Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Missouri Valley Conference Championship
10/31/2026 | 10:10:00 | Cross Country
DES MOINES, IA. - Southern Illinois Cross Country competed Friday at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, with the Saluki men finishing eighth and the women placing 10th in their respective championship races.
The Southern Illinois men totaled 201 points in the 8K championship race.
Ben Chance led the Salukis across the finish line, placing 30th overall with a time of 24:40.3. Will Foltz followed in 37th at 24:51.8, while Calen George finished 39th overall in a personal-best 24:53.0.
Drew Twyman was Southern Illinois' fourth finisher, placing 53rd in 25:20.1, and Brady Faulkner completed SIU's scoring five in 56th with a time of 25:30.3.
Freshman Mason King finished 87th overall in his first MVC Championship 8K with a time of 27:30.8.
Here's how the Saluki men finished overall:
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30th - Ben Chance - 24:40.3
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37th - Will Foltz - 24:51.8
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39th - Calen George - 24:53.0
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53rd - Drew Twyman - 25:20.1
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56th - Brady Faulkner - 25:30.3
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87th - Mason King - 27:30.8
For team scoring, Southern Illinois' first five finishers recorded scoring positions of 28th, 35th, 37th, 49th and 52nd to combine for 201 points.
The top three Saluki finishers — Chance, Foltz and George — were separated by just 12.7 seconds, giving Southern Illinois a tightly packed front group.
Head Coach Angelina Ramos reflected on the continued development of the men's program and the leadership that has helped establish the identity of the group.
"Across the last three years 2024-2026, Ben Chance has gone from 65th to 33rd to 28th in this conference while it has grown more competitive each year. Equally, Will Foltz has gone 71st to 54th to 35th.
Those two are my upperclassmen leaders and set a key tone for the humility of work ethic that underlies this group. Champions in the classroom and on the course.
Today was Calen George's best championship performance for the Salukis and there was only a 13 second pack difference deferential between Ben, Will, and Calen.
Drew went from 83rd in 2025 to 49th today, and Brady Faulkner maintained his position in the 50's equivalent with last year.
They made this growth without a single senior on the roster-they ran their hearts out today for each other. Their chemistry and bond is unmatched and the future of the Salukis is bright as they take huge steps forward everytime out.
I'm proud of how they represented the singlet."
On the women's side, Southern Illinois finished 10th in the 6K championship race with 278 points.
Hannah Meiser led SIU with a 42nd-place overall finish in 21:42.5.
Savanna Franzen followed in 49th overall with a lifetime-best 6K mark of 22:03.7, while freshman Jaylee Duncan placed 55th in a personal-best 22:11.4.
Ellary Blakey crossed the line in 75th overall with a lifetime-best 22:46.7. Eislee Moore completed Southern Illinois' scoring five in 90th with a career-best 23:54.7.
Ally Niedfeldt finished 93rd in 25:02.9, while freshman Sophie Krupa placed 94th with a time of 27:06.4.
Here's how the Saluki women finished overall:
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42nd - Hannah Meiser - 21:42.5
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49th - Savanna Franzen - 22:03.7
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55th - Jaylee Duncan - 22:11.4
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75th - Ellary Blakey - 22:46.7
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90th - Eislee Moore - 23:54.7
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93rd - Ally Niedfeldt - 25:02.9
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94th - Sophie Krupa - 27:06.4
For team scoring, Meiser, Franzen, Duncan, Blakey and Moore recorded scoring positions of 41st, 47th, 52nd, 64th and 74th, respectively, for Southern Illinois' 278-point total.
The championship race also produced several individual breakthroughs for the Saluki women.
Meiser, Franzen, Duncan, Blakey and Moore each recorded 5K cross country personal bests through their 6K race, while Franzen, Duncan, Blakey and Moore also produced lifetime-best 6K marks.
Ramos highlighted the progress made throughout the women's lineup and the way several athletes stepped into larger roles at the conference championships.
"At this time last year, Savanna Franzen had to deal with a ton of health conundrums and had to DNF. Fast forward one year later and she raced fierce, earning a 4k, 5k, and 6k lifetime best in the same race and learning how to put the full 6k race together closer and closer everytime out. Incredibly proud of her mindset.
True freshman Jaylee Duncan also impressed, and has been dependable and able to be counted on all year as a consistent 2-3, always within seconds of Meiser and Franzen. Duncan also earned a 4k, 5k, and 6k personal best in the same race. We talked about strategy of really pushing from 3k to 5k and using this section of the race--One of Jaylee's strengths is executing on a race plan and committing to her focus of the day --she did so with finesse and bled maroon today for her teammates.
Siu women's #4 and #5 today hail from Southern Illinois, being Herrin high school and Carbondale high school graduates respectively.
Ellary Blakey also brought home a 4k, 5k, and 6k lifetime best mark, giving everything she had for her team, and bested a critical landmark of sub 19 through the 5k (18:48) for the first time ever.
In sophomore Eislee Moore's second ever 6k, she reiterated exactly why she earned the trip to Iowa with her squad -- proving she was ready for another jump forward at this distance, also earning a 4k, 5k, and 6k career best all within the same race.
Hannah Meiser also earned a 4k and 5k xc personal best within the race and has led her squad all season this year. Hannah guided Savanna through the race through the 3k mark and has been pivotal in Savanna, Jaylee, and Ellary's flourish equally as much as training mates.
Riley Linville's knee health kept her out of competitions this weekend and in absence of a critical Saluki Women's teammate that ran 18:07 indoors and 18:00 outdoors for the Saluki last spring alongside 1500m career bests as well (4:51), Ellary and Eislee stepped into the role to fill that job.
The women put 3 individuals ahead of last year's first place scorer and were able to depend on others to step in when a critical top 5 athlete is out for health. That shows promise for Salukis as all of today's racers return next year with eligibility."
The Missouri Valley Conference Championships marked the most important team competition of the season for Southern Illinois, with both squads showing continued development and several Salukis producing career-best performances on the conference stage.
The men's group did so without a senior in the lineup, while the women's championship squad will return its competitors with eligibility next season.
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