Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Dawgs Dominate in Edwardsville
04/12/2026 | 12:05:00 | Track and Field
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Southern Illinois delivered a dominant performance Saturday at the Cougar Classic, sweeping both the men's and women's team titles in their third outdoor meet of the season.
The men's team scored 192 points, more than doubling runner-up Lincoln's 92 across 19 events. The women's team also finished first with 185 points, ahead of host SIUE, which scored 146.
Southern Illinois posted 16 personal-best performances and 12 season-best marks during the meet.
Kyan Bell led the field events with a personal-best throw of 53.18 meters in the hammer, while Kaylee King added a personal best of 11.11 meters in the shot put. On the track, Calen George clocked a personal-best 3 minutes, 55.45 seconds in the 1,500 meters, and Brady Faulkner recorded an 8:59 in the 3,000.
Kyla Engel notched two personal bests in the 800 meters (2:17.48) and 200 meters (28.05), while Jalen Dickerson (52.14) and Jamison Love (1:05.67) turned in top performances in the 400-meter hurdles.
Kwame Smith posted a personal-best 46.59 in the 400, and Eislee Moore recorded a 2:22.77 in the 800. Savannah Franzen added a 5:05.09 in the 1,500, while Layla Watson ran a 55.49 in the 400.
In distance events, Drew Twyman finished the mile in 4:10.71, and Allyson Neidfelt recorded an 11:10.15 in the 3,000. In throws, Henry Harsy (48.75 meters, javelin) and Jordan Lopez (46.65 meters, hammer) also set personal bests.
Among season-best performances, Malik Allen posted a 15.25-meter mark in the triple jump, and Mason Watts cleared 1.93 meters (6 feet, 4 inches) in the high jump. Ben Chance ran 8:43 in the 3,000, while Weston Jokerst clocked 1:56.47 in the 800.
Leah Thames led the women's sprints with times of 23.44 in the 200 and 53.55 in the 400, while Layla Watson added a 24.97 in the 200. The men's 4x400 relay team of Preston, Long, Smith and Dickerson finished in 3:08.10.
Coach Richard Jones said the team is positioned well entering the second half of the outdoor season.
"We had some very good performances across the team, with several season bests and strong wins against good regional competition," Jones said. "This marks the halfway point of our season, and the expectation is to continue improving in preparation for conference."
Players Mentioned
