CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Indiana State men's and women's track & field will be looking for conference glory this weekend at the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships, hosted by Northern Iowa inside the UNI-Dome on Saturday and Sunday.
The Sycamore women have been picked to finish second and the men fifth in the Valley's Pre-Championship Poll of the conference coaches, a near inverse from December's preseason poll that picked the Sycamore men second and the women fourth.
Wichita State's men's and women's team were unanimously selected to win this weekend, less than one year after the Shockers pulled off the outdoor men's and women's sweep of the team title. The Shocker men won the 2016 indoor title but the women were upset by Illinois State.
The current conference performance list projects the Wichita State women to win the meet by more than 100 points, but the Sycamore women will field a strong, deep team to contend. The leader for the ISU women this week, as she has been all year, will be sophomore distance star
Brooke Moore.
Moore – an Elkhart, Ind., native – has lit the track on fire this year, breaking school records in the mile (4:43.04) and 3K (9:35.60) in the process. Moore currently ranks as the best in the Valley in both events, and narrowly ranks second in the 800 at her PR time of 2:09.18 (converted for track size from 2:10.67). This indoor season has been a continuation of a superb sophomore campaign by Moore, who earned her second All-MVC honor during the cross country season as the third-place finisher at the MVC Championships.
The women's hurdlers have also been a sight to behold this indoor season, with four current Sycamores running top-10 times in school history. Chief among them is junior hurdler and reigning MVC Female Track Athlete of the Week
Patrycja Dziekonska. The junior New Jersey native has topped out at 8.53 this season, the third-fastest time in school history and the fifth-best in the Valley this season. Other hurdlers in action with top-10 times this season are sophomore
Ayanna Morgan (8.68, fifth), junior
Micaela McLean (8.69, sixth) and freshman
Allana Ince (8.86, 10th).
Looking to make a comeback in a big way is senior
Alethia Marrero, who missed the entirety of the 2016 season due to injury. Marrero, a 2015 NCAA Outdoor All-American in the 800 and a 2015 MVC Indoor 400-meter champion, has had a strong indoor season in her return. She currently ranks third in the Valley in the 800 at 2:09.24 and will surely be in the mix on both the 4x400-meter relay and distance medley relay squads.
ISU also boasts the second-best women's pole vaulter in the Valley at the moment in senior transfer
Kaitlyn Moricz. After not clearing a bar in her season opener, Moricz has set a career-best and climbed Indiana State's all-time list in five consecutive weeks, clearing 3.70m (12-01.50), 3.81m (12-06.00), 3.85m (12-07.50), 3.90m (12-09.50) and 3.97m (13-00.25) in succession to rank sixth all-time in school history.
Meanwhile, the Sycamore men will boast the defending MVC Indoor and Outdoor Most Valuable Athlete in senior distance runner
David Timlin – who missed most of the indoor season due to a minor injury. Timlin returned last week with a career performance in the 800 at Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invite, tying his previous best exactly at 1:51.37. Timlin is the defending MVC Champion in both the mile and the 3K, but he will try his hand at the mile and the 800 this coming weekend. He owns the school-record in the mile at 4:00.42 and has solid experience in the 800 as well, finishing runner-up indoors in 2015.
Hurdle U will be looking to continue the tradition this weekend as well as they try to bring home the men's 60-meter hurdles title for the fifth straight season. Seniors
Daley Carter (7.85) and
Marcus Neely (7.87) currently hold the top-two spots in the Valley. Indiana State is also the last team to win five straight men's hurdles titles, as the Sycamores won six indoors from 1996-2001. In fact, the Sycamore men have taken at least the top two spots in the hurdles in each of the last four indoor conference meets (2013-16).
The 2017 MVC Indoor Championships will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sat., Feb. 25, with the beginning of the women's pentathlon. ESPN3 and WatchESPN will broadcast at select times each day, going live at 7:30 p.m. ET on Day One to catch the 5K and DMR finals, and will start at 2:15 p.m. ET on Day Two for nearly four hours of live finals coverage.
ESPN3 Broadcast Schedule:
Day One (Sat., Feb. 25): 7:30 p.m. ET
Day Two (Sun., Feb. 26): 2:15 p.m. ET
Women's Pre-Championship Poll:
1. Wichita State (9) – 81
2. Indiana State – 66
3. Illinois State – 63
4. Southern Illinois – 55
5. Northern Iowa – 50
6. Missouri State – 35
7. Drake – 26
8. Loyola – 17
9. Bradley – 12
Men's Pre-Championship Poll:
1. Wichita State (8) – 64
2. Southern Illinois – 55
3. Northern Iowa – 45
4. Illinois State – 38
5. Indiana State – 37
6. Bradley – 23
7. Loyola – 15
8. Drake – 12
Women's Pre-Season 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
Men's Pre-Season 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 Projected Finish (per TFRRS):
1. Wichita State – 220
2. Indiana State – 114
3. Illinois State – 101
4. Southern Illinois – 74
5. Northern Iowa – 73
6. Missouri State – 36
7. Drake – 21
8. Loyola – 18
9. Bradley – 6
Men's Projected Finish (per TFRRS):
1. Wichita State – 156
2. Southern Illinois – 106
3. Northern Iowa – 95
4. Illinois State – 80
5. Indiana State – 77
6. Bradley – 67
7. Loyola – 40
8. Drake – 38
Last Five Women's MVC Indoor Champions:
2016: Illinois State
2015: Indiana State
2014: Indiana State
2013: Wichita State
2012: Missouri State
Last Five Men's MVC Indoor Champions:
2016: Wichita State
2015: Indiana State
2014: Indiana State
2013: Indiana State
2012: Southern Illinois
Returning Women's Indoor All-MVC:
2016
Jamie Newsome – Triple Jump, 1st Place
Aleksey Green – Distance Medley Relay, 1st Place
Ahmanah Woods – Distance Medley Relay, 1st Place
Cassaundra Roper – Shot Put, 2nd Place
Taylor Austin – 5K, 3rd Place
2015
Alethia Marrero – 400-Meter Dash, 1st Place
Jamie Newsome – Triple Jump, 1st Place
Oschtisha Jackson – 4x400-Meter Relay, 2nd Place
Alethia Marrero – 4x400-Meter Relay, 2nd Place
Jamie Newsome – 4x400-Meter Relay, 2nd Place
2014
Alethia Marrero – 400-Meter Dash, 2nd Place
Returning Men's Indoor All-MVC:
2016
David Timlin – Mile, 1st Place
David Timlin – 3K, 1st Place
Tyrell Dowdell – Distance Medley Relay, 2nd Place
Blake Kramer – Distance Medley Relay, 2nd Place
David Timlin – Distance Medley Relay, 2nd Place
Devyn Mikell – Long Jump, 2nd Place
Jaime Murtagh – High Jump, 2nd Place
Marcus Neely – 60-Meter Hurdles, 2nd Place
2015
Devyn Mikell – Long Jump, 1st Place
Daley Carter – 60-Meter Hurdles, 2nd Place
Tyrell Dowdell – 4x400-Meter Relay, 2nd Place
David Timlin – 800-Meter, 2nd Place
2014
David Timlin – Mile, 2nd Place
Women's Indoor Team Championships (6):
1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2014, 2015
Men's Indoor Team Championships: (4):
2011, 2013, 2014, 2015
Men's National Top-50:
23.
Daley Carter – 60-Meter Hurdles – 7.85
28.
Marcus Neely – 60-Meter Hurdles – 7.87
Women's MVC Top-Eight:
1.
Brooke Moore – Mile – 4:43.04
1.
Brooke Moore – 3K – 9:35.60
1. Distance Medley Relay – 11:49.08
2.
Brooke Moore – 800-Meter – 2:09.18 (converted from 2:10.67)
2.
Kaitlyn Moricz – Pole Vault – 3.97m (13-00.25)
2.
Caitlyn Redmon – Long Jump – 5.88m (19-03.50)
3.
Alethia Marrero – 800-Meter – 2:09.24
4.
Jasmine Noel – Weight Throw – 18.30m (60-00.50)
4. 4x400-Meter Relay – 3:45.26
5.
Patrycja Dziekonska – 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.53
5.
Jamie Newsome – Triple Jump – 11.90m (39-00.50)
5.
Caitlyn Redmon – High Jump – 1.66m (5-05.25)
5.
Cassaundra Roper – Shot Put – 14.68m (48-02.00)
6.
Shana Cooper – 60-Meter Dash – 7.59
6.
Breanna Herring – Pole Vault – 3.67m (12-00.50)
6.
Alethia Marrero – 400-Meter Dash – 55.72 (converted from 56.46)
6.
Ayanna Morgan – Long Jump – 5.77m (18-11.25)
6.
Cassaundra Roper – Weight Throw – 17.59m (57-08.50)
7.
Imani Davis – 800-Meter – 2:12.39 (converted from 2:13.91)
7.
Jasmine Noel – Shot Put – 14.24m (46-08.75)
7.
Caitlyn Redmon – Pentathlon – 3,623
8.
Taylor Austin – 3K – 9:54.54
8.
Imani Davis – 400-Meter Dash – 56.21
8.
Ayanna Morgan – 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.68
Men's MVC Top-Eight:
1.
Daley Carter – 60-Meter Hurdles – 7.85
2.
Jaime Murtagh – High Jump – 2.09m (6-10.25)
2.
Marcus Neely – 60-Meter Hurdles – 7.87
2. Distance Medley Relay – 9:56.87
3.
Devyn Mikell – Long Jump – 7.36m (24-01.75)
4.
Gino Brown – Triple Jump – 14.54m (47-08.50)
4.
Ryan Chestnut – Weight Throw – 18.15m (59-06.75)
4.
Tyrell Dowdell – 400-Meter Dash – 48.32
5.
Devyn Mikell – Triple Jump – 14.52m (47-07.75)
5. 4x400-Meter Relay – 3:18.06 (converted from 3:21.21)
6.
Trey Kennedy – Pole Vault – 4.85m (15-11.00)
6.
Akis Medrano – 5K – 14:34.23
6.
Tristan Parmley – 200-Meter Dash – 21.72 (converted from 22.11)
7.
Michael Boger – Heptathlon – 4,557
7.
Tristan Parmley – 60-Meter Dash – 6.89
7.
Hunter Schuman – Weight Throw – 17.46m (57-03.50)
8.
Akis Medrano – Mile – 4:10.73
8.
Hunter Schuman – Shot Put – 16.83m (55-02.75)
8.
David Timlin – 800-Meter – 1:51.37
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.
