Southern Illinois will send five athletes and one relay team to the NCAA West Regional in Fayetteville, Arkansas, beginning May 27. Richard Jones, Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, said on May 26 that he is “excited to bring this group of athletes to the NCAA first round,” and added, “They have definitely worked hard throughout the season and, for some, their careers here at SIU. They will represent Saluki Nation well this week as they compete against some of the nation’s top teams.”
The competition takes place at John McDonnell Field from May 27-30 with events starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Dallas Hodge will begin for Southern Illinois in Wednesday’s hammer throw event at 9:30 a.m., followed by Kwame Smith competing in the men’s 400-meter dash first round later that evening. Smith is noted as the Missouri Valley Conference men’s champion in his event.
Shane Ashton, also an MVC champion, along with Jalen Dickerson—the runner-up—will participate in Wednesday’s 400-meter hurdles first round at 8:20 p.m., with quarterfinals scheduled for Friday if they advance. On Thursday, Leah Thames will compete in both the women’s 200-meter and 400-meter dashes after winning both events at the MVC Championships; her races are set for Thursday evening with potential quarterfinals on Saturday.
The men’s 4×400-meter relay team is scheduled to race during Friday night’s quarterfinals. More information about event schedules can be found through live results provided by Flash Results or via streaming links available each day.
Southern Illinois Salukis Men’s Track and Field competes at the NCAA Division I level as part of the Missouri Valley Conference; it operates from Carbondale, Illinois, and utilizes the Lew Hartzog Track and Field Complex as its primary venue, according to the official website.
Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois Salukis Men’s Track & Field through their social media channels including Twitter (@SIUTrackXC), Instagram (@SIUTrackXC), and Facebook (@SalukiTrackAndField).
