Recap | Pointer, Preston shine again, 10 Salukis medal as MVC Championships wrap

CHICAGO, Ill. - The Southern Illinois track and field team completed its indoor season after day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships Monday, February 26, in Chicago, Ill.

"It's always great when athletes can make the podium, and we had a good number of athletes do that today," SIU Director of Track and Field Richard Jones said.

10 Salukis earned medals including stars Iaunia Pointer and Xavier Preston who won golds.

Indiana State won both men's and women's team competitions, with 183.5 and 121 points, respectively.

The Saluki men finished fifth with 66.5 points, while the women finished seventh and tallied 54 points.

Jadon Robertson took home the first medal of the day after leaping a season-best 2.02 meters (6'-10.25") and finishing third in the men's high jump. Robertson competed in the event amid his appearances in the heptathlon, in which he placed fourth.

Preston received a bronze medal after his third-place finish in the men's 60-meter dash. Shavell Riley racked up a silver medal after a personal-record time of 7.49 on the women's side.

Preston then won the men's 200-meter dash for the second year in a row, breaking his own school record with a time of 20.98. Preston credited experience and maturity as the driving force for the indoor season.

"I think I really matured a lot as a sprinter and relaxing my body more," he said. "Not trying to fight the race but let it come naturally."

Fellow sprinter Iaunia Pointer accomplished a feat that has only happened one other time in MVC Championship history. Pointer won the women's 200-meter dash for the third year in a row, and her time of 23.59 was a season-best. She is thankful for her teammates and coaches who kept motivating her on the path to another gold at The Valley championships.

"I'd for sure say my teammates and coaches pushing me at practice, and just believing in myself and executing the way that my coach wants me to," she said.

Bryson Wilson, Preston, Marius Coleman, and Jeremiah Hamilton combined to break the MVC Championships record with a time of 3:12.51 in the four-by-400 relay. It was the third gold of the day for Southern. Wilson believes last year's setback fueled the team to success this season.

"Since last year we had gotten second, all preseason we've been working on that," he said. "I didn't know we got that record, but that's nice to hear."

Hamilton pointed to the closeness of the team as the reason for success.

"Whether one of us is having a great day or a bad day, we always make sure nobody's left behind," he said.

The women's team earned the final medal of the day, placing second in the four-by-400 relay. Vashti Grey, Teanna Bell, Leah Thames, and Pointer all contributed to the silver medal.

Many Salukis continued their improvement and showed promise as the outdoor season looms.

Saluki MVC Medalists:
Xavier Preston - 1st Place - Men's 200-meter dash
Iaunia Pointer - 1st Place - Men's 200-meter dash
Bryson Wilson, Xavier Preston, Marius Coleman, Jeremiah Hamilton - 1st Place - Men's 4X400m Relay
Shavell Riley - 2nd Place - Women's 60-meter dash
Vashti Grey, Teanna Bell, Leah Thames, Iaunia Pointer - 2nd Place - Women's 4X400m Relay
Ethan Senti - 3rd Place - 5000-meter run
Rachel Anderson - 3rd Place - 5000-meter run
Jadon Robertson - 3rd Place - Men's high jump
Xavier Preston - 3rd Place - Men's 60-meter dash

Here is a list of Salukis who did not medal but achieved season-bests or personal records on day two:

Teanna Bell in the women's 200-meter dash (24.51, PR) and the 400-meter run (55.68, PR)
Jeremiah Hamilton in the men's 200-meter dash (21.58, SB)
Bryson Wilson in the men's 400-meter run (48.63, SB)
Ethan Senti in the men's 3000-meter run (8:14.06, SB)
Christine Nosike in the women's shot put (13.54m, PR)
Katee Swope in the women's shot put (12.38m, PR)
Caleb Carter in the men's triple jump (13.78m, PR)

"We have a lot of work that we need to do and we're going to get back to that," Jones said.

UP NEXT

The Salukis will begin preparing for the outdoor season. The first meet is scheduled for March 14 at the USF Bulls Invitational in Tampa, Fla.

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