Track and Field Starts Off Season Strong at Saluki Fast Start

Saturday, December 9

TBA

Southern Illinois University

Saluki Fast Start

Photo by: Will Becque

12/09/2017 | 11:11:00 | Track and Field

Results Photo Gallery

Salukis win 17 event titles and record six top-10 school marks Saturday.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois University track and field team won 17 event titles and recorded six top-10 school marks to open the 2017-18 season at the Saluki Fast Start Saturday.

The Salukis had 14 different athletes win an event title, including three who won multiple events. Kezia Martin led the way, as she picked up wins in both the triple jump and the long jump Saturday. Martin won the triple jump with a mark of 40'-9"(12.42m), which currently ranks her third in the nation.

Shafiqua Maloney and Johnny McGluen were also double winners for the Salukis. Maloney won both the 200m and the 400m and nearly broke the school record in the 200m in the process. The Old Roads, St. Kitts native won with a time of 24.58, which is the second-fastest time in school history. McGluen, meanwhile, was the only Saluki newcomer to win two individual events, as he won both the 200m and the 400m. He also helped SIU post a comeback win in the 4x400 relay, as the Memphis, Tenn. native closed a nearly 60-meter gap on the bell lap.

Kevin Turner and Justine Paton joined McGluen as Saluki newcomers to win in their debut. Turner wasted no time adding his name to SIU's record book, as his winning time of 8.34 in the 60m hurdles is the eighth-fastest time in program history while Paton cleared 5'-3.75" (1.62m) on her second attempt to win the high jump.

Chase Black was a first time winner in the men's pole vault, as he cleared a career-best 16'-1.75" (4.92m) to win his first collegiate event title. On the women's side, Erin Diemer posted the eighth-best vault in school history in her first meet as a Saluki, as she cleared 11'-4.25" (3.46m) to finish third.

The Salukis were dominate in the circle Saturday, as four Saluki women threw personal-bests in the weight and Isaac Ingram followed with his first win of the season. Alexis Roberson was the top collegiate finisher in the weight throw, as she threw a personal-best 64'-7.75" (19.70m) to place second overall. Nikki Freeman threw a personal-best 56'-0.25"(17.30m) to finish fourth, while Sian Person set PRs in both the weight and the shot put. Shauneice O'Neal, competing in her first collegiate meet, threw 52'-2.75" (15.92m) to take sixth while Ingram begun where he left off last indoor season, as the two-time MVC Champion threw the weight 65'-9.75" (20.05m) to take home a win.

Jared Kern opened his 2018 season with a win in his signature event, as he threw the shot put 61'-2.25" (18.64m). Adam Kessler was right behind Kern as he threw 60'-11.50" (18.58m) to finish second. It was the eighth-best toss in school history. Kern and Kessler currently rank No. 3 and No. 4 in the nation in the event, respectively.

In the women's shot, A'veun Moore-Jones threw 47'-5.75" (14.47m) to finish second to Saluki alumna Jeneva (McCall) Stevens.

Tyjuana Eason won the 60m dash and took second in the 200m. Eason's time of 7.54 in the 60m was not only a PR, but it also moved her into a tie for third on SIU's all-time 60m list. Bri'Anna Branch also improved upon her top-10 school mark in the event, as she clocked a time of 7.59 to finish second and post the sixth-fastest time in program history.

Louis Dotson won the men's long jump and took second to teammate Mitchell Bland in the triple jump to make it a clean sweep for the Salukis in the long and triple jumps.

Other Saluki winners from Saturday included Kilee Hagerstrand in the 60m hurdles and both the men's and women's 4x400 relay teams.

The Salukis will have more than month to train before their next meet, as SIU is off until Saturday, Jan. 13 when it travels to Champaign, Ill. to take part in the Illini Classic.