Southern Illinois Set to Compete at the 2020 MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships

Saturday, February 29

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Southern Illinois University

MVC Championships

Southern Illinois Set to Compete at the 2020 MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships

02/28/2020 | 12:15:00 | Track and Field

By: Brandon Lindholm, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois University track and field team travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take part in the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by the University of Northern Iowa, beginning Saturday, Feb. 29 at the UNI Dome.

Director of T&F/XC Rosalind Joseph on the expectations facing the Salukis:

"At this point, we look at rankings and everyone has their own ideas about who should and shouldn't do some things. At the end of the day, this is why we go to the meet. You line it up and whoever is the best that day wins. We feel good about our preparation, so really our student athletes just need to execute. I think they're talented, they've worked hard and are capable of doing some big things this weekend."

Joseph on her second MVC Championships:

"I definitely know what to expect this time around. Sometimes that excitement of the unknown can be a little bit of anxiousness. Just even seeing the venue – I know where we're going, I know the layout and I have a better understanding of the different teams and strategies. Really, it's just a little bit more about the knowledge of what we're walking into. I feel good about how we've been able to prepare as coaches for what's to come."

Sprints Coach Richard Jones on his expectations for his group:

"I'm looking to get multiple men in the finals. The hurdles, 60 and the 400 are probably our stronger events. If we get a few in the 200, that'd be great. We have a young group of men, so I'm looking forward to seeing them in their first championship as a unit. On the women's side, Tyjuana Eason – it's her last season with us and is the defending champion in the 60 and 200. Savannah Long has stepped it up and performed well over the last few weeks, so I expect her to be a contender in the 400. We have a strong senior class that could do some great things for us."

Distance Coach Kevin Cataldo on his expectations for the distance runners:

"On the men's side, Chris Edwards is someone we're looking forward to having a good weekend. His training has been going phenomenal and we're really excited to see what he does. We're just looking to score points for either gender. It's not about time, it's about placement and scoring points. I think that if the athletes can wrap their heads around that and not look so much at the clock but rather where they're placing, that's all that matters."

Throws Coach J.C. Lambert on his expectations for the throwers:

"Ricky and A'veun had a good weekend last week and there's plenty left on the board for them. The women's side has got a good array of seniors down to freshmen. It's a good mixed bag. We've got a lot of depth on the women's side. If they can stick together and help one another up when the other is down, that'll show the beauty of having a big group. It should be a good weekend for them. For Alexis, it's all about two things: First and foremost, win a conference title in her last MVC Championships. Secondly, hit a bigger throw to make sure she moves up on the national stage and punches a ticket to nationals."

Bring the Hardware Back

The Salukis are looking to end a couple of title droughts this weekend as the men are seeking their first conference championship since the 2012 indoor season, while the women are hoping to hoist the trophy for the first time since 2009.

MVC Pre-Championship Poll

The Saluki men were picked to finish fourth in the MVC Pre-Championship poll, as Southern tallied 51 points and finished behind Indiana State (62 points), Illinois State (75 points) and Northern Iowa (77 points).

On the women's side, the Salukis were tabbed to finish second with 85 points, trailing first-place Illinois State, who received 10 first-place votes and a perfect score of 100 points. The Salukis finished ahead of Indiana State (3^rd – 80 points), UNI (4^th – 75 points) and Loyola (5^th – 58 points).

Returning All-MVC Salukis

Southern has 10 athletes returning to the MVC Championships this year that made All-Conference in 2019.

Men
Adam Kessler – Shot Put, Weight Throw
Ricky Hurley – Weight Throw
Willie Rodgers – Triple Jump
Canoy Tyree – 800 Meters
Theo Phipps – 60 Meter Hurdles

Women
Madison Meyer – Pentathlon
Erin Diemer – Pole Vault
Tyjuana Eason – 60 Meters, 200 Meters, 4x400
Savannah Long – 4x400
Genesis Ewell – 400 Meter, 4x400

Chasing Nationals

Alexis Roberson is close to punching her ticket to the 2020 NCAA Indoor National Championships, needing a solid weekend to keep her top-16 placement and ensure a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, the site of this year's NCAA Championships. Another pair of throwers, Clint Meyer and A'veun Moore-Jones, both need to have big weekends to lock in a trip to the championships, as they currently sit within reasonable distance of cracking the nation's top-16 marks.

Salukis Ranked Top-75 Nationally

Alexis Roberson (Weight Throw) – Roberson comes into championship weekend following a wildly successful senior season throwing the weight. The Jefferson City, Mo., native earned conference honors twice throughout the indoor season and moved into sixth on the SIU top-10 weight throw list after throwing for a lifetime best distance of 70'-10.5" at the Indiana Relays on Jan. 31. She ranks first overall in the MVC and 14^th nationally in the event.

Clint Meyer (Shot Put) – Meyer transferred to SIU this summer after a successful career at California State Northridge. The senior saw tremendous success in his debut meet for Southern, as the Yorba Linda, Calif., native threw for a personal-best mark of 62'-3.25" in the shot put, which placed him seventh in school history for the event and earned him his first weekly MVC honors. However, an injury prevented Meyer from competing throughout the rest of the regular season, setting up the stage for an important performance at conference. Meyer sits second overall on the MVC individual performance list and 28^th nationally in the shot put.

Willie Rodgers (High Jump/Triple Jump) – Rodgers heads into the conference championships fresh off of back-to-back personal-best performances in the triple jump (50'-0.5") and high jump (6'-11.5") over his last two competitions. Rodgers currently owns the top mark in the MVC for the high jump and the triple jump, while needing a big performance to move up nationally and break his way into the national meet.

Dawson Plab (High Jump) – Plab is the newest member of the Saluki track and field program, having first suited up for the maroon and white on Jan. 24 at the Don DeNoon Invite. Plab, the son of Saluki Hall of Famer and Olympian Darren Plab, has had a successful first season with SIU. The sophomore stands second in the MVC high jump rankings and 58^th nationally.

Tyjuana Eason (60/200) - Eason is returning to the MVC Championships a year removed from being the first woman in conference history to win the 60 and 200 meter at the same conference meet. One of the more decorated Salukis in program history, Eason is looking to repeat as a conference champion and currently stands first in the MVC individual rankings in the 60 with a time of 7.53, while also sitting in fourth in the 200 with a time of 24.43.

A'veun Moore-Jones (Shot Put) – Moore-Jones heads into the MVC Championships after posting a lifetime best throw of 53' at the EIU Friday Night Special on Feb. 21., moving her into 10^th on SIU all-time list. The Mount Vernon, Ill., native ranks first overall on the MVC performance list for the shot put and 27^th nationally.

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