Southern Illinois University
Vandy Invite
Saluki Track and Field set for Vandy Invite
01/20/2017 | 12:35:00 | Track and Field
THIS WEEK
The Salukis take part in the Vanderbilt Invitational, beginning Friday, Jan. 20. The men's high jump kicks off the meet at 4 p.m., along with the women's weight throw. Running events begin at 7 p.m., starting with the women's 200-meter dash. SIU is one of 18 teams making the trip to Nashville in a field that includes Arkansas, Mississippi State, Missouri and South Carolina, as well as Georgia Tech, Memphis, UAB and Western Kentucky, amongst others.
Vanderbilt's Multipurpose Facility features a fast track that saw five competitors post NCAA-leading marks at last week's Commodore Invitational.
LAST TIME OUT
The Southern Illinois women's track and field team won the Illini Classic on Jan. 14 by the slimmest of margins, edging out the hosts by just one point. The SIU men took second in the eight team event.
Five Salukis posted wins at the meet, highlighted by a pair of Salukis who recorded NCAA top-ten marks in Warren Hazel and Jared Kern.
Hazel clocked the seventh-fastest 400m time in the nation, a converted mark of 47.24, to win his second-straight event title. Jared Kern uncorked a toss of 60'-10.5" (18.55m) to win the shot put and move into eight on the NCAA list. Kern's throw was also the seventh- longest in school history.
Freya Block, Kezia Martin and Franklin Adams all won their respective events.
SECOND MVC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR BLOCK
Freya Block notched her second-straight win in the weight throw at the Illini Classic on Jan. 14 to earn MVC Field Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season. The Neponset, Ill. native uncorked a toss of 62'-3.75" (18.99m) to claim the title. She has the top mark in the MVC in the event and the 15th-best mark in the nation.
LANDON EARNS MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Kyle Landon, an accounting major with a 3.76 grade-point average, kicked off his senior campaign with a runner-up finish in the high jump and added a third place finish in the long jump at the Illini Classic. The four-time All-American cleared 7'-05" (2.15m) in the high jump, the best clearance in the Valley and the 12th-best clearance in the nation this season. Landon is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American.
MARTIN'S SEASON OFF TO GOOD START
Kezia Martin won the triple jump at the Illini Classic on Jan. 14. The Jefferson City, Mo. native picked up her first win of the season with a mark of 39'-8.75" (12.11m). She was the only competitor in the field to leap 39'-4.50" (12.00m) or better. Her Saluki Fast Start clearance of 39'-9.75" is the best mark thus far in the Missouri Valley Conference.
TWO SALUKIS RANKED IN TOP-10
Jared Kern and Warren Hazel both notched NCAA top-10 marks at the Illini Classic on Jan 14. Kern posted his first win of the season in the shot put, winning with a toss of 60'-10.5" (18.55m). It's the furthest throw in the MVC and the eighth-longest in the nation while Warren Hazel took home a win in the 400m dash. Hazel clocked the seventh-fastest 400m time in the nation, a converted mark of 47.24, to win his second-straight event title.
SIX SALUKIS RANKED IN TOP-50
Six additional Salukis have recorded NCAA Top-50 marks already this indoor season. Landon tops the group, as the four-time All-American posted the 12th-best high jump clearance in the nation in his first indoor meet of the season. Block is second at 15th in the weight throw, while both Cara Engel and Franklin Adams have the 29th-best marks in their respective events. Engel cleared 13'-0.25" (3.97m) in the pole vault at the Saluki Fast Start on Dec. 10, while Adams leaped 24'-1.5" (18.55m) to post the best finish by a collegian in the long jump at the Saluki Fast Start. Isaac Ingram ranks 30th in the weight throw with a mark of 64'-5.25" (19.64m), while Tyjuana Eason's 200m time of 24.31 Is the 43rd-fastest in the nation this season.
TOP-10 SCHOOL MARKS
In just two meets this season, the Salukis have already tallied eight top-10 school marks, with Eason and Hazel each having done so twice. Four newcomers, Bri'Anna Branch, Jared Kern, Kilee Hagerstrand and Jaylen Galloway, have also already written their names in the Saluki record books. The list with where they currently rank in school history, as well as their marks, are below.
Event             Rank Athlete Mark
Women's 60m         5     Tyjuana Eason 7.57
Women's60m        9     Bri'Anna Branch 7.67
Women's 60mHÂ Â Â Â 6Â Â Â Â Kilee Hagerstrand 8.65
Women's 200m    T-3rd Tyjuana Eason 24.68
Men's 60m             T-4th  Warren Hazel 6.86
Men's 60mH Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10 Â Â Â Â Jaylen Galloway 8.45
Men's 400m           5     Warren Hazel 47.24
Men's Shot Put     7     Jared Kern 60'-10.50"
HAGERSTRAND SETTLING IN
Kilee Hagerstrand transferred to SIU from Central Arizona C.C., where she was a seven-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) where she ran a lifetime-best 8.83 in the 60-meter hurdles. At each of her two meets as a Saluki, the Tuscon, Ariz. native has improved upon that time. She ran 8.82 in the 60m hurdles prelims at the Saluki Fast Start, and posted back-to-back marks of 8.65 at the Illini Classic on Jan. 14. She is one of seven Salukis all-time to run a sub-8.7 in the 60m hurdles.
MAKING BIG GAINES
Fraquan Gaines jump-started his first indoor season as a Saluki by setting a pair of personal-bests at the Illini Classic. Gaines cleared 21'-10.25" (6.66m) in the long jump to finish sixth, and set his second PR of the meet in the triple jump with a mark of 47'-5" (14.45m).
POTENTIAL TO SCORE BIG POINTS
The Saluki men have four throwers with top-eight conference marks in the shot, led by Kern's mammoth throw at the Illini Classic. His teammate dating back to high school, Kyle Kling, isn't far behind as he has the third-best mark thus far in the Valley. Issac Ingram sits in sixth, while Ricky Hurley PR'd in the shot put at the Illini Classic and sits in eighth. Newcomer Nathan Stout is one back of Hurley, as he recorded the ninth-best toss in the Valley at the Saluki Fast Start.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Salukis will travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take part in the Indiana Relays on Jan. 27-28.Â
Players Mentioned
