Salukis Eye MVC Hardware in Indianapolis

Sunday, March 1

Indianapolis, IN

Southern Illinois University

Missouri Valley Conference Championships

02/28/2026 | 12:19:00 | Track and Field

By: Dante Green, SIUsalukis.com

The Southern Illinois Salukis travel to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, taking place March 1–2 at the Indiana Fairgrounds. The Salukis are familiar with the venue, having competed there multiple times this season — a potential advantage as they pursue conference titles.

Events begin at 9 a.m. Sunday and 10:30 a.m. Monday. ESPN+ will broadcast the championship meet, and Saluki Athletics will provide event updates and video coverage throughout the weekend on social media.

Head Coach Richard Jones said his team is ready for the challenge.

"Championships bring out the best in everyone. We are primed and ready to compete at a high level this weekend. Excited to see how our men and women compete."

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Women's 400 Meter
Leah Thames enters the championship as the conference leader in the event. She holds nearly a one-second advantage over Northern Iowa Panthers standout Emma Randecker, making Thames the favorite heading into Sunday.

Men's 60 Meter
Donte Long and Monroe Thompson Jr. both rank inside the top ten in the MVC and are strong contenders to challenge for gold.

Women's 60 Meter
Courtney McDonald sits eighth in the conference standings and looks to climb the podium.

Men's 200 Meter
Shane Ashton (6th) and Donte Long (7th) lead the charge, while Kwame Smith (9th) and Xavier Preston (10th) also sit in scoring position.

Women's 200 Meter
Thames ranks second in the MVC and remains a serious threat for the conference title. Trinity Cleaver enters ranked eighth.

Men's 400 Meter
Shane Ashton is currently ranked second in the conference. Kwame Smith (5th) and Donte Long (7th) provide additional scoring depth.

60-Meter Hurdles
Christian Coleman is tied for first in the MVC, positioning himself as one of the top contenders for gold.

Relay Teams to Watch

Men's 4x400 Relay
The quartet of Kwame Smith, Xavier Preston, Christian Coleman, and Jalen Dickerson ranks second in the conference entering the championship.

Women's 4x400 Relay
Leah Thames, Trinity Cleaver, Layla Watson, and Vashti Grey sit third in the MVC standings.

Men's Distance Medley Relay
Ben Chance, Jalen Dickerson, Weston Jokerst, and Drew Twyman also rank third in the conference and look poised for a podium finish.

Field Events & Multi-Events

Men's High Jump
Mason Watts enters ranked seventh in the conference.

Women's High Jump
Ella McDonnell is currently fifth in the MVC standings.

Men's Triple Jump
Malik Allen leads the entire conference in the event, while Darius Fuller ranks sixth.

Women's Triple Jump
Fresh off a first-place finish at SEMO, Na'Kyrah Cooks ranks fifth in the conference entering the championship.

Men's Weight Throw
Dallas Hodge is fifth in the MVC.

Women's Weight Throw
Halaya Woodson sits seventh in conference rankings.

Heptathlon
Jordan Smith ranks tenth entering the weekend competition.

With multiple top three rankings and several conference leaders, Southern Illinois enters championship weekend with legitimate opportunities to bring hardware back to Carbondale. If the Salukis capitalize on their familiarity with the Indiana Fairgrounds and execute in key sprint and field events, they could leave Indianapolis with multiple podium finishes — and possibly a few MVC titles.