KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
KNOXVILLE, TENN. ? The Indiana State women's 4x400 meter relay team and the men's 4x1500 meter relay team each established a new school record during the final day of competition Saturday at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee.
Andrew Lepkowski, Jeremiah Vaughan, Dustin Betz, and Michael Disher combined to win the men's 4x1500 meter relay with a school record time of 15:59.54, smashing the old mark of 16:10.15 set by Walsh, Placencia, Koressel, and Lambertus in 2007.
Patrick Mendenhall, Michael Roberts, DeJuan Mitchell, and Dexter Childress combined for the other Indiana State win on the day, taking the 4x110 shuttle hurdle relay with a time of 1:02.34 which is the sixth best in ISU history.
“The win in the 4x1500 was really credited to Lepkowski who put us so far ahead after the first leg that we won rather easily,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. “The 4x400 team ran their fastest time of the season, the 4x100 was near their best time, and the shuttle relay got in some good practice for the upcoming Drake Relays.”
The Sycamore women's 4x400 meter relay team of Leeann Michl, Lauren Martin, Kaci Smith, and Erica Moore established the other new school record as they finished sixth in the event with a time of 3:42.15. That breaks the old record of 3:42.80 set by Bruecker, Taylor, Halterman, and S. Shittu in 1999.
“The highlight of the meet for us came early with the 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay,” John Gartland, Indiana State women's track & field coach said. “Erica (Moore) nearly ran down a very good runner from Illinois in the 4x400 relay. It was a very nice effort by all of the teams today. The distance medley had good legs by each member and the 4x400 was pretty impressive too but did not place as well as we wanted.”
The 4x100 shuttle hurdle relay of Tori Stone, Sarah Snapp, Annie Smith, and Erica Moore finished second in 1:00.12 which is the fifth best time in school history. Kacie Klem, Leeann Michl, Adriane Wunderlich, and Allison Malone combined for a fourth place finish in the distance medley relay with a time of 11:56.60 which is also fifth best in school history.
Jaquelle Spencer, Jasmyn Hudgins, Macey Black, and Violet Nwordu combined for a seventh place finish in the 4x200 relay in 1:41.26 (fifth best in school history) while Spencer, Hudgins, Martin, and Nwordu finished 10th in the 4x100 relay in a season best time of 46.87. Klem, Smith, Wunderlich and Malone were seventh in the 4x800 relay with a time of 9:26.64.
In two other relay events for the men, Steven Swinford, Roberts, Justin Baxtron and Andrew Stull combined to finish eighth in the 4x100 relay in 41.71 while Andrew Stull, Konstantinos, Dexter Childress, Justin Baxton combined to run a season best 3:17.59 in the 4x400 relay to finish 15th.
Indiana State also competed in several individual events on the day with Kelsey Hanley placed 10 h in the women's discus invitational with a throw of 140'-8” (42.89 meters), Shalesa Smith placed 25th in the women's long jump with a distance of 16'-4.25” (4.98 meters), Brandon Pounds was 13th in the men's hammer throw at 172'-11” (52.70 meters), and Lyle Nolcox was 16th in the men's hammer throw at 169'-7” (51.69 meters).
Indiana State will now gear up for the first home meet of the 2010 outdoor season as they host Indiana, Michigan State, and Southern Illinois for the Indiana State Quadrangular on Friday and Saturday.
