BLOOMINGTON, IND. ? The Indiana State track and field team picked up some key victories and are currently sitting in second place in both the men's and women's competition at the Indiana Invitational following Friday's action.
The Sycamore women's team has 61 points, just behind host Indiana, who leads the competition with 69. Michigan State is currently third at 58 with Southern Illinois fourth at 52.
On the men's side, Indiana State is second with 55 points with host Indiana leading after the first day with 60 points. Michigan State is third with 52 points while Southern Illinois is fourth with 31.
“We are off to a very good start at this meet,” John Gartland, Indiana State women's track & field coach said. “We got some big wins from our elite athletes and did very well overall. I think that it will be a tight race right up until the end.”
Indiana State junior Erica Moore bettered her regional qualifying mark in the 400 meter hurdles Friday, winning the event with a time of 58.49. Also better her regional qualifying mark was junior Lauren Martin, who won the triple jump with a leap of 42-feet-01.25-inches
(12.83 meters).
The Sycamore 4x100 meter relay team of Jaquelle Spencer, Jeanne' Middleton, Lauren Martin and Mary Kate Conway lost in a photo finish to Michigan State, both teams timing at 46.41.
Another top finish for the Sycamores came from Kelsey Hanley, who finished second in the discus but had a regional qualifying throw of 156-feet-0 (47.54 meters). Heather Stembridge was fourth in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:33.64 while Sarah Snapp was sixth in the triple jump at 34-feet-3 (10.44 meters), Tara Perigo fifth in the javelin at 105-fee-2 (32.05 meters), and Amanda Jones sixth in the javelin at 103-feet-5 (31.53 meters).
Anthony Bertoli completed an ISU sweep in Friday's hurdle events as he won the men's 400 meter hurdles with a time of 52.93. James Twitchell finished third in the event with a time of 53.46 while Andrew Geller was fifth in 55.65 and Drake Sterling sixth in 59.73.
Indiana State earned another first place finish from the 4x100 meter relay team as Daryl Truitt, Antinoice Surry, Sean Wright and Andrew Stull combined to win in 40.78.
Other top finishes for the Sycamores came from Ernest Rollins, third in the triple jump with a leap of 47-feet-6.25 (14.48 meters), Jeremiah Vaughan fourth in the 1500 meters in 3:53.23, and Erica Schulz third in the 5000 meters in 14:32.29 and Michael Disher fifth in the 500 meters with a time of 14:38.23.
The Indiana Invitational continues on Saturday.
