Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Track and Field concluded the first day of competition at the Fighting Illini Challenge held at the UI Armory in Champaign, Illinois. The team, under the guidance of Director Richard Jones, showcased strong performances in both track and field events.

Jones expressed satisfaction with the team's efforts, stating, "This was a quality day two meet, the kids are getting into a rhythm of competing over two days." He highlighted that their field athletes achieved marks expected to be competitive within their conference.

In track events, Christian Coleman excelled in the men's 60-meter hurdles by recording his best time of 8.09 seconds, securing a spot in Saturday's final. Dom Martin also advanced to the final with a seventh-place finish time of 8.71 seconds.

The women's team dominated the 400-meter race led by Leah Thames who set her season-best time at 57.12 seconds. The Salukis secured four out of five top positions in this event. Andre Jackson II maintained momentum from previous competitions by finishing second in the men's 400-meter dash with a time of 48.77 seconds.

Field events saw notable performances as well. In the men's long jump, Darrione Williams achieved third place with a jump measuring 7.03 meters (23-00.75 feet), making him one of three athletes to surpass seven meters. Na'Kyrah Cooks represented Southern Illinois in women's long jump, securing seventh place with a leap of 5.82 meters (19-01.50 feet), leading her conference standings.

In heptathlon activities, Jadon Robertson is currently placed fifth with a total score of 2911 points after competing in four events on Friday; his highest achievement was recorded in high jump where he cleared two meters (6-06.75).

Looking ahead to upcoming competitions Jones commented: "From these results we look forward to some larger meets in next coming weeks."

The Fighting Illini Challenge will conclude on Saturday January 25th with further opportunities for Southern Illinois athletes to compete across various disciplines.