ST. LOUIS – Indiana State men's track and field has been picked to finish second this indoor season, while the Sycamore women have been picked to finish fourth by conference coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday.
 
Defending indoor men's champions Wichita State were picked as the favorite over the Sycamore men by 12 points following a nine-point victory over Southern Illinois indoors in 2016. The Shockers were also the favorite on the women's side over defending champions Illinois State by 15 points. The Wichita State women won the outdoor title but were upset by the Redbirds indoors last year by 10 points.
 
The Sycamore men are looking for their fourth title in five years after winning three straight indoor crowns from 2013-15 before finishing third in 2016. ISU loses the likes of All-American hurdler Adarius Washington and MVC Champion pole vaulter Connor Curley, but return MVC Most Valuable Male Athlete and All-American David Timlin, who earned the MVP honor at both the indoor and outdoor conference meet in 2016. Indoors, Timlin is the defending mile and 3K MVC Champion, and he also had a crucial leg on ISU's runner-up distance medley relay a year ago.
 
Also returning are 2016 indoor All-MVC honorees Devyn Mikell (long jump, runner-up), Jaime Murtagh (high jump, runner-up) and Timlin's DMR partners Blake Kramer, Tyrell Dowdell and Tony Rigoni.
 
The Sycamore women, meanwhile, are looking to improve on their fourth-place finish a year ago – a meet that ended up with places three-through-six separated by five points and the Sycamores less than one full point from third.
 
Despite last year's finish and the fourth-place projection, the Sycamore women return a well-rounded team capable of a jump in the standings. ISU returns all four legs of its MVC Champion DMR team – Brittany Neeley, Ahmanah Woods, Aleksey Green and Jessi Conley – as well as MVC triple jump champion Jamie Newsome. Other All-MVC finishers from the indoor season coming back in 2017 are shot put runner-up Cassaundra Roper, third-place 5K finisher Taylor Austin and Neeley, who also finished third in the mile in addition to her efforts on the DMR.
 
The Sycamores open the indoor track season this Friday at the EIU Early Bird in Charleston, Ill. The MVC Indoor Championships will be held at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Feb. 25-26, while the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships will be hosted by Texas A&M this season, with the championship set for March 10-11 in College Station, Texas.
 
Men's Preseason Poll
1. Wichita State – 62
2. Indiana State – 50
3. Southern Illinois – 43
4. Northern Iowa – 38
5. Illinois State – 37
6. Drake – 19
7. Bradley – 17
8. Loyola – 14
 
Women's Preseason Poll
1. Wichita State – 72
2. Illinois State – 57
3. Southern Illinois – 52
4. Indiana State – 46
5. Northern Iowa – 45
6. Missouri State – 40
7. Drake – 19
8. Bradley – 16
9. Loyola – 14
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track and Field team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.