Track and Field Headed Outdoors for Bill Cornell Spring Classic

The men's and women's team travel to Carbondale, Ill. this Saturday (March 28) to open the 2015 outdoor season.

MACOMB, Ill. - The runners, jumpers, throwers, and vaulters of Western Illinois track and field are set to open the 2015 outdoor season this Saturday (March 28) at the Bill Cornell Spring Classic hosted by Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.

WIU will travel 38 men and women to compete in 17 different events starting at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

"When you get to this part of the season we are just hoping for warm weather, which I doubt we are going to get" said head coach Mike Stevenson in his thoughts on the weekend. "It looks to be about 45 degrees in Carbondale so that will not help in producing some of the best times and performances, but it will be good to get outdoors and have a meet. It has been a month since we last competed so we will knock the rust off and get back into it. Hopefully when the weather does become more favorable we'll have taken care of some of those issues."

The Leathernecks will be in action for the first time since The Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships. A performance that was highlighted by Jasmine Brown's first-place finish in the triple jump, but overall a disappointing weekend for coach Stevenson and the Purple and Gold.

"I certainly hope that the athletes have taken the disappointment from that weekend and used it to prepare," said coach Stevenson. "I have noticed a change in many of the athletes approach to practice and training. There are some who still have some growing up to do, and I think they will do that once we get outside and the weather changes."

For the women Jasmine Brown will look to continue her success in the long and triple jumps while also running in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. Sheila Grant-Shaffer looks to lead the Leatherneck throwers in the shot put and hammer throw. On the track Aaliyah White highlights the Western sprinters as she looks to compete in the 400-hurdles and 4x400 meter relay.

On the men's side the sprinters core of Xavier Levy, Tyler Younkin, and Charles Morrow will look to lead from the front in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Fellow sprinter Justin Kilpatrick will focus on his leg of the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. Alex Platz and Jared Rohn will represent Western in the pole vault while Danny Daniels makes his debut in the javelin and discus.

Fans can follow Western track and field all season long at GoLeathernecks.com or on Twitter at @W1UXCTF.