Rosalind Joseph Era begins Saturday with Saluki Fast Start

Saturday, December 8

Carbondale, Ill.

Southern Illinois University

Saluki Fast Start

12/05/2018 | 4:39:00 | Track and Field

SIU will be one of six teams competing Saturday.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Rosalind Joseph era of Southern Illinois University track and field begins in earnest on Saturday, Dec. 8 with the Saluki Fast Start meet inside the SIU Recreation Center.

SIU will compete against the likes of Austin Peay and St. Louis University with field events getting underway at 10 a.m., followed by the first events on the track at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all spectators.

The early season meet offers competitors and coaches a glimpse of what is to come; for Joseph and her coaching staff it provides them with an opportunity to see some of their athletes compete for the first time.

"We have several athletes in different stages of their training plan," Joseph said. "So there are different expectations for different student-athletes. They know their individual plan. But what I'm looking for is HOW our student-athletes compete. This will be the first time I get to evaluate many of them in uniform. So greater than the marks and times at this point in the season, is how they manage themselves on meet day."

The Salukis were picked to finish fourth in both the men's and women's Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Preseason poll while Illinois State was picked to win both titles. With so many changes and different faces around Saluki track and field, Joseph isn't giving the annual preseason poll much attention.

"Honestly, it's just too early to tell," Joseph said of predicting her team's finish. "Our team probably looks different than the previous year. I'm not quite sure how our student-athletes will compete in comparison to last season. So for me, it's hard to put a lot of weight on the pre-season poll- good or bad. We just have to keep working hard and execute the things we have control over."

The Salukis are poised to compete for both individual and team conference titles in 2019. SIU returns eight letter winners who have previously won a conference title and seven others who have reached the podium at a conference meet with top-three finishes.

Ricky Hurley returns after a sophomore season in which he claimed MVC Most Valuable Field Athlete honors at the 2018 outdoor meet with wins in both the hammer throw and the discus to go along with a fourth place finish in the shot put. Hurley scored a total of 25 points to become just the fourth Saluki to claim the honor since the award began in 2001 and went on to compete at his first national meet.

On the women's side, the Saluki returners are highlighted by 10-time All-MVC honoree Tyjuana Eason as well as five-time All-MVC selection Bri'Anna Branch. Both runners qualified for the outdoor regional meet a year ago and helped SIU sweep the 4x400 relay titles.

The Salukis will compete Saturday and then have more than a month off before their next meet, the Jim Green Invitational, hosted by the University of Kentucky on Jan. 11.