Eagles open outdoor season as men’s program ranks 10th in POY standings

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Track & Field begins the 2022 outdoor season Friday and Saturday at the Margaret Simmons Invite in Murray, Kentucky.

USI’s men open the outdoor season ranked No. 10 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association Program of the Year standings, which tabulates the NCAA Division II Championship finishes from cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field.

The Screaming Eagles finished 26th at the NCAA II Cross Country Championships in November before junior Titus Winders (Mansfield, Indiana) won two national championships at the NCAA II Indoor Championships to boost the Eagles to a 10th-place finish.

In addition to this weekend’s meet, the Eagles are slated to compete in nine regular-season meets before competing at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Outdoor Championships May 5-7 in Bolivar, Missouri. USI also has a “last-chance” qualifier meet, the St. Francis Fighting Chance Meet, schedule May 13 in Joliet, Missouri, before the NCAA II Outdoor Championship May 26-28 in Allendale, Michigan.

The Eagles are competing, the WashU Distance Carnival April 1 in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Lake Strike Joey Haines Invitational April 2 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

USI also competes at Bellarmine University’s Jim Vargo Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky, and Lee University’s Flames Invitational in Cleveland, Tennessee, April 8-9.

The Eagles are scheduled to send a small squad to the Mt. SAC Relays (Walnut, California) and the Bryan Clay Invitational (Azusa, California) April 14-15. They compete at the Indiana State Gibson Invitational April 22-23 in Terre Haute, Indiana, before sending a small squad to Des Moines, Iowa, April 28-30 to compete at the Drake Relays.