SIU Track and Field Wraps Up Regular Season at Ole Miss Classic

Saturday, May 6

Oxford, Miss

All Day

Southern Illinois University

Ole Miss Classic

SIU Track and Field Wraps Up Regular Season at Ole Miss Classic

05/06/2017 | 11:49:00 | Track and Field

Full Results

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

The Southern Illinois track and field team wrapped up regular season competition at the Ole Miss Classic, hosted by the University of Mississippi Saturday afternoon.

With one week until the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Outdoor Championships, the weekend was used as a chance to rest for most of the Salukis. However, those that made the trek to Ole Miss made the most of their opportunity on a day that saw the hammer throw take center stage.

Saluki Hall of Famer and 2016 Olympian Gwen Berry broke the American hammer throw record with a heave of 251'-10" (76.77m). Her toss was more than three feet further than that of the previous record holder, Amanda Bingson, who threw 248'-5" (75.73m) in 2013. Berry now owns both the American weight throw and hammer throw records, and has the top hammer throw mark in the world this season.

2016 Olympian DeAnna Price threw 235'-6" (71.78m) to finish second, which was just over a foot off of a season-best while former Saluki Jeneva (McCall) Stevens took fourth with her toss of 228'-5" (69.63m).

In addition, Isaac Ingram moved up to eighth on SIU's all-time hammer throw list with his runner-up performance Saturday. The Harrisburg, Ill. native threw 198'-8" (60.56m) to take second and inch closer to qualifying for the NCAA West Regional on May 25. He now ranks 43rd in the NCAA West Region, with the top-48 qualifying for the regional meet.

Chad Weaver and Franklin Adams won event titles at the Ole Miss Classic, as Weaver won the pole vault for the third time this season while Adams took home top honors in the long jump for the first time this season.

Weaver cleared 16'-8.75" (5.10m) on his first attempt to pick up the win Saturday. The Frankfort, Ill. native took three cracks at 17'-4.50" (5.30m) after he passed at 17'-0.75" (5.20m) but couldn't quite get over unscathed. Weaver and Nathan Schuck are tied with the 22nd-best clearance in the NCAA West Region after they both cleared 17'-1.75" (5.23m) at the Gibson Invitational on Apr. 14.

Adams, meanwhile, won the long jump with a season-best leap of 24'-4.5" (7.43m). With the jump, Adams moves up to fifth in the MVC heading into the outdoor championships. The West Orange, N.J. native won the 2015 MVC Outdoor title in the long jump.

Kezia Martin made her return at the Ole Miss Classic, as she competed in the triple jump for the first time in more than a month. Any potential rust was unnoticeable, as the Jefferson City, Mo. native jumped 40'-0" (12.19m) to finish second.

On the track, Tyjuana Eason ran the third-fastest 200m time in school history to take second. Eason finished in 23.70, which is the fastest 200m time in the MVC this season. The Kankakee, Ill. native broke the indoor 200m school record earlier this year.

The Salukis are back in action at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Championships, hosted by Wichita State, beginning May 12.