The Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars men's and women's track & field teams are set for another exciting indoor season. Senior Madelyn Miller-Ross will represent the women's team at this week's GVSU Holiday Open in Allendale, Mich., to kick off the season. The majority of the roster will make their indoor debut at Grand Valley State's Bob Eubanks Open in January.

The Prairie Stars' indoor schedule will feature multiple trips to Grand Valley State in Michigan, giving UIS athletes the opportunity to compete on a 300-meter indoor track. Top runners will travel to marquee meets, including the GVSU Holiday Open, John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University, and the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame. The GVSU Big Meet serves as an annual highlight of the regular season, featuring invitational races on Friday and an open meet on Saturday. The postseason begins at the GLVC Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, scheduled for Feb. 28-March 1.
 

Indoor Track & Field Schedule 
Dec. 5 – GVSU Holiday Open, Allendale, Mich. (qualifying-only)
Jan. 16 – GVSU Bob Eubanks Open, Allendale, Mich.
Jan. 23 – PNC Bank Bellarmine Classic, Louisville, Ky.
Jan. 24 – Notre Dame Invite, South Bend, Ind.
Jan. 31 – John Thomas Terrier Classic, Boston, Mass. (qualifying-only)
Jan. 31 – Meyo Invite, South Bend, Ind. (qualifying-only)
Feb. 13 – GVSU Big Meet (Friday), Allendale, Mich.
Feb. 14 – GVSU Big Meet (Saturday), Allendale, Mich.
Feb. 20 – IC Hilltop Classic, Jacksonville, Ill.
Feb. 28 – Mar. 1 – GLVC Indoor Championship, Indianapolis, Ind.

Women's Indoor Track & Field
Madelyn Miller-Ross, an indoor track & field All-American in the 5,000 meters last season, returns for the 2025-26 campaign. Since competing at indoor nationals, she has also participated in outdoor track and field and cross country national championships. She aims to once again compete at the top of NCAA Division II in the upcoming season. Miller-Ross won the individual title and was named Runner of the Year at the GLVC Cross Country Championship in October but is still on the hunt for a GLVC title in track and field.

Kaleigh Inniss, another experienced Prairie Star with All-GLVC honors multiple times in her career, is also gearing up for the indoor season. UIS has a roster full of newcomers expected to make an impact. The GLVC preseason poll ranked the UIS women's team ninth of 14 teams. 

Men's Indoor Track & Field
UIS boasts a strong group of distance athletes, including All-GLVC cross country runners Brock Loftus, Colin Graham, Joey Karlesky, and Matt Padilla. Isaac Cortes, who did not compete in cross country this fall, is also on the track roster and is one of the most decorated athletes, preparing for his final season. The GLVC preseason poll ranked the men's team 10th of 13.

Coach Emmons King said the team is eager for the season. "We are so excited for this track season coming up. The cross country season gave us some great momentum, and we are really looking forward to making more history on the track," King said.

Fans are encouraged to follow the Prairie Stars throughout the season for updates on meets and results. Full schedules and meet information are available at uisprairiestars.com