Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Track and Field competed at the Gibson Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, finishing in second place with 89 points despite challenging weather conditions. Richard Jones, the team's Director of Track and Field, commented, "We handled some adverse weather to get some good marks at this meet."

The Salukis showcased strong performances across various events. Both the men's and women's 4x100m relay teams secured victories. The women's team, consisting of Trinity Cleaver, Leah Thames, Teanna Bell, and Keyann Wilson, completed the relay in 44.91 seconds, closing in on first place in the Valley by just .04 seconds. The men's team won their race in 40.39 seconds, strengthening their position as second in the Valley.

The men's 4x400m relay team won with a time of 3:10.57. The squad included Marius Coleman, Andre Jackson II, Xavier Preston, and Shane Ashton. Jones stated, "We are in a great position at this point in the season to do great things down the line."

Teanna Bell triumphed in the 400m dash with a time of 55.49 seconds, while KeyAnn Wilson won the 100m dash in 11.93 seconds, marking a personal best. Leah Thames achieved a personal best in the 200m dash, finishing in 23.90 seconds, while KeyAnn Wilson placed second with a time of 24.25 seconds.

Shane Ashton won the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.96 seconds, securing first place in the Valley. Andre Jackson II set a personal best in the 200m dash, finishing second in 21.01 seconds. Xavier Preston followed in third place with 21.21 seconds.

In field events, Darrione Williams won the long jump at 6.98 meters. Kyan Bell took second in the shot put and hammer throw, achieving personal bests in both. Adrian Przestrzelski finished third in the triple jump with 14.33 meters, while Jalynn Wood tied for third in pole vaulting at 3.60 meters.

Other notable performances included Xavier Preston's season-best of 10.76 seconds in the 100m and Vashti Grey's personal best of 56.14 seconds in the 400m.

The Salukis will compete next at the Drake Relays on Wednesday, April 23.

For more updates, the team can be followed on Twitter and Instagram (@SIUTrackXC) and Facebook (@SalukiTrackAndField).