CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University’s Track and Field team is set to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary Round this week in College Station, Texas. The competition kicks off on Wednesday, May 28, with the men’s events scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, while the women’s events will take place on Thursday and Saturday. Nine talented athletes from the Salukis will be making the trip.
The Salukis will feature athletes Darrione Williams, Andre Jackson II, Leah Thames, Teanna Bell, Shane Ashton, Trinity Cleaver, KeyAnn Wilson, Xavier Preston, and Josh Delgado.
In the relays, the women’s 4×100 relay team will compete on Saturday, May 31, at 5 p.m. The team, consisting of Leah Thames, Teanna Bell, KeyAnn Wilson, and Trinity Cleaver, recently won the event at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships with an impressive time of 44.62 seconds. Meanwhile, the men’s 4×400 relay team, which includes Shane Ashton, Xavier Preston, Josh Delgado, and Andre Jackson II, will compete on Friday, May 30, at 8:45 p.m., after their victory at the MVC Championships in 3:06.17.
Darrione Williams will kick off his competition with the long jump on Wednesday, May 28, at 4:30 p.m. He is coming off a fantastic MVC Championship weekend where he not only won gold in the long jump with a leap of 7.55 meters, but also secured silver in the triple jump with a mark of 14.94 meters.
On the individual track front, Leah Thames is set to compete in the 4×100 relay, along with the 200M and 400M dashes. She had a stellar performance at the MVC Championships, securing four gold medals and earning the title of MVC Most Valuable Female Athlete. Thames set personal bests in both the 200M dash at 23.38 seconds and the 400M dash at 53.04 seconds. The 200M will take place on Thursday, May 29, at 8:45 p.m.
Teanna Bell will join Thames in the 400M dash, having finished just behind her at the MVC Championship, setting a personal best time of 53.15 seconds. The prelims for the 400M dash are on Thursday, May 29, at 7:25 p.m. Andre Jackson II, also competing in the 400M dash, looks to add to a strong freshman season after setting an MVC record with a time of 45.75 seconds at the MVC Championship. He will race on Wednesday at 7:25 p.m. Shane Ashton will take on the 400M hurdles on Wednesday at 8:20 p.m., where he successfully defended his title with a time of 50.54 seconds at the MVC Championship.
Fans can follow the live results of the NCAA West Preliminary Round through the championship central page or watch the event streamed live on ESPN+. For the latest updates, follow the Salukis on Twitter (@SIUTrackXC), Instagram (@SIUTrackXC), and Facebook (@SalukiTrackAndField).
