Eight current and former Southern Illinois track & field athletes will compete at the 2019 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa at Drake Stadium with coveted spots on the national team up for grabs.
Current Saluki Shauniece O'Neal will throw the hammer at the USTAF Championships, beginning Thursday, June 25 and running through Sunday, June 28 at Hornet Stadium. Athletes who finish in the top three of their event, and have met the qualifying standard, will earn a spot on Team USA for the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships Sept. 28-Oct. 6 in Doha, Qatar.
One of five collegiate entries in the field of 15 hammer throwers, O'Neal enters the USA meet ranked 13th and will vie to be among the top-eight that make finals. A year ago, 216'-5" (65.96m) made the finals at USATF Outdoors. The sophomore sensation, who qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time this past year, would need to dial up another PR throw to advance, as she comes into the meet with a personal-best of 212'-9" (64.86m), which she set at the Texas Relays on Mar. 28.
Saluki alums Gwen Berry and Deanna Price come into the USA meet ranked 1-2 in the women's hammer. Berry owns the top hammer throw mark by an American at 255'-2" (77.78m) while Price isn't far off, with a season-best mark of 254'-0" (77.43m). The women's hammer throw competition begins on Saturday, July 27 at 12:30 p.m. CT.
In the shot put, Jared Kern and Josh Freeman, both competing for Velaasa, will throw on Friday, July 26 at 6:10 p.m. Recent Saluki Hall of Fame inductee Jeneva (McCall) Stevens enters with the fourth-best mark in the women's shot put competition and is set to compete on Saturday, July 27 at 2:15 p.m.
Alex Morgan will throw the discus on Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m. while five-time All-American Kyle Landon is one of 18 jumpers set to compete in the men's high jump competition on Sunday, July 28 at 4:35 p.m.
Men's Shot Put (Jared Kern, Josh Freeman) - Friday, July 26, 6:10 p.m.
Women's Shot Put (Jeneva Stevens) - Saturday, July 27 at 2:15 p.m.
Women's Discus (Alex Morgan) - Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m.
Women's Hammer Throw (Deanna Price, Gwen Berry, Shauniece O'Neal) - Saturday, July 27 at 12:30 p.m.
Men's High Jump (Kyle Landon) - Sunday, July 28 at 4:35 p.m.
