Beavers Make History at SLIAC Outdoor Championships
GREENVILLE, IL -- The Blackburn College men’s and women’s track and field teams delivered a historic performance at the 2026 SLIAC Outdoor Championships
GREENVILLE, IL -- The Blackburn College men's and women's track and field teams delivered a historic performance at the 2026 SLIAC Outdoor Championships, highlighted by the program's first conference champion, multiple medalists, and a record-setting weekend across nearly every event group.
The men's team placed sixth overall with 49 points, while the women finished eighth with 16 points. Both totals mark their highest since the conference reinstated outdoor track and field in 2017, and since Blackburn added the track program in 2023.
Men's Recap (6th Place – 49 Points)
The Blackburn men turned in one of the strongest meets in program history, earning three medals and scoring across multiple event groups.
Freshman Leland Branstner led the way with a historic performance in the throws. Branstner became Blackburn's first SLIAC outdoor champion, winning the discus with a school-record throw of 42.04m (137'11"), earning 10 team points. He also added a runner-up finish in the shot put (2nd place, 8 points) and placed 4th in the hammer throw, where he set another school record at 42.37m.
In the javelin, Tyler Tarallo placed 7th overall, scoring two points while setting a school record with a throw of 44.40m. Youssef Mahrish also competed in the event and recorded a personal best.
On the track, Blackburn made a major impact in the relays. The 4x100 relay team of Tarallo, Byron McNeil, Landan Tribble, and Tristan Toss earned a bronze medal and All-Conference honors, placing 3rd in 44.99 to score six points while breaking the previous school record by over three seconds.
The 4x400 relay team of Tristan Toss, Collyn Oberkfell, Landan Tribble, and Byron McNeil placed 6th overall, scoring three points while setting a new school record of 3:36.
In the middle distances, Kendrik Troutt placed 6th in the 800 meters, scoring three points while running a school-record time of 2:04. Sam Burrows and Collyn Oberkfell also recorded personal bests in the event.
Burrows added to the team total in the 1500 meters, placing 5th overall and scoring four points while lowering his own school record to 4:16.
In the distance events, Christian Miller placed 7th in the 10,000 meters, scoring two points while setting a new program record of 39:50.
The men's team was also honored with the SLIAC Sportsmanship Award, recognizing their competitiveness and integrity throughout the championship.
Women's Recap (8th Place – 16 Points)
The Blackburn women continued their upward trajectory, highlighted by a historic medal and multiple record-breaking performances.
Sophia Palmier became the first female SLIAC outdoor medalist in program history, placing 3rd in the pole vault with a school-record clearance of 2.60m, earning six team points.
Palmier also contributed in multiple events, placing 4th in the high jump (five points) and 8th in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 2:48.
In the throws, Bree Hammon turned in a strong all-around performance. She placed 7th in the discus (2 points) while setting school records in the discus (28.85m), shot put (8.62m), and hammer throw (21.99m).
The women's 4x400 relay team of Maya Bennett, Isabella Bradley, Sophia Palmier, and Mary Ahrens placed 6th overall, scoring three points while setting a school record of 4:55.