Carbondale Reporter

Competition at Southern Illinois University concluded recently with the track and field team's participation in the NCAA West Regional. Unfortunately, none of the nine SIU participants advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

On the first day, Darrione Williams finished 29th in the long jump. Andre Jackson II narrowly missed qualifying for the quarterfinals in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.31 seconds. Shane Ashton advanced to the quarterfinals by placing 14th in the 400-meter hurdles.

During the second day, Leah Thames and Teanna Bell competed in the 400-meter dash but did not qualify for further rounds, recording times of 53.52 and 53.96 seconds respectively. Thames also came close to advancing in the 200-meter dash with a time of 23.47 seconds.

Ashton returned on day three, finishing 18th in his event with a time of 51.31 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles. The men's relay team completed their race with a time of 3:07.58.

The competition ended on day four for Southern Illinois University when their women's relay team placed 19th in the 4x100-meter race.

In baseball news, postseason awards were announced for SIU players who excelled academically as Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes. Jaxon Holder and Sam Frizzi received First Team honors, while Dylan Petrey was named to the Second Team.

For more updates on Saluki Athletics, fans can follow them on social media platforms such as X (@SIUSalukis), Instagram (@siusalukis), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/). Additionally, they can download the "Salukis" Mobile App from both major app stores.