UIS Women's Cross Country took the win at the 11th Annual Prairie Stars Invitational Friday night, led by Josslyn Gaona's first-place finish in 19 minutes and 22 seconds. The Prairie Stars have claimed the team championship and produced the individual champion for three consecutive years.
The Prairie Stars turned in a 28-point total with a 19:57 average time for 5,000 meters. The team's scoring order was 1-2-6-8-11. Missouri Baptist and Heartland rounded out the top three teams.
UIS defeated Davis & Elkins by a score of 3-0 on Friday, taking the sets 25-15, 25-13, 25-22. The Prairie Stars finished with 40 kills and a .236 hitting percentage while limiting Davis & Elkins to 25 kills and a .039 percentage.
Illinois Springfield turned a 2-2 tie into an 8-2 lead with a six-point run that included a Maddie Mendelblatt kill and two service aces. Makenna Cox added three kills in the closing stretch of the strong first set, and Mendelblatt finished it with a kill to give the Prairie Stars a 25-15 set win.
The Illinois Springfield women's soccer team will open GLVC play Saturday against Lincoln at Kiwanis Stadium. The match, originally scheduled for 3 p.m., has been moved to 6 p.m. due to a heat advisory. Saturday's match will be the first official home contest of the season for the Prairie Stars.
The llinois Springfield women's volleyball team will continue its season this weekend with three matches at the Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The Prairie Stars are 0-4 after facing challenging competition at the Ferris State Invitational, including two teams ranked among the top 10 in NCAA Division II. UIS will open the tournament Friday at 12:30 p.m. against Davis & Elkins, followed by matches against Arkansas-Fort Smith at 2 p.m. Saturday and tournament host Kentucky Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The UIS men's cross country team opens its 2026 season Friday evening at the 11th Annual Prairie Stars Invitational, with the men's race scheduled for 6:40 p.m. at the UIS Cross Country Course.
Due to an active heat advisory, the men's race has been shortened from 7,000 meters to a 5K. The race will follow the women's 5K, which has been moved to a 6 p.m. start.
UIS women's cross country opens its 2026 season Friday evening when it hosts the annual Prairie Stars Invitational at the UIS cross country course.
Due to forecasted hot temperatures, the women's 5K race has been moved to a 6 p.m. start. The men's race will follow at 6:40 p.m. and has been shortened to a 5K.
The Prairie Stars Invitational is the first of four regular-season races for UIS, with three of the four meets taking place in the state of Illinois. UIS was ranked fourth in the GLVC Preseason Poll.
The Illinois Springfield men's soccer team opens Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play Saturday when the Prairie Stars host No. 11 Lincoln at Kiwanis Stadium. The match, originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m., has been moved to 8:30 p.m. due to high temperatures expected in the Central Illinois area.
The Illinois Springfield women's soccer team's non-conference match at Purdue Northwest was moved from its scheduled 3 p.m. start to 10 a.m. Wednesday because of a heat advisory. The match featured frequent substitutions and hydration breaks helping both teams manage the conditions.
Reminder, UIS Athletics provides complimentary admission to all regular-season home events for UIS faculty, staff and students, including games held at Scheels Sports Park.
The UIS women's soccer team returns to action Wednesday for its final non-conference match of the season, traveling to Purdue Northwest for a 10 a.m. kickoff at Dowling Park. Wednesday's match has been moved from its originally scheduled 3 p.m. start time due to a heat advisory.
The Prairie Stars enter the match at 1-1 after splitting their opening weekend. UIS opened the season with a 2-1 road victory at Alabama Huntsville, with Addi Wittenberg opening the scoring before Mallory Herber put the Prairie Stars back in front after UAH equalized.