Salukis finish third at 2017 MVC Outdoor Championships

05/15/2017 | 12:42:00 | Track and Field

Salukis win six event titles on final day of MVC Outdoor Championships.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

WICHITA, Kan. - The Southern Illinois men's and women's track and field teams finished third at the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, hosted by Wichita State University.

The Saluki men recorded 143.5 points, finishing behind Northern Iowa (166) and Wichita State (181.5). The Shockers also claimed the team title on the women's side, as they scored a MVC Championship record 226 points. Illinois State finished second with 137 points, while Southern took third with 107 points, moving past Indiana State in the meet's final event, the 4x400 relay.

"I'm really proud of the way our team came together and cheered each other on throughout a hard-fought championship," said Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Kathleen Raske. "We knew we were going to have to be perfect and then some to go after the team title, and some things didn't quite go our way but we believed and we went out and competed."

Kyle Landon won his ninth MVC title Sunday, as he jumped a lifetime-best 51'-6.25" to win the triple jump. Landon accounted for 30 of SIU's 143.5 points. He won his eighth high jump title on Saturday and finished second in the long jump. He also added two points with a seventh-place finish in the javelin despite having never competed in the event before Friday's competition.

For his efforts, the five-time All-American was honored as both the MVC Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete and the Most Valuable Athlete. He became the second Saluki, and the sixth athlete in Valley history, to earn a share of the Most Valuable Athlete award at the conference's indoor and outdoor championships. Meanwhile, Landon joins Illinois State's Tom Barrett as the only male field athletes in Valley history to sweep the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete in back-to-back seasons since the conference began giving out the award in 1992.

Freya Block also claimed a share of the MVC Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete award, giving Southern its third-straight sweep of the outdoor championship field awards. Block won her first career MVC hammer throw title with the 12th-best toss in the NCAA at 211'-3" (64.40m).

In addition to Landon's win in the triple jump, SIU crowned five more champions on Sunday.

The Saluki women swept the MVC relay events for the first time since 1989. Southern's 4x100 relay team of Mystique Thompson, Shafiqua Maloney, Tyjuana Eason and Bri'Anna Branch broke the MVC Outdoor Championship meet record of 44.71, set by Indiana State in 2015, with their winning time of 44.30. It is the 10th-fasest time in the NCAA West Region and marks the fifth time this season that the quartet have improved upon their personal-best.

Not to be outdone, Southern's 4x400 relay team of Alicia Reed, Genesis Ewell, Thompson and Maloney won the event with a season-best time of 3:40.30. It is tied for the 26th-best time in the NCAA West Region, and gave SIU its first 4x400 relay title since 1996.

Warren Hazel successfully defended his outdoor 400m crown, as he became just the second Saluki to win back-to-back 400m titles. Hazel joined Erick Pegues, who won three-straight 400m titles from 1988-90. The Old Roads, St. Kitts native crossed the finish line in 46.38, and later took fifth in the 200m. He also helped SIU's 4x100 and 4x400 relays post season-best times, as the 4x100 relay took fourth with a time of 41.09, and the 4x400 scored two team points with a seventh-place showing.

Josh Maier, who was the runner-up in Friday's 10k, won his first career MVC title in the 5000m Sunday. Maier wasn't to be denied on Sunday, as he ran at the front of the pack for much of the race before making his move during the race's final two laps, going from third to first and never looking back. He clocked a time of 14:45.62 to win Southern's first MVC title in the 5k since 2011.

The Alsip, Ill. native also earned the MVC Elite 18 award for the second-straight season. The award is given to the highest all-conference finisher with the highest GPA. He currently maintains a 4.0 GPA and marks the fifth Saluki male to win the award in the past seven years.

Chad Weaver won the pole vault with a third-attempt clearance of 16'-9.5" (5.12m). In doing so, he became the 10th Saluki, and the 24th vaulter in Valley history, to win both the MVC indoor and outdoor pole vault titles.

The Salukis collected seven more All-MVC finishes Sunday, including four runner-up performances.

Southern scored 16 points in the 100m, as three Salukis finished in the top-six. Branch ran 11.47 to earn runner-up honors, Eason followed in fourth with a time of 11.53, and Thompson chipped in three points with a sixth place finish.

It was Eason's turn to edge out Branch in the 200m, as she ran a personal-best 23.66 to claim runner-up honors. Branch, meanwhile, earned All-MVC in the event after she took third with a time of 23.81.

In the 400m, Maloney ran a lifetime-best 54.25 to take second in the 400m. She led for much of the race, but a late push by Illinois State's Amanda McClain gave the MVC Indoor 400m champion the win.

Fraquan Gaines set a huge personal-best in the triple jump to earn runner-up honors. Gaines jumped 49'-5.5" (15.07m) on his second attempt, which was more than two feet better than his previous personal-best. It marks the first All-MVC honor of his career.

Speaking of the triple jump, Kezia Martin earned the third All-MVC finish of her career in the event after she jumped a season-best 40'-9.5" (12.43m). Martin was one of two Salukis to score in the triple jump, as freshman Emani James added three points with a sixth place finish.

In the circle, Ricky Hurley notched his second All-MVC finish of the meet after he took third in the discus. Hurley threw 179'-0" (54.57m) on his first attempt to advance to the final, and was one of three Salukis to do so. He was joined by Kyle Kling and Isaac Ingram, as Kling finished sixth while Ingram threw a personal-best by almost seven meters to place seventh.

Other scoring performances for the Salukis included Nikki Freeman and Alexis Roberson finishing fifth and sixth in the discus, while Reed added a team point with her eighth place finish in the 400m. Lucas Horton placed fourth in a tough 800m in which the top-three finishers will all run at the NCAA West Regional while Chase Black added 3.5 points after he tied for fifth in the pole vault.

Those Salukis that have qualified for the NCAA West Regional will compete on May 25-27 in Austin, Texas.