CHARLESTON, Ill. – Indiana State women's track & field came away with the team title and the men a runner-up finish at the EIU Friday Night Special, ISU's last chance to compete before the MVC Indoor Championships next week.
 
The Sycamore women won with a 130-112 decision over Eastern Illinois, while the men fell 126-111 in a narrow contest to the Panthers. Many Sycamores took the week off to rest for the conference championships next week, but ISU still came away with several very strong performances.
 
Not taking the week off in any form was senior transfer pole vaulter Kaitlyn Moricz. The reigning MVC Female Field Athlete of the Week put together yet another career day, tonight winning the pole vault at another new PR of 3.97m (13-00.25). Moricz still ranks sixth all-time in Indiana State history, but this is now the fifth-straight meet in which she has set a new best after not clearing a bar in the home season opener vs. Illinois State. Since, she has cleared 3.70m (12-01.50), 3.81m (12-06.00), 3.85m (12-07.50), 3.90m (12-09.50) and now 3.97m (13-00.25).
 
Moricz also still ranks second in the Valley behind Southern Illinois' Cara Engel (4.12m/13-06.25), but tonight Moricz bested her as Engel was only able to clear 3.82m (12-06.25).
 
Junior Breanna Herring had another great day as well, finishing third overall at a new PR height of 3.67m (12-00.50) – the sixth-best in the conference this year.
 
Junior hurdler Patrycja Dziekonska had another excellent week herself, winning the 60-meter hurdles for the second straight week at a sub-8.55 time. Dziekonska ran 8.54 in the final for the win, narrowly off her career-best run last week of 8.53 (which ranks third all-time in school history).
 
Sophomore Ayanna Morgan had a massive jump in her career-best in the hurdles, finishing second in the final at 8.68 seconds. Her new time is nearly a half-second PR that currently ranks fifth all-time (after not ranking on the list beforehand). Her prelim time of 8.77 was a sizeable jump already, as it would have jumped her up to eighth all-time itself. Currently, Morgan ranks eighth in the MVC.
 
Junior Micaela McLean finished fourth at 8.82, but freshman Allana Ince completed a trifecta of top-10 hurdles times with an 8.86 in the final to finish fifth – the ninth-best time in school history.
 
Senior hurdler Marcus Neely won his second-straight hurdles title in the men's edition of the 60-meter hurdles. Neely, who entered ranked 27th in the NCAA at 7.87 seconds, ran 7.89 for the win today.
 
Junior Jamie Newsome helped the Sycamore women out with two strong performances in the field. She won the long jump at 5.64m (18-06.00) before setting a season-best as the runner-up in the triple jump at 11.90m (39-00.50) – the fifth-best leap in the Valley this season.
 
Other notable field performances include Jaime Murtagh's win in the men's high jump (2.03m/6-08.00) and an impressive day from junior Hunter Schuman in the men's weight throw and shot put. Schuman set season-bests in both, finishing second in the weight at 17.46m (57-03.50) and third in the shot put at 16.83m (55-02.75) – the seventh-best in the MVC this year.
 
The 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships begin next Sat., Feb. 25, and run through Sun., Feb. 26.
 
Women's Team Scores:
1. Indiana State – 130
2. Eastern Illinois – 112
3. Southern Illinois – 65
4. Bradley - 51
 
Men's Team Scores:
1. Eastern Illinois – 126
2. Indiana State – 111
3. Bradley – 62
4. Southern Illinois - 59
 
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
 
Women's 60-Meter Dash:
2. Azya McLin – 7.83f – 7.85q (3rd) – PR
 
Women's 200-Meter Dash:
1. Justine Corya – 26.14 - PR
2. Brittany Montemayer – 26.97 - PR
3. Shalynn Brewer-Newkirk – 27.85
 
Men's 400-Meter Dash:
1. Charles Sykes – 51.63
2. Liam McGrath – 52.35
 
Men's 800-Meter:
3. Isaac Bentz – 1:58.74
4. Tony Rigoni – 1:59.28
 
Women's Mile:
5. Colleen Madden – 5:21.52 – 1st career mile
 
Men's 3K:
1. Fergus Arthur – 8:44.03
3. Seth Cousins – 8:50.08
 
Men's Pole Vault:
4. Trey Kennedy – 4.85m (15-11.00) – SB, 6th MVC
5. Riley Smith – 4.55m (14-11.00)
 
Women's High Jump:
2. Kailyn Hutson – 1.58m (5-02.25) - PR
3. Carson Smith – 1.58m (5-02.25)
 
Men's High Jump:
2. Tyler Owen – 2.03m (6-08.00)
 
Women's Shot Put:
2. Cassaundra Roper – 14.06m (46-01.50)
3. Jasmine Noel – 13.37m (43-10.50)
 
Women's Weight Throw:
3. Jasmine Noel – 17.57m (57-07.75)
5. Cassaundra Roper – 16.39m (53-09.25)
 
Men's Weight Throw:
3. Ryan Chestnut – 17.22m (56-06.00)
 
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.