Southern Illinois University
McDonalds Invitational
Saluki Track and Field in first place after day one of McDonald's Invite
02/08/2008 | 12:00:00 | Track and Field
Feb. 8, 2008
Ryan Shaw
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois track and field team was stellar on day one of the McDonald's Invitational. The Salukis won five of the six events on the day, sit in first place on both the women's and men's sides and automatically qualified two athletes for NCAA competition.
The Saluki women are currently in first place with a score of 34.33. Austin Peay sits in second with a mark of 19.50, followed by Memphis (15.50), Murray State (13), Jackson State (11.33), Jacksonville State (8.33), Belmont (6), Samford (5), Southeast Missouri State (2) and Mississippi Valley (2).
The Saluki men currently lead with 68.50 points and are trailed by Memphis (28), Central Arkansas (13), Samford (4.5) and Mississippi Valley (3).
Brittany Riley got the Saluki women off to a great start in the weight throw with a mark of 74-01.75 (22.60m), which qualified her for the NCAA meet in March for the fifth time this season.
The Saluki men followed up with a great performance in the event as Brenton Siemons, Joe Mueller and Thomas Smith took the top-three spots for SIU. Siemons won the event with a throw of 63-03.25 (19.28m), Mueller followed in second with a toss of 61-07.00 (18.77m) and Smith placed third with a mark of 57-11.25 (17.66m).
Bianca Stuart automatically qualified for the NCAA meet in long jump with her event-winning jump of 21-00.00 (6.40m). The mark sits as the third best in the NCAA this season.
In men's long jump, Memphis' Aaron Whetstone and SIU's Trenton McKinney both turned in marks of 23-07.50 (7.20m), but Whetston took first place on a judge's decision.
Miracle Thompson collected another win for SIU in pole vault, clearing 11-05.75 (3.50m) to take first place.
SIU's Blake Brachear won the men's pole vault event with a mark of 15-03.00 (4.65m). The mark is a new personal best for Brachear, whose previous personal best of 15-01.00 was set at SIU's last home meet.
The McDonald's Invitational will resume tomorrow at 10 a.m. for the second and final day of competition.
Players Mentioned
