CARBONDALE, Ill. – Saint Louis opened its 2025-26 indoor track and field season this past weekend at the Saluki Fast Start Meet on the campus of Southern Illinois University.
The Billikens have two early meets before the holiday break. The main portion of the indoor season will pick back up in mid January and last through March.
"I'm pleased with our opening meet this past weekend at SIUC," SLU head coach Jon Bell said. "We took a little different approach to our fall training this year in that we didn't have any time trials or intra-squad meets. I wanted this team to just focus on the process of training and not worry about results. Hence, going into the meet Saturday was really a mystery as to how we would perform, we had no checkpoints as to how fit or how ready we really were to compete. I think we proved we were ready, as we had a lot of career best season opening performances. We have some momentum heading into our final meet of the semester at Indiana this Friday."
Among the highlights for the Billikens was Jillian Jackson's run in the 400 meters. She finished first overall in a time of 58.22, the fastest time in the A-10 on opening weekend. Jackson also ran the leadoff leg on SLU's 4x400-meter that placed first.
Tristan Boatman is also an A-10 leader after the first week. He registered a distance of 18.45 meters in the weight throw to place second at the Saluki Fast Start. Boatman placed second in the shot put, reaching 15.04 meters.
Freshman Meredith Drylie had an impressive collegiate debut, winning the 800 meters in a time of 2:21.01, a mark that ranks first the league. Katie Kocan finished the 60 meters in 7.88, the fourth-fastest time in school history.
Both of the Billikens' 4x400-meter relay teams rank second in the A-10. The women's team was comprised of Jillian Jackson, Patricia O'Neill, Becky Phillips and Quincy Hubert. Running the men's 4x4 was Carson Amstutz, Chase Pitre, D'Vaughn Hicks and Sam Lamaze.
The Billikens head to Indiana University for the Indiana Early Bird on Friday, Dec. 12, at the Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington.
