Carbondale Reporter

Another eventful week is underway for Southern Illinois University (SIU) athletics with a range of sports events slated to take place. Currently, the men's golf team is competing in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, and a weekend softball series is scheduled to conclude the season. Baseball will be celebrating alumni weekend, and the track and field team will partake in meets at Drake.

In track and field, SIU demonstrated strong performances at the Gibson Invitational, securing gold medals in both the men's and women's 4x100-meter relays, as well as the men's 4x400-meter relay. Individual victories included Teanna Bell in the 400-meter dash and Keyann Wilson in the 100-meter dash. Standout performances also came from Leah Thames in the women's 200-meter dash and Shane Ashton in the men's 400-meter hurdles. In the long jump, Darrione Williams topped the podium. This week, the team will take part in the Drake Relays and the Fighting Illini Twilight.

The softball team, with a record of 26-17 overall and 17-3 in conference play, sees its players Emily Williams and McKenzie Newcomb receiving individual accolades. Williams earned both Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, while Newcomb was named Pitcher of the Week. In recent games against Northern Iowa, the team faced a series loss, but efforts remain strong as they gear up for a Wednesday game against UT Martin and a weekend series against Murray State.

On the baseball front, with a record of 24-11 overall and 7-5 within their conference, the team concluded a four-game set last week. Highlights include a close loss to Arkansas State and a successful three-game sweep against Belmont. The team will face Southeast Missouri State again on Tuesday and will host Illinois State over the upcoming weekend for alumni weekend festivities.

SIU's men's and women's golf teams have had varied success. The men's team, currently competing in the MVC Tournament, finished 11th in the Hawkeye Invitational. Anthony De Schutter was the top performer, tying for 13th place overall. The women's team concluded their participation in the MVC Tournament with an eighth-place finish.

The Southern Illinois community is encouraged to stay engaged with Saluki Athletics through various social media platforms and mobile apps for the latest information and updates.