BEAUMONT, Texas - Lamar University is set to open the 2026 indoor track and field season Saturday as it will head to the Bill Yeomen Fieldhouse for the University of Houston's Leonard Hilton Invitational. 
 
The Cardinals bring back some notable names on a squad that won 32 medals (15 gold, seven silver, 10 bronze) combined in both the Southland Conference indoor and outdoor championships last season. Returning for the men's team is Kenson Tate, who made history in the indoor title meet when he became the first Cardinal to win three consecutive indoor long jump events. Other male athletes returning include conference champions Anthony Oliver (hammer), Cameron Chin (400 meters), and Luke Parker (DMR), who also finished third in the outdoor 800m event. 
 
For the women, Mariam Buenanueva Saleme is coming back after winning gold in the indoor pentathlon and bronze in the outdoor heptathlon. Ashton Rainey won the indoor 3,000m event before taking silver in the outdoor 10,000m. Last season's conference outdoor javelin champion and school record holder, Neelie Schiel, also makes her return to the Cardinals. 
 
LU will be one of 13 teams competing in this event, along with Houston, Jacksonville College, Prairie View A&M, Rice, Sam Houston, St. Thomas (TX), Texas, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas Southern, Texas Wesleyan, and UT Rio Grande Valley. 
 
The field events will begin at 10:00 a.m., while the running events will start at 1:30 p.m. The meet will also be streamed on the Cougars' YouTube channel. 
 

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