KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State men's and women's track & field teams were winners in the Indiana State University Invitational, which was competed despite on an off showers Saturday at Marks Field on the campus of Indiana State.
The Indiana State men won the Invitational title with 244.50 points with Eastern Illinois second at 178.50, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville third with 98 and Loyola University-Chicago fourth with 59. In dual meet action, ISU topped EIU 261.50 to 197, defeated SIU-E 277-131, and Loyola 277-131.
“It was good to get outside and compete, especially with that meet being at home,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach said. “Major Clay getting a regional qualifying mark in his first outdoor meet is a great accomplishment for him.”
The Sycamore women won their Invitational title with 228 points while Eastern Illinois was second with 177, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville third at 81 and Loyola University-Chicago fourth with 52 points. In dual meet action, ISU won over EIU 239-194, defeated SIU-E 257-111, and won over Loyola 265-84.
“We have a group of elite athletes who carried us through to the win today,” John Gartland, Indiana State women's track & field coach said. “But they were not all that brought us the win. Heather Stembridge had an outstanding meet for us today.”
Indiana State junior Kylie Hutson qualified for the NCAA Regional in her first meet of the outdoor season, winning the women's pole vault and setting a new Marks Field record with a vault of 12-feet-11.50 (3.95 meters).
Sycamore sophomore Major Clay also qualified for the NCAA Regional, winning the men's high jump with a leap of 6-feet-10.75 (2.10 meters).
The Indiana State women's team had a three multiple winners on the day. Erica Moore won the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.64 and then won the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.96, just a tenth of a second off a regional qualifying mark. Heather Stembridge won the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.87 and the 1500 meters in 4:43.89 while Lauren Martin won the long jump with a leap of 18-feet-1.75 (5.53 meters) and the triple jump with a leap of 39-feet-3.25 (11.97 meters).
Jeanne Middleton won the 100 meters for the Sycamore women with a time of 12.14 while Mary Kate Conway took the 400 meters in 57.36 and Annie Beasley won the high jump with a leap of 5-feet-3 (1.60 meters).
The Sycamores also won both relays. Jaquelle Spencer, Middleton, Martin and Conway won the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 47.44, two seconds short of a regional qualifying mark, while Martin, Conway, Katie Weber and Moore combined to win the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:52.87.
For the Indiana State men, Jeremiah Vaughan won the 1500 meters with a time of 3:59.39 while Jared Messmann took the 5000 meters with a time of 15:20.99, Michael Roberts won the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.30 (just a second off a regional qualifying time), and Michael Disher won the 3000 meter steeplechase in 9:16.82.
In the field events, Jon Lautzenheiser took first in the long jump with a leap of 22-feet-5.25 (6.84 meters), Ernest Rollins the triple jump with a leap of 45-feet-2.5 (13.78 meters) and Josh Williams took first in the javelin with a throw of 151-feet-10 (46.28 meters).
The Sycamores also won both relay races. Daryl Truitt, Gary Ogburn, Sean Wright, and Antinoice Surry combined to win the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 40.85, just two-tenths of a second off a regional qualifying mark. Ogburn, Anthony Bertoli, Bryant Kent and Wright combined to win the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:13.36, just three seconds off a regional qualifying mark.
Indiana State will be back in competition next weekend as they participate in the Big Blue Classic, hosted by Eastern Illinois University. The meet begins on Thursday, April 2 and continues through Saturday, April 4.
