Salukis off to strong start after day one of 2018 MVC Outdoor T&F Championships

Salukis off to strong start after day one of 2018 MVC Outdoor T&F Championships

05/11/2018 | 9:09:00 | Track and Field

Southern claimed one MVC title and three more All-MVC finishes on day one of the conference outdoor meet.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Day one of the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships is in the books, and the Southern Illinois men's and women's track and field teams took home one event title and added three top-three finishes across seven combined events Friday.

Ricky Hurley won the men's hammer throw with a lifetime-best toss of 210'-6" (64.16m). Hurley's personal-best heave came on his final attempt after Nate Dyer temporarily took the lead with his personal-best toss of 206'-3" (62.88m). Dyer earned the first All-MVC honor of his career with his runner-up finish.

Southern scored 22 of its 24 points in the hammer as Kyle Kling threw 175'-4" (53.45m) to finish sixth while Sam Sikon threw 172'-5" (52.56m) to place eighth and score at his first MVC outdoor meet.

Shauniece O'Neal got the day started for the Salukis after she threw 191'-6" (58.36m) to finish third and earn her first career all-conference honor. Alexis Roberson also added two team points with a seventh place finish in the event.

O'Neal wasn't the only freshman to reach the medal stand in her first season, as Emma Sexton joined O'Neal with a third place finish in the javelin.

Sexton uncorked the ninth-longest throw in program history at 138'-5" (42.19m) to earn her first career All-MVC honor. Not only was it a lifetime-best for the Moscow Mills, Mo. native but it is also the highest finish by a Saluki in the event since Mallory Dreyer took third in 2012.

Sexton was one of three Salukis to score in the javelin. Kilee Hagerstrand added four points with a fifth place showing and Madison Meyer chipped in two points with a seventh place finish. Southern's 12 points from the javelin were the most that it has scored in the event at the conference meet since 2010.

The Saluki men added two points in the javelin, as Issiac Wingerter threw 162'-7" (49.56m) to take seventh.

Meyer leads the heptathlon by 41 points through four events. The Carterville, Ill. native has 3131 points. She set a new PR in the 200m dash (24.97) and tied her career-best in the high jump (5'-4.5" // 1.64m).

The Saluki women advanced three to Sunday's 200m final. Bri'Anna Branch ran the second-fastest 200m qualifying time at 23.58. Tyjuana Eason, meanwhile, breezed to a win in her heat with a time of 23.73 while Shafiqua Maloney clocked the fifth-fastest qualifying time at 23.63.

Warren Hazel also advanced to Sunday's final in the 200m with a personal-best time of 20.83. Hazel's time was second to Illinois State's Anderson Devonish.

Luke Horton ran 4:00.78 in the 1500m run to advance to Sunday's final. He was one of six runners in his heat to qualify. On the women's side, Alex Martel clocked the third-best qualifying time at 4:45.47 to punch her ticket to Sunday's final.

The Saluki men are in second place with 24 points through three events. Indiana State (30) leads after day one while Drake (16), Northern Iowa (16), Bradley (13), Illinois State (10) and Valparaiso (8) round out the field.

The Saluki women are tied with Missouri State for fourth place with 20 points. Northern Iowa leads through four events with 45.5 points followed by Illinois State (28.5), Indiana State (22), SIU (20), Missouri State (20), Loyola (10), Valparaiso (5) and Bradley (5).

Competition begins tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. with the completion of the heptathlon and the decathlon. Field events get underway with the women's shot put and the men's high jump at 3 p.m.