Saluki Women Finish Second, Men Take Sixth at MVC Indoor Championships
02/28/2021 | 3:30:00 | Track and Field
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Southern Illinois University track and field program wrapped up its indoor season at the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships on Sunday.
The women of Southern Illinois placed second overall for the second-consecutive year after scoring 118 team points, two spots ahead of their projected fourth-place finish by the pre-championship polls. The Redbirds of Illinois State took home the conference title for a fourth-consecutive year after finishing with 138 team points, which is a new Missouri Valley Conference record for the most consecutive titles of any program. Northern Iowa, the host of the 2021 MVC Championships, finished third with 107 points.
On the men's side, the Salukis placed sixth with 31 points. Northern Iowa, the host of the MVC Championships, won the conference title after scoring 167.5 points, edging out Indiana State by 2.5 points. Illinois State took third with 138 points, while Drake (fourth, 60 points), Bradley (fifth, 51 points), Loyola (seventh, 26 points), Valparaiso (eighth, 18.5 points) and Evansville (ninth, six points) rounded out the field.
Freshman sprinter Iaunia Pointer was twice named All-Conference after placing second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.52 seconds, and again after placing second in the 200 meter with a time of 24.68. Pointer's efforts in each race not only landed her conference honors, but also landed her in the Saluki record book. Her time of 7.52 seconds in the 60 meter dash is the fifth-fastest in program history, while her time of 24.68 in the 200 meter ties her for seventh in the record books.
Meanwhile, senior Savannah Long narrowly missed out on All-MVC honors after placing fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.81 seconds. Long finished just four centiseconds (0.04) away from matching her personal-best time of 8.77 seconds.
Dawson Plab reached the podium for the second time in his career after placing third in the high jump with a mark of 2.06m (6'-09"). Plab finished just over an inch shy of first place, won by Indiana State's Nick Schultz.
Shauniece O'Neal was named the MVC's Most Outstanding Field Athlete after winning the weight throw on Saturday with a personal-best mark of 22.72m (74'-6.5"), which is the third farthest mark in program history. O'Neal's mark passed Olympian and Saluki hall of famer Gwenn Berry on the list by one quarter of an inch.
Southern Illinois University MVC Champions
Shauniece O'Neal - Weight Throw
Madison Meyer – Pentathlon
A'veun Moore-Jones – Shot Put
Erin Diemer – Pole Vault
All-MVC Honors
Men
Dawson Plab - HJ
Women
Iaunia Pointer – 60, 200
Erin Diemer – PV
Trinity Daniels – TJ
A'veun Moore-Jones – SP
Kayleigh Conlon – SP
Shauniece O'Neal – WT
Elisia Lancaster – WT
Kaitlyn Burson – WT
Madison Meyer – Pentathlon
Saluki Awards
Shauniece O'Neal - Most Outstanding Field Athlete
Click here to view the final results.
The 2021 SIU outdoor season is currently being schedule and is not available at this time.
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The women of Southern Illinois placed second overall for the second-consecutive year after scoring 118 team points, two spots ahead of their projected fourth-place finish by the pre-championship polls. The Redbirds of Illinois State took home the conference title for a fourth-consecutive year after finishing with 138 team points, which is a new Missouri Valley Conference record for the most consecutive titles of any program. Northern Iowa, the host of the 2021 MVC Championships, finished third with 107 points.
On the men's side, the Salukis placed sixth with 31 points. Northern Iowa, the host of the MVC Championships, won the conference title after scoring 167.5 points, edging out Indiana State by 2.5 points. Illinois State took third with 138 points, while Drake (fourth, 60 points), Bradley (fifth, 51 points), Loyola (seventh, 26 points), Valparaiso (eighth, 18.5 points) and Evansville (ninth, six points) rounded out the field.
Freshman sprinter Iaunia Pointer was twice named All-Conference after placing second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.52 seconds, and again after placing second in the 200 meter with a time of 24.68. Pointer's efforts in each race not only landed her conference honors, but also landed her in the Saluki record book. Her time of 7.52 seconds in the 60 meter dash is the fifth-fastest in program history, while her time of 24.68 in the 200 meter ties her for seventh in the record books.
Meanwhile, senior Savannah Long narrowly missed out on All-MVC honors after placing fourth in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.81 seconds. Long finished just four centiseconds (0.04) away from matching her personal-best time of 8.77 seconds.
Dawson Plab reached the podium for the second time in his career after placing third in the high jump with a mark of 2.06m (6'-09"). Plab finished just over an inch shy of first place, won by Indiana State's Nick Schultz.
Shauniece O'Neal was named the MVC's Most Outstanding Field Athlete after winning the weight throw on Saturday with a personal-best mark of 22.72m (74'-6.5"), which is the third farthest mark in program history. O'Neal's mark passed Olympian and Saluki hall of famer Gwenn Berry on the list by one quarter of an inch.
Southern Illinois University MVC Champions
Shauniece O'Neal - Weight Throw
Madison Meyer – Pentathlon
A'veun Moore-Jones – Shot Put
Erin Diemer – Pole Vault
All-MVC Honors
Men
Dawson Plab - HJ
Women
Iaunia Pointer – 60, 200
Erin Diemer – PV
Trinity Daniels – TJ
A'veun Moore-Jones – SP
Kayleigh Conlon – SP
Shauniece O'Neal – WT
Elisia Lancaster – WT
Kaitlyn Burson – WT
Madison Meyer – Pentathlon
Saluki Awards
Shauniece O'Neal - Most Outstanding Field Athlete
Click here to view the final results.
The 2021 SIU outdoor season is currently being schedule and is not available at this time.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
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