CARBONDALE, Ill. – The SIUE men's and women's track and field teams competed in their second outdoor meet of the season this weekend as they took part in the Bill Cornell Spring Invite at SIU Carbondale.
The Cougar women finished fourth out of 14 teams with 74 points, while the SIUE men finished eighth out of 12 teams with 34 points.
On the women's side, senior Colleen McDonough set a new school record in the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, 4.5 inches. She broke the previous program best of 46-8.75, set by Holly Noller in 2006. McDonough placed fifth out of 24 competitors in the women's shot put, and also took fifth in the hammer throw with a toss of 173-2.5.
"Colleen has been very consistent in the throws," Head Coach Kareem Jackson said. "She had a great series in the hammer and followed it up with a school record in the shot."
Fellow senior Aftan Noon also had a strong showing in Carbondale, placing first in the both the 800 meters (2:10.82) and the 1,500 meters (4:33.11). It was the second straight week that Noon placed first in multiple events.
"Aftan had a really good meet and ran two really good races," Jackson said. "She's been running very well against some good competition."
Sophomore Jatavia Wright finished fourth out of 26 athletes in the women's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:03.76. She also placed third in the triple jump with a leap of 39-1.25, as well as the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.22.
Freshman Jessica Oranika put up an impressive performance in the 400 meters, placing second out of 18 competitors with a time of 55.28.
"Our key people are stepping up on the women's side, but now we need the rest of the team to step up as well," Jackson said. "We need a consistent effort from everybody."
For the men, sophomore Braxton Klavins took first place honors in the 400 meters with a time of 47.42 seconds. The finish was an outdoor best for Klavins, who came out on top in a crowded field of 21 competitors.
In the men's 4x400 meter relay, Klavins teamed with Ahmad Evans, Forrest Knight, and Josh Thomas to take third place with a time of 3:22.02.
"Braxton ran a great leg in the 4x4 after our first two legs put us in a big deficit," Jackson said. "He's been running very well."
Freshman Darius Smith placed third out of 35 athletes in the 200 meters with a finish of 21.71.
"Our men's team is a lot more talented than what they showed in this meet," Jackson added. "It's frustrating to know how talented we are and then not show it in competition."
Next up for SIUE is the Joey Haines Invite at Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Events will begin at 11 a.m. at the Abe Stuber Track & Field Complex.
