The Southern Illinois University track and field team began its 2026 indoor season at the Indiana Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana. The event took place at Gladstein Fieldhouse and featured competition against a strong field of teams.
Senior Leah Thames led the Salukis by winning the women’s 300-meter run and setting a new personal record. Freshman Malik Allen also had a notable performance, finishing first in the men’s triple jump. Other top results included Christian Coleman taking second place in the 60-meter hurdles and Donte Long placing second in the men’s 200 meters.
Courtney McDonald qualified for the women’s 60-meter final with a time of 7.65 seconds. Both McDonald and junior Trinity Cleaver finished among the top ten in the women’s 200 meters, with Cleaver also achieving a personal best in the 300 meters at 39.57 seconds.
In field events, freshman Kaylee King set a personal record in the women’s shot put. On the men’s side, Mason Watts cleared a personal-best height of 2.00 meters in high jump, while Zach Overstreet achieved his own best mark at 1.90 meters.
Distance runners Riley Linville and Brady Faulkner both recorded personal bests in their respective mile races—Linville finishing in 5:16 for women and Faulkner clocking 4:32 for men. Junior Jalen Dickerson added another personal record with a time of 1:21 in the men’s 600 meters.
According to organizers, “The meet served as an important opportunity to evaluate fitness and execution as the Salukis transition fully into indoor competition.” They described it as “the first step in SIU’s 2026 indoor schedule, providing a valuable measuring stick early in the season.”
Southern Illinois will continue its preparations for upcoming meets later this year. Complete results from the Indiana Invitational are available at https://mwt.live/meets/60180/teams/1435115.
The team’s next scheduled event is January 24 at home during the Don Denoon Classic.
For ongoing updates on Southern Illinois track and field, information can be found on Twitter (@SIUTrackXC), Instagram (@SIUTrackXC), and Facebook (@SalukiTrackAndField).
