Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Dawgs etch their name in SIU history across two split meets
04/19/2026 | 10:16:00 | Track and Field
The Salukis wrapped up their split-meet weekend in Indiana and Florida with an impressive showing, highlighted by multiple personal bests and strong finishes across the board on Saturday.
At the Bob Gibson Invitational, the Salukis recorded 12 personal best performances, including several event titles. Malik Allen led the way with a first-place finish in the triple jump, posting a mark of 15.51 meters. Layla Watson had a standout day, winning both the 200 meters (24.94) and 400 meters (54.43). Calen George also claimed first in the 5000 meters with a time of 14:54.
Additional personal bests included Jamison Love (1:04.53) in the 400-meter hurdles, Ben Chance (14:59) in the 5000 meters, Riley Linville (4:51) and Allyson Niedfeldt (5:00) in the 1500 meters, Halaya Woodson (53.93m) in the hammer throw, Jordan Smith (60.54m) in the javelin, Will Foltz (9:47) in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Mali Thornton (40.49m) in the discus, and Kayleigh Hoskins (3.44m) in the pole vault.
The Salukis also saw strong runner-up finishes from Darius Fuller in the triple jump (14.90m), along with additional second-place efforts from Jordan Smith and Ben Chance.
Meanwhile, at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, several Salukis etched their names into the program record book. Kwame Smith recorded a personal best of 46.09 in the 400 meters, finishing third and moving into the top five in school history. Jalen Dickerson placed ninth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.88, ranking among the top ten in program history.
Triniti Douglas delivered a top-five finish and a season-best time of 13.98 in the 100-meter hurdles, while Leah Thames posted a season-best 53.24 in the 400 meters, ranking in the top five all-time at SIU. The men's 4x400-meter relay team also turned in a season-best performance of 3:06, finishing ninth and placing among the top five in school history.Â
Director of Track and Field Richard Jones said his team is ready for the MVC Championship coming up in a few weeks.
"We are positioning ourselves to be in championship mode and this weekend was a good example for us. We had some good performances, some PRs some top 10 performances in school history. All in all a good weekend in both venues."
UP NEXT
The Dawgs will compete at the Jim Green Invitational Friday, May 1.Â
Players Mentioned
