INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Jonathan Bannister (Plano, Tex.) is the Great Lakes Valley Conference Male Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week. The senior sprinter posted a time of 49.42 in the 400 meter dash at the Illinois Health Alliance Classic in Champaign, Illinois on Jan. 27.
Bannister finished in third place at the event hosted by the University of Illinois. He trailed unattached competitor Abe Jones and Lincoln’s Carlington Marsh.
His time was the fastest 400 meter time in the GLVC this year and fell just shy of the NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 49.00. He holds the Knowling Fieldhouse (site of the 2007 GLVC Indoor Track & Field Championships) record in the 400 meters with a time of 48.74 which he set in 2005.
Bannister’s efforts helped the Cougars to a fifth place team finish at the seven-team event. Other teams competing in the event included Illinois, Middle Tennessee State, Lincoln (Mo.), Western Kentucky, DePaul and St. Louis.
Other top performers in GLVC last week included Bellarmine’s Jason Thornsberry, Indianapolis’ Anthony Flournoy and Southern Indiana’s Paul Jellema.