CHARLESTON, Ill.  The University of Southern Indiana men’s track & field team had seven individuals and one relay finish within the top eight to give the Screaming Eagles 36 total points, resulting in sixth place out of the 13-team field at the EIU Friday Night Special.
Sophomore Madison King, one of the Eagles putting points on the board, won his event the 600 meters with a time of 1 minute, 24.05 seconds. He earned 10 points towards USI’s total and King’s 600m time is the second-fastest among all USI runners this indoor season.
The Eagles had a trio of top 10 performers in the 800m. Senior Darius Payne paced the way for USI with a time of 1:58.48 nabbing fourth and five points. Payne’s 800m time was almost a three-second personal best on his indoor season. Freshman Oneel Occenat followed close behind with a time of 1:59.48 good for seventh, adding a couple of points to the USI total. Senior Almustapha Silvester rounded out the top 10 with a time of 2:01.88.
The Eagles had continued success in the 3000m with four more individuals scoring points. Junior Gavin Prior led the way for USI with a time of 8:49.53 earning him second and eight points. Sophomore Cameron Cox was next to cross the line for the Eagles with a time of 8:52.59 grabbing sixth place along with three points. Freshman Ethan Goddard followed with a time of 8:54.47 giving him the seventh spot and two more points to USI’s total. Junior Grady Wilkinson capped the top eight with a time of 8:54.56, earning an extra point for the Eagles.
The 4x400m relay squad composed of Tyler Garrett, King, DeMontrae Lapsley, and Occenat finished third with a time of 3:35.99 giving the Eagles a nice bump of six points to add to their team total.
In the field events, freshman Jacob Hirsch highlighted all with his performance in the shot put. Hirsch finished 15th with a toss of 41 feet, 1 inch which moved him to second-best for all USI competitors this indoor season.
Other Notables: Freshman Fabian Becerra notched a personal best of nearly three seconds in the 800m with a time of 2:07.77.
Up Next: The Eagles will tune-up for the GLVC Indoor Championships hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana held on Feb. 29- March 1.
