Saluki Track and Field hosts Bill Cornell Spring Classic to open outdoor season

Friday, March 23

TBA

Southern Illinois University

Bill Cornell Spring Classic

Photo by: Will Becque

Saluki Track and Field hosts Bill Cornell Spring Classic to open outdoor season

03/21/2018 | 12:35:00 | Track and Field

Live Results Bill Cornell Final Meet Schedule

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois track and field will open the 2018 outdoor season when it hosts the fifth-annual Bill Cornell Spring Classic at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex on Saturday, March 24.

Admission is free to all spectators and the meet begins in earnest Friday evening with the men's and women's discus competition at 3:30 p.m. Saturday's festivities begin at 11 a.m. with the women's hammer throw. Events on the track begin at 12:30 p.m.

"Outdoor track and field is a different sport with different events," third-year Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Kathleen Raske said. "We are going to see where our athletes are at in their training program and are hoping for some good things to happen despite what looks to be some wet weather."

The Bill Cornell Spring Classic honors three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Runner-Up Bill Cornell (1962-65), who went on to enjoy a successful coaching career at Southern from 1982-2000. Cornell was named the MVC Coach of the Year nine times during his 18 years at the helm, and coached 21 All-Americans, four Olympians, three NCAA champions and one NCAA runner-up.

Cornell passed away on March 27, 2016 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease. Bill's wife of 55 years, Rose, will be in attendance Saturday to honor the first-ever Bill Cornell Endowed Scholarship recipient, which will be announced following the men's 1,500-meter run on Saturday.

"It will be wonderful to have Rose in attendance," Raske said. "She was an integral part of Saluki men's track and field for so many years because of Bill. She was such a supporter of not only her husband, but of the team. She was almost like the team mom. She has spent a lot of years totally invested in Saluki men's track and field and cross country so I know it means a lot to her and her family to be able to award the inaugural Bill Cornell Scholarship."

Saturday's meet will also serve as senior day for Southern's 16 seniors. Chase Black, Kyle Carter, Claire Darnell, Louis Dotson, Kilee Hagerstrand, Natalia Hajduk, Chrissa Harris, Warren Hazel, Ashanna Hodge, Luke Horton, Jared Kern, Kyle Kling, Alex Martel, Kezia Martin, Kelly O'Shea and Mystique Thompson will compete at the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex for the final time of their Saluki careers and will be honored during a special ceremony prior to the women's 5K race.

"As athletes go through our program and they hear seniors speak, our seniors always say how quickly time flies throughout their careers," Raske said. "Senior years are always about making the most of it, cherishing the moment, being in the present and appreciating your last home event. It's a time for us as a program to recognize and celebrate our seniors for their commitment and their accomplishments."

Southern returns to the track after an indoor season in which it nabbed five MVC individual titles and tallied 17 top-3 finishes at the 2018 MVC Indoor Championships on Feb. 24-25. The Salukis sent two two throwers, Isaac Ingram and Jared Kern, to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships, highlighted by Kern's 11th place finish in the men's shot put.

11 Division I teams are scheduled to compete at the fifth edition of the Bill Cornell Spring Classic, including student-athletes from Indiana State, SIUE, UW-Milwaukee and the University of Illinois. The Fighting Illini will make their first appearance at the Lew Hartzog T&F Complex since the inaugural Bill Cornell Spring Classic five years ago.

Fans can look forward to the addition of several events specific to the outdoor season. The Salukis throwers will have their first cracks at top marks in the hammer, discus and javelin, while the 100 meter dash, the 110m and 400m hurdles, the 3000m steeplechase and the 4x100m relay are all on the docket for Saturday's meet.