secure their spot on Team USA for the 2016 Olympic Games continuing tomorrow, July 6 at Hayward Field as part of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.
The Trials, which began on July 1, resume tomorrow. Seven total current and former SIU Track & Field standouts will compete at the 2016 Trials, with the seven combining for five NCAA titles, 51 Missouri Valley Conference event titles and 37 All-America honors during their collective careers in Carbondale.
DeAnna Price (hammer throw), Kyle Landon (high jump), throws coach J.C. Lambert (hammer throw), Jeneva (McCall) Stevens (shot put, hammer throw) and Gwen Berry (hammer throw) are the five Salukis who have yet to compete, while Josh Freeman (shot put) and Malaikah Love (triple jump) competed prior to Tuesday's rest day.
The hammer throw will take center stage Wednesday, with competition taking place in the infield of Hayward Field for the first time. Four Salukis both past and present will compete Wednesday, with the women kicking things off at 1 p.m. The top-12 will advance to the final, which is slated to begin at 3 p.m.
Price comes into the Trials on the heels of winning her second-straight NCAA title in the hammer. She has the second-longest throw in the U.S. this season at 238'-5" (72.66m) and was recently featured on NBC's "Tracktown Tonight" coverage.
Berry will have plenty of motivation for a big throw after a controversial ruling following a positive drug test forced the SIU alumna to vacate her U.S. hammer throw record. Stevens, meanwhile, qualified in both the shot put and the hammer throw. She has the fourth-longest throw in the U.S. this season with a toss of 233'-3" (71.10m).
The men's hammer throw competition will follow at 5 p.m., with throws coach J.C. Lambert set to compete at his first Olympic Trials. Lambert hit the qualifying mark at the Billy Hayes Invitational on May 6, winning with a toss of 235'-9" (71.86m). His toss is the 12th longest in the U.S. this season.
On Thursday, Stevens will throw the shot put beginning at 11 a.m. She comes into the Trials having set a personal-best at the Saluki Throws Meet on June 22 with a toss of 62'-8.5" (19.11m). That throw is the fifth longest in the U.S. this season.
After earning his fourth All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in the high jump at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, junior Kyle Landon will compete Friday at 4 p.m. Landon is one of 15 in the United States to have cleared 7'-4.25" or higher this season, having done so at the 2016 MVC Indoor Championships en route to being honored as the MVC's Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete.
Josh Freeman, who completed his collegiate career by winning his fourth-straight MVC outdoor shot put title and earning All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA Championships, took 16th in the shot on day one of the trials with a toss of 63'-2.25" (19.26m). While he missed advancing to the final by four spots, Freeman won't have to wait long to don the stars and stripes. He will represent the United States of America later this month at the NACAC U-23 Championships in El Salvador.
Malakiah Love, a Carbondale, Ill. native and a four-time All-American while at Southern, qualified for the trials after winning the triple jump at the Joey Haines Invitational on April 2 with a leap of 44'-4.75" (13.53m). She finished 22nd in the triple jump Monday with a mark of 42'-2" (12.85m).
Below is the remaining competition and television schedule with SIU's athletes competing at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials that runs through Sunday, July 10. Times included are Central and will be subject to change based on weather delays and athlete advancement.
SIU's Entries at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials
Note: Times are Central and subject to change due to weather and athlete advancement.
Wednesday, July 6
1:00 p.m. – Women's Hammer Throw Qualifying (DeAnna Price, Jeneva Stevens, Gwen Berry)
3:00 p.m. – Women's Hammer Throw Final (DeAnna Price, Jeneva Stevens, Gwen Berry)
5:00 p.m. – Men's Hammer Throw Qualifying (J.C. Lambert)
7:00 p.m. – Men's Hammer Throw Final (J.C. Lambert)
Thursday, July 7
TV Coverage: NBC Sports Network (7 p.m. CT)
11:00 a.m. – Women's Shot Put Qualifying (Jeneva Stevens)
6:15 p.m. – Women's Shot Put Final (Jeneva Stevens)
Friday, July 8
TV Coverage: NBC Sports Network (5 p.m. CT); NBC (7 p.m. CT)
4:00 p.m. – Men's High Jump Qualifying (Kyle Landon)
Sunday, July 10
TV Coverage: NBC (6 p.m. CT)
3:00 p.m. – Men's High Jump Final (Kyle Landon)
Players Mentioned
