KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ? The Indiana State University track and field team set two new school records in competition at the University of Tennessee Sea Ray Invitational on Friday. The invitational concluded on Saturday with just a few events competed due to a thunderstorm which moved into the area causing officials to call off the rest of the meet.
Justin Kunz set a new school record in the men's 10,000 meter run in the final event of the day, placing second with a time of 29:51.66. That broke the old mark of 30:13.15 set by Jason Gunn in 2001.
“It was a really great race,” said John McNichols, ISU men's coach. “The conditions were cold and damp, just right for a 10k run. It was great to see the school record get below 30.”
Kunz was also close to the provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA championships, missing by just 21 seconds.
“He will have to get a little faster but I think that he can do it,” McNichols said.
Jeremy Kunz also did well in the event, placing 14th with a time of 31:35.27, his personal best of the season.
The other school record came from the women's team as Erica Moore took fifth in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 59.41. That broke the old mark of Angie Bruecker of 59.99 set in 1998, one of the oldest records remaining on the ISU books.
In other top finishes for the men's team: Curt Sunderland finished second in the high jump with a leap of 6-feet-6.75-inches (2.0 meters) with Brandon Youngdale sixth with a leap of 6-feet-4.75 (1.95 meters); Sean Wright placed sixth in the 400 meters with a time of 47.22; and the 4x1500 relay team of Kyle Walsh, Randy Placencia, Scott Koressel and John Lamburtis was third in 16:10.15. Sean Bowman ran well in the 1,500 meters, placing fifth with a time of 3:21.26.
Another highlight for the women's team came from Dani Prince, who qualified for the NCAA Regionals with a time of 16:49.46, finishing fourth in the 5,000 meter run. The time was the second best in school history.
Other top 10 finishes for the women's team: Santia Spight placed fourth in the high jump with a leap of 5-feet-7 (1.70 meters); and, Kylie Hutson was seventh in the pole vault at 11-feet-11.75 (3.65 meters). Laura Engle had a personal best time of 4:33.24 in the 1,500 meter run, which placed her 17th overall. That time places her in the top five in school history for that event.
On Saturday, the men's 4x110 shuttle hurdle relay placed second. Carlton Hoyles, Anthony Bertoli, Paladin Jordan and Patrick Mendenhall combined on the relay and finished with a time of 1:00.26 The Sycamores distance medley team of Randy Placencia, Vincent Mason, John Lambertus and Sean Bowman placed third with a time of 10:05.47 while the 4x100 relay team of Antinoice Surry, Sean Wright, Logan Edwards and Gary Ogburn placed fifth with a time of 40.83.
For the women's team, the shuttle hurdle relay team of Amanda Jones, Erica Moore, Julian Yorn and Myra Bess placed fourth overall with a time of 1:00.55. The 4x100 relay team of Myra Bess, Janae Bridges, Jeanne Roberts, and Lauren Martin was 14th in 47.59.
Indiana State was scheduled to host the Pacesetter Classic next weekend but that meet has been cancelled. The Sycamores will instead travel to Louisville, Ky., for the Cardinal Classic next weekend.
