WOMEN'S RESULTS (html)

MEN'S RESULTS (html)

MACOMB, Ill.  -  The Western Illinois track and field team collected 13 top-five finishes on the final day of the 22nd annual Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational with the women taking fourth place and the men fifth overall Saturday. Western recorded 19 top-five finishes on the weekend and the Women's 1600 Sprint Medley Relay squad took home a victory on Friday with a Lee Calhoun Memorial Invitational record (4:04.16).

Illinois State won on both the men's and women's sides while Augustana took second on the men's side. The Leathernecks finished just ahead of Monmouth (Ill.). On the women's side Wisconsin-Milwaukee took second, Marquette landed third and Western finished in front of Augustana.

“I would like to thank everybody who helped out this weekend,” said first-year Western Illinois head coach David Beauchem. “We had so much help to make this weekend work and the alumni, parents, officials, teams and administration were all a huge part of what we did. It was a very positive weekend and I am ecstatic about how it went.”

Chiamaka Okonkwo (14.20) and Durell Busby (14.22) from UW-Milwaukee were the winners of the women's 100-meter hurdles and the men's 110-meter hurdles. They were presented awards by two honored guests, former Olympians Paul Jones and Dave Odegard. To see photos of the hurdle award ceremony and Friday night's banquet with Western Illinois alumni Ron Fields and Will Summers, click HERE.

“Our student-athletes really got a sense of how much Lee Calhoun meant to this program,” Beauchem said about the presence of Paul Jones and Dave Odegard. “Those two individuals are so enthusiastic about coming back out to Macomb and it really makes an impression on our current student-athletes. We certainly enjoyed having them here this weekend.”

Highlighting Western Illinois' effort was a pair of men's 400-meter hurdle competitors, sophomore Matt Leal and junior Jeffrey Liles. Leal (54.51) and Liles (54.65) placed second and third, respectively and Leal was also apart of the 4x400 Meter Relay squad (3:21.37) that took third.

Senior Garrett DeGross, senior Aaron Russo and junior Michael Hemming rounded out the 4x400-meter Relay effort. Russo also placed fifth in the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.35.

Junior Lizzy Jones and junior Jason Crisman both excelled in the throws events. Jones collected a second place finish in the women's discus throw (143-09) while Crisman finished second in the men's shot put (51-10.50). Freshman Nathaniel Marshall placed sixth in the men's shot put (48-08.75).

In other field event action, junior Nichole Manning placed third in the women's pole vault (12-01.50) and senior Tyra Woodruff (11-01.75) finished in fifth. Junior Dana LaRue (44-08.25) and senior Jessica Ortega (41-03.00) took third and fifth, respectively in the women's shot put. Ortega (160-01) also finished fourth in the women's hammer throw, one spot in front of LaRue (157-10).

A pair of athletes from Friday's 1600 sprint medley relay squad picked up solid finishes. Sophomore Chelsea Lynes first placed fourth in the women's 1500-meter run (4:37.67) and later finished third in the 800-meter run (2:15.04). Senior Nikki Klier finished fourth in the women's 200-meter dash (25.70) after a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter dash (57.65) earlier in the day.

In the women's 3000-meter run, junior Carianna Cottone placed sixth with a time of 10:34.90. On the men's side, sophomore Chase Marlow (9:08.55) and senior Tyler Buckles (9:09.82) finished in seventh and eighth place.

Two UW-Milwaukee athletes broke meet records on Saturday. Senior Erin Havener broke the women's pole vault mark with a height of 13-01.50 and sophomore Samia Taylor eclipsed the women's triple jump record with a leap of 41-01.00.

The Western Illinois track and field squads will compete next at the Gateway Classic in Edwardsville, Ill. on Saturday, April 16.

FINAL STANDINGS

Women - 23 Events Scored
1) Illinois State - 215       
2) Wis.-Milwaukee - 182
3) Marquette - 105.50    
4) Western Illinois - 69.50
5) Augustana (Ill.) - 69       
6) Monmouth (Ill.) - 63
7) St. Ambrose - 38       
8) Ashford - 35.50
9) Bradley - 31.50   
10) Lincoln College - 28
11) Millikin - 19      
12) McKendree - 18                     

Men - 23 Events Scored
1) Illinois State - 190       
2) Augustana (Ill.) - 126
3) Wis.-Milwaukee - 111       
4) Lincoln College - 87.50
5) Western Illinois - 83       
6) Monmouth (Ill.) - 69
7) Marquette - 64.50    
8) St. Ambrose - 42
9) McKendree - 23      
10) Ashford - 21
11) Millikin - 19      
12) Knox - 18
13) Principia - 16      
14) Illinois XC and Track Club - 11
15) Fontbonne - 3