Blackburn Track & Field Heads to SLIAC Outdoor Championships After Season of Growth

CARLINVILLE, Ill. — The Blackburn College Track & Field teams will head to the 2025 SLIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships this weekend, hosted by Greenville University on April 26–27. After a season full of record-breaking performances and steady progress, the Beavers aim to close out the spring with their strongest showing yet.

On the men's side, Collyn Oberkfell leads the Beavers into the championship meet as a school record holder in the 800m and a vocal team leader throughout the season. Oberkfell's consistency on the track and mentorship off it have helped shape the culture of this developing distance program. He will be joined by fellow distance runners Sam Burrows, and Scotty Cuff, with Burrows competing in the 1500 meters following a spring filled with personal bests.

In the field events, freshman Byron McNeil will represent Blackburn in the triple jump after a strong outdoor campaign that included a new school record and top-four finish at the SLIAC Indoor Championships.

Blackburn's sprint core of Kobe Patton, Jaydon Hausman, Julio Palma, and Landan Tribble has provided firepower across the 100m, 200m, and 400m races. Patton enters the meet as the 100m school record holder, while Hausman and Palma have continued to develop and contribute in key moments. The men's 4x400m relay, featuring both sprinters and mid-distance runners will wrap up the team's day on the track.

For the women, Gracie Jent has emerged as a cornerstone of the mid-distance group, competing in both the 800m and 1500m. In the field, throwers Michaela Moulton and Olivia Hamman will compete in the shot put and discus, each having set new school records this outdoor season.

First-year head coach Noah Daum praised the growth of the team heading into the postseason:

"This season has been about laying the foundation. We've seen huge improvements across the board—not just in times and marks, but in the way our team shows up, supports one other, and takes pride in the program. The SLIAC Championships are an opportunity to check in on how far we've come, and I'm proud of the way our athletes have bought in through my first season as head-coach."

Daum continued, "None of this is possible without the help of our assistant coaches. Coach Trent Koplinski has taken the lead with our throws group, and Coach Danny Stults has done an awesome job leading our sprints and jumps athletes. Both have given full effort and support in my first year, and their impact on our program has been amazing."

With significant growth in roster, performance, and team culture, the Beavers are poised to cap off their most successful season since the return of Track & Field at Blackburn.