Sycamore women back in Top 25 of national rankings; MVC Pre-Championship poll released
KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
ST. LOUIS ? A pair of Indiana State seniors were honored by the Missouri Valley Conference this week as Kylie Hutson was named the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Field Athlete of the Week and Erica Moore was named the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Week, it was today by the league office. This is the third straight week that Hutson has been recognized by the Valley and the fifth time this outdoor season that Moore has been recognized by the Valley.
Sycamore Senior Kylie Hutson continued her pursuit of the collegiate women's pole vault record at the Indiana University Billy Hayes Invitational last Friday, winning the event with an Indiana State and Missouri Valley Conference record vault of 14'-9.5” (4.51 meters). The vault is a collegiate and world best this season and ranks the ISU senior first in the nation.
Hutson went after the collegiate record of 4.60 meters (15'-1”) set by Chelsea Johnson of UCLA at the Pac 10 Championships on May 14, 2006. On her third attempt at 4.61 meters (15'-1.5”), Hutson's pole broke resulting in a hand injury which will keep her out of the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships, ending a streak of seven straight pole vault championships for the Sycamore senior.
Indiana State senior Erica Moore set a blistering pace and cruised to victory in the 400 meters at the Indiana University Billy Hayes Invitational on Friday, establishing a school record time of 52.60 in the process. The time ranks her seventh nationally and third in the East this outdoor season.
Moore now holds five Indiana State records including the 400 meters, 100 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles, heptathlon, and as a member of the 4x400 meter relay team.
ISU WOMEN BACK IN TOP 25 - RANKED 23RD; ISU MEN ARE RANKED 88TH
The Indiana State women's track & field team moved into the top 25 of the national rankings released Tuesday by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association as the Sycamores climbed eight spots to 23rd nationally. The Indiana State men's track & field team dropped two spots in this week's rankings, falling to 88th in this week's rankings.
Southern Illinois is the top ranked Missouri Valley Conference women's team as the Salukis dropped one spot to 21st in the national rankings. Indiana State is next at 23rd with Wichita State 76th, Northern Iowa 80th, Illinois State 128th, and Drake 168th. The Indiana Hoosiers moved past the Sycamores to be the top ranked team in Indiana with the Hoosiers now 22nd. Notre Dame is 53rd with Purdue 79th.
The Great Lakes Region rankings were also released with very little change as the Sycamore women remained 10th in this week's rankings. Indiana University remains the top ranked team in the region with Wisconsin second and Ohio State third. They are followed by Michigan State, Michigan, Kent State, Notre Dame, Akron, Purdue and Indiana State in the top 10.
Indiana State remains the top men's team from the Missouri Valley Conference in the USTFCCCA national rankings with their 88th ranking. The Sycamores are followed by Wichita State at 99th, Southern Illinois at 107th, Illinois State at 142nd, Northern Iowa at 166th, and Drake at 168th. The Indiana Hoosiers are the top ranked state school at 37th followed by Purdue at 71st, Butler at 76th, Notre Dame at 82nd, and Indiana State at 88th.
The Sycamore men dropped to 15th in this week's Great Lakes Region rankings. Wisconsin remained the top ranked team in the Region with Indiana second, and Ohio State third. They are followed by Akron, Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Kent State, Purdue, and Cincinnati.
SYCAMORES PICKED THIRD, FOURTH IN MVC PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP POLL
The Indiana State women's track & field team enters the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship picked to finish third in the team race while the men's track & field team was selected to finish fourth in a poll of Missouri Valley Conference coaches.
Southern Illinois University received five first place votes and 61 points to be the favorite in the women's team race this year after winning the conference title a year ago. Wichita State received the other three first place votes and 59 points to finish a close second. Indiana State edged out Illinois State for third with the Sycamores earning 44 points and the Redbirds 43. Northern Iowa was picked fifth with 26, Missouri State sixth with 24, Drake seventh with 23, and Bradley eighth with eight points.
Wichita State received all six first place votes and garnered 36 points to be the favorite in the men's team race. Southern Illinois was second with 28 points with Northern Iowa edging out Indiana State for third with 21 points. The Sycamores received 20 points in the poll. Illinois State is picked fifth with 13 points and Drake sixth with eight points.
The 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be contested Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill.
