Mike Hillyard said the men’s track and field team had a “solid” performances in the final day of the WashU Invite.

The team ended the meet seventh out of 13 teams with a score of 35.

The men earned points in the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter events for distance and in the hammer and javelin for throwing.

“The highlights would be the guys in the 10K,” Hillyard, the head coach, said. “It was the first ever track 10K for all those guys, and it gave them some good qualifying looks for the conference championships.”

USI ended with three top-five finishers in the men’s 10,000 meter: Cain Parker (third place), Jesse Stanley (fourth place) and Austin Nolan (fifth place). The men’s team also earned three top-ten finishes in the 5,000 meter, including Noah Lutz who finished first.

Hillyard said he thought the team’s performances in the non-distance events were close to the week before at the VU Bill Smith Challenge in Vincennes which is important for the team moving forward.

“Consistency matters,” Hillyard said. “For them to come back after some solid performances a week ago and still be in that same range again a week later definitely shows consistency, which is a good thing.”

Though the men’s throwing performances weren’t “earth-shattering” as Hillyard said, senior thrower, Jalen Madison, threw his personal best in the hammer throw.

“Jalen had been dealing with a knee issue for a while, so he had missed training time. For him to come out and throw a personal best in the hammer is great,” Hillyard said. “He’s a hard working young man and a tremendous asset to our team.”

Madison finished the meet with two top-10 finishes in the discus (ninth) and hammer throws (sixth) and he finished in the top 15 in the shot put event.

His hammer throw of 144 feet and five inches is the third farthest recorded throw in university history. He also had two season-best throws in the shot put and the discus.

Madison said he thinks he’ll be able to top his personal record in the hammer throw because at the event before the WashU in Vincennes, he fouled a throw measured at 46 meters, two meters further than his current personal record.

He said getting enough sleep, eating right and working out consistently will be a big part of the rest of the season.

“I just need to keep working my training plan I have made up for the outdoor season,” Madison said. “Within the next few weeks I’m going to be hitting my pre-competition phase, and then it’s about getting to conference (championships) and peaking at the right time.”

Madison and the rest of the men’s team compete in the Marian Knights Classic in Indianapolis Friday and Saturday.