KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State women's 4x400 meter relay team came close to a new Marks Field record Saturday as they won the event at the ISU Quadrangular with a time of 3:42.86. The time breaks the old mark of 3:42.25 which was set by Missouri State in 2001.
Erica Moore, who set a new Marks Field record in the 400 meter hurdles on Friday, took the baton for the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay in second place but ran past the Indiana runner at the turn into the final stretch and pulled away to give the Sycamores the victory. Leeann Michl led off they relay followed by Lauren Martin, and Kaci Smith.
The victory lifted the Sycamores into third place of the women's team standings with 156.5 points. Southern Illinois won the team title with 187 points with Michigan State second at 173.5. Indiana was fourth with 153 points. The Missouri Valley-Big Ten women's battle went to the Missouri Valley 343.5-326.5.
Michigan State won the men's team battle with 199.5 points with Indiana second at 185, Southern Illinois third with 151, and Indiana State fourth with 135.5 points. The Missouri Valley-Big Ten battle went to the Big Ten 384.5-286.5.
“We certainly had blank spots this weekend,” John McNichols said. “We are pretty thin in a lot of spots and racing a lot of guys in areas that aren't their strongest. Individually we had some people that performed quite well including Brandon Pounds in the shot and there was a great dual in the high jump between Major Clay and Indiana's Derek Drouin. Major showed that he is that same caliber of league and Drouin and the rest of the elite high jumpers in the nation.
“Michael Disher had a great race in the steeplechase with a 10 second drop in his personal best time,” McNichols said. “That should get him a spot in the super-regional. Andrew Stull also did a great job in finishing second in the 200 which we have been working with him on since the last outdoor season.
“The meet was good overall,” McNichols said. “There were four teams that were loaded and had people in every event. Each team was really going after it. As a team we just didn't play the kind of role that I though we could play since we were at home. Some of it may have been intimidation with the high level competition that was here. That will be taken care of with the young guys getting experience, recruiting, and further development of our athletes. It was great having programs of such high caliber on our campus.”
One of the featured events for Saturday's Indiana State Quadrangular was the men's high jump which saw a fierce battle between Indiana State's Major Clay and Indiana's Derek Drouin, two of the best jumpers in the nation. Both leapers cleared 7'-3” (2.21m), a new personal best for Clay, and both had several good attempts at 7'-4.5” (2.25m) but neither was able to clear the bar successfully. Drouin took the win with fewer misses with Clay second.
Brandon Pounds won the men's shot put for Indiana State with a throw of 56'-10” (17.32m). John Lopp had a personal best throw of 170'-10” (52.07m) in the men's javelin to finish second in the competition. Steven Swinford was fifth with a throw of 144'-2” (43.95m).
Tra Wilson had a personal best jump of 22'-3.5” (6.79m) in finishing third in the men's long jump with Josh Gambles 10th at 20'-4.25” (6.20m). Ernest Rollins placed second in the triple jump with a jump of 47'-9.25” (14.56m).
Jeremy Pratt was the top Indiana State competitor in the men's pole vault with a jump of 15'-6.25” (4.73m) while finishing tied for fifth. Drew LaMaster was eighth while also clearing 15'-6.25” (4.73m).
Indiana State's Lauren Martin had another good day of jumping as she won the triple jump with a leap of 42'-8.75” (13.02m) and finished second in the long jump with a leap of 19'-7” (5.97m). Shalesa Smith was sixth in the triple jump at 37'-2.25” (11.33m). Jaquelle Spencer was seventh in the long jump at 17'-10.75” (5.45m) and Erica Moroe finished eighth at 17'-7.5” (5.37m).
All three of the Indiana State competitors in the women's shot put established personal bests in the event Saturday with Felisha Johnson tossing the sixth best throw in school history at 46'-8.25” (14.23m) in finishing fifth. Tara Perigo had a throw of 43'-7.25” (13.29m) in finishing eighth while Kasey Kahle had throw of 38'-6.25” (11.74m) in placing 13th.
Autumn Sowders had the ninth best throw in school history for the women's javelin, finishing fourth with a personal best distance of 115'-4” (35.16m). Tara Perigo finished eighth with a distance of 108'-11” (33.19m). Alicia Fritschi was the top Sycamore in the women's pole vault, finishing fourth with a vault of 11'-9” (3.58m). Amanda Paden was sixth at 11'-3” (3.43m) and Richelle Kimble tied for eighth, also clearing 11'-3” (3.43m).
Annie Smith was seventh in the women's high jump by clearing 5'-5” (1.65m) with Chennelle Martin tying for eighth at 5'-3” (1.60m) and Nikole Snearley 10th at 5'-1” (1.55m).
Jaquelle Spencer ran a personal best 12.04 to lead a 2-3-4 sweep in the 100 meters for the Sycamores. Violet Nwordu also had a personal best in finishing third in 12.24 while Jasmyn Hudgins was fourth in 12.40. Spencer also had a personal best in the 200 meters, finishing fourth in 25.15. Violet Nwordu was fifth in 25.37 with Stacia Weatherford seventh in 25.55.
Leeann Michel finished fifth in the 400 meters in 57.53 with Rachel Posey 10th in 59.04.
Two of the best 800 meter runners in the East faced off as Indiana State's Erica Moore went stride-for-stride with Indiana's Molly Beckwith Saturday. Despite running a personal best 2:08.07, Moore finished just behind Beckwith who won the event in 2:06.85.
Allison Malone was the top Sycamore in the women's 1,500 meters as she finished seventh with a time of 4:45.85 while Adriane Wunderlich was seventh in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
Indiana State finished third, fourth, and fifth in the women's 100 meter hurdles with Erica Moore third in 14.35, Sarah Snapp fourth in 14.73, and Tori Stone fifth in 15.00.
Justin Baxtron ran a personal best 10.88 in finishing fourth in the 100 meters with Steven Swinford eighth in 11.33. Andrew Stull was the top Sycamore in the 200 meters, finishing second in 21.61. Baxtron was fifth in 22.12 with Patrick Mendenhall seventh in 22.69.
Daryl Truitt led the ISU effort in the 400 meters, finishing sixth in 51.64 with David Ertel eighth in 51.87. Konstantinos Tzirtziris led ISU in the 800 meters with a seventh place finish in 1:56.65 while Corey Hahn was ninth in 1:58.36.
Michael Disher ran the third fastest time in school history in the 3,000 steeplechase, finishing second in a personal best 8:55.37. Dustin Betz was seventh in 9:33.16 with Brandon Query eighth in 9:47.20 and Andrew Sullivan ninth in 10:13.22.
Andrew Lepkowski was the top Indiana State runner in the men's 1,500 meters, finishing 10th with a time of 4:10.21.
Michael Roberts was fourth in the men's 110 meter hurdles in 14.60 with Patrick Mendenhall taking sixth in 15.39, and Dexter Childress 10th in 15.72.
The Indiana State 4x400 relay team of Andrew Stull, Dexter Childress, Konstantinos Tzirtziris, and Justin Baxtron finished third in 3:27.73 while the “B” team of Daryl Truitt, Robert Webb, Corey Hahn, and David Ertel finished sixth in 3:31.36.
The Sycamores will see action at two venues next weekend. A select number of athletes will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays which start on Thursday while the rest of the team will be in competition at the Purdue Outdoor Open in West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday.
