Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Meet
Saluki Men Thrive in South Bend with Seven Personal Records
10/02/2026 | 8:46:00 | Cross Country
SOUTH BEND, IND. - Southern Illinois men's cross country put together its strongest collective performance of the season Friday at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational, finishing sixth out of 21 teams in the Men's Gold Division and producing personal records across the entire lineup.
All seven Salukis who finished the 8K recorded personal-best performances, marking what Head Coach Angelina Ramos described as the best race the group has run collectively. Southern Illinois placed four runners under 25 minutes and five under 25:10, breaking significant barriers throughout the lineup while competing against a deep field in South Bend. The Salukis' performance also put them directly alongside Missouri Valley Conference competition. SIU finished just five points behind UIC, which placed second on the men's side at last year's MVC Championship, while also finishing comfortably ahead of conference opponent Valparaiso.
Ramos said the performance reflected a major step forward for the group. "Personal record for all seven," Ramos said. "Best race they've ever run collectively. Huge barrier break for each of them. I'm insanely proud of all of them."
Sophomore Drew Twyman delivered the largest personal-record improvement of the meet. Twyman ran 24:54, improving from 26:28 a year ago, a 1:34 drop in his 8K time. "Drew Twyman had the largest personal record improvement and helped the team contend incredibly well against MVC foes in the same field," Ramos said.
The performance continued a strong progression for Twyman, who has shown significant improvement throughout the opening portion of the 2026 season.
For Southern Illinois, Friday's result represented another step forward after the Salukis won the OVC Preview in Cape Girardeau two weeks earlier. The group carried that momentum into a much deeper field at Notre Dame and responded with personal-best performances throughout the lineup.
Four Salukis finishing under 25 minutes and five breaking 25:10 gave SIU one of its strongest collective 8K efforts in recent seasons.
The sixth-place team finish, combined with seven personal records and strong results against MVC competition, provided another indication of the progress Ramos has seen from the group this fall. With the championship portion of the season approaching, the Salukis leave South Bend having broken through several individual barriers while continuing to close the gap on conference competition.
UP NEXT
The Salukis will return to action on Friday, Oct. 16, at Indiana State's Under Armour Pre-National Invite, Terre Haute, IN.
Oct 16(Fri)
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