The Illinois Springfield men's track and field team opens its outdoor season this weekend with two consecutive meets: the WashU Distance Carnival Friday in St. Louis, followed by the Millikin Big Blue Opener Saturday in Decatur.

The WashU meet starts at 11:00 a.m. and runs into the evening, with 10,000-meter heats moved from Thursday due to heat. UIS will field a full distance squad in the 5,000m and 10,000m, including Chase Cooley, River Derby, Lucas Naugle, Garrett Wagoner, Ryan Kries, Brock Loftus, and Will McGonigal. Leading the 10,000m entries is Isaac Cortes, who comes in with a 31:01 mark, while veterans Joey Karlesky, Garrett Wagoner, and Matt Padilla round out the team, each looking to post strong early-season performances.

Saturday, the Prairie Stars return to central Illinois for the Millikin Big Blue Opener, broadening their event participation. The 800m will feature Will McGonigal, Chase Cooley, and River Derby, while the 1500m sees Lucas Naugle leading the group. The 400m brings in Brock Loftus, Matt Padilla, and six additional experienced athletes, giving UIS a chance to test their speed and versatility early in the season.

With two days of competition and prime conditions, the Prairie Stars distance squad aims to post strong marks and build momentum for the 2026 outdoor season.

The Prairie Stars were just picked 13th in the GLVC Preseason Poll.

Follow Along
Watch WashU live on FloTrack, or follow Millikin results online.