KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
GREENCASTLE, IND. ? The Sycamore's continued their dominance in the field events as the women's track & field team captured the Tiger Invitational title Saturday and the men finished a close second Saturday at DePauw University.
Indiana State dominated the women's team score with 206 points. Vincennes was second with 72, DePauw third with 68, Wilmington (Ohio) fourth with 67, Rose-Hulman fifth with 56, and Southern Indiana sixth with 33 points.
On the men's side, Vincennes won the title with 119 points with the Sycamores a close second with 112 points. Wabash was third with 83, Rose-Hulman fourth with 78, Wilmington (Ohio) fifth with 48, DePauw sixth with 55, and Southern Indiana seventh with 21.
Indiana State captured first place in eight of the 12 field events on the night with five captured by the women and three on the men's side.
Sycamore senior Kylie Hutson led a 1-2-3 sweep in the women's pole vault as she had a season best vault of 14'-1.25” (4.30m), an automatic qualifying vault for the third straight week and a mark that set the Tiger Invitational and DePauw track record. The vault also moved her to fourth in the nation. Richelle Kimble moved into eighth place on the ISU all-time list with a vault of 11'-5.75” (3.50m) to finish second, and Amanda Paden was third at 10'-11.75” (3.35m).
Annie Smith won the long jump with a jump of 16'-5.25” (5.01m) and Sarah Snapp won the triple jump with a jump of 34'-8.25” (10.57m). Kelsey Hanley won the weight throw with a toss of 63'-0.25” (19.21m) with Felisha Johnson second at 62'-8.75” (18.60m) and Kasey Kahle fourth at 51'-1.50” (15.58m). Johnson won the shot put with a heave of 46'-9” (14.24m) with Tara Perigo third at 42'-6” (12.95m) and Kahle fifth at 38'-4” (11.68m).
On the men's side, Josh Williams led another sweep by the Sycamores in the weight throw as Indiana State took the top four spots. Williams won with the sixth best throw in school history of 62'-11.50” (19.49m) with Brandon Pounds second at 57'-6.50” (17.54m), Lyle Nolcox third at 54'-11.25” (16.74m), and Julius Smith fourth at 54'-6” (16.61m).
ISU also took the top two spots in the shot put as Pounds provisionally qualified for the NCAA National Indoor Championships with a winning heave of 59'-2.25” (18.05m) which was a personal best for the Sycamore. Williams was second at 47'-3.75” (14.42m).
“Our throwers did well all day long,” Jeff Martin, Indiana State assistant coach, said. “Brandon had some great throws and put one out there to provisionally qualify for the nationals and Williams continued to throw well in the weight throw.”
Steven Swinford led another Sycamore 1-2-3 sweep in the pole vault with a winning vault of 15'-9” (4.80m). Jeremy Pratt was second at 15'-3” (4.65m) and Drew LaMaster was third at 14'-5.25” (4.35m).
The Sycamore women also won both relays. Hanna Mercer, Patty Merrion, Kristy Twitchell, and Kate Tarr combined to win the distance medley relay with a time of 13:39.00 while Tori Stone, Merrion, Twitchell, and Macey Black won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:07.12.
Indiana State had one more sweep on the night, which came in the 55 meter hurdles as the ISU women took four of the top five spots including the top three. Stone won the event with the 16th fastest time in school history of 8.58. Snapp was second with ISU's 17th fastest time of 8.62. Kiwanna Stewart was third in 9.02 and Smith fifth in 9.27.
Stone was also second in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.19.
“Tori had a great day,” Martin said. “She had personal bests in the 55 hurdles and 400 meters, and then anchored the winning effort by the 4x400 relay team.”
Adriane Wunderlich set a season personal best by finishing second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:17.49, finishing just behind Division III All-American Lauren Reich of DePauw.
“That was a very good time for Adriane who is coming off a hamstring injury,” Martin said.
Shalesa Smith finished third in the 55 meters (7.58) and fifth in the 200 meters (27.70), Macey Black was third in the 200 meters (26.82) and fifth in the 55 meters (7.59), and Patty Merrion third in the 400 meters (1:03.45).
On the men's side, Corey Olive finished second in the 400 meters (51.45), Patrick Mendenhall third in the 55 hurdles (8.10), Justin Baxtron fourth in the 55 meters (6.69), and Aaron Garretson fourth in the 800 meters (1:58.96).
The Sycamores will be competing in the Iowa State Classic starting next Thursday.
