Birmingham, Ala. - The SIUE Track and Field team will travel to Birmingham, Ala. Tuesday to gear up for the 2020 OVC Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship.  The event will be located at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama for the second-straight year.  

Head Coach Scott Block is determined to improve upon last years 6th place finish for the men and 8th place finish for the women.  "For both the women's and men's teams we hope to place higher than we have in the past. We are incorporating some more tactical strategies with the entries to maximize our point totals this year."

SIUE is bringing back 3 returning OVC Conference Champions.  John Barnes won the weight throw in 2018, Nick Matthews won the weight throw in 2017, and Ethan Poston won the 2019 long jump.  

"We have several individuals that have won individual championships in the past and we hope to have those individuals repeat as champions," continued Block. 

Assistant track coach Doug McDannald added, "We have a few athletes who will be returning conference champions each with the potential to bring home another event championship.  Several other athletes are ranked in a position to bring home a medal in their events, and our relays also have an opportunity to take some medals home as well."

The CrossPlex, which hosted the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships (and will host the 2022 event as well), houses one of the fastest indoor hydraulic tracks in the world.The track and field team competed on the same type of banked track earlier this season in Iowa.  "Our goal is to place and score better than our rankings coming into the meet.  With the quality of the facility and the competition, it will be an exciting championship," said McDannald.  "Anytime we go to the conference meet, the goal is to bring home as much hardware as possible."