KEVIN JENISON / GoSycamores.com

CHARLESTON, ILL. - Indiana State sophomore Felisha Johnson assured herself of another trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships as she won the weight throw at the EIU Early Bird Friday. Johnson also set a meet record in winning the shot put. She was one of 11 winners for the Sycamores on the night as Indiana State took the team victory.

"We had a great performance from many of our athletes but especially Swift and Pounds," John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. "It was a battle between the Missouri Valley Champions and the Ohio Valley Champions and we came out on top by a point."

The meet also marked the return of veteran ISU thrower Brandon Pounds who missed all of last season with a hand injury. Pounds had a personal best throw of 63'-6.75" (19.37 meters) in placing second in the men's weight throw. That was the seventh best throw in school history.

"It was a great effort," Angie Martin, Indiana State women's track & field head coach, said. "We had a lot of great performances. I hope that our team attitude continues to grow. They are very good at supporting each other and it was fun to watch the excitement of the team. There are a lot of good things to come from this team if everyone works hard over the Christmas break."

Johnson led an ISU sweep of the top four spots in the weight throw with a toss of 71'-1.25" (21.67 meters) which surpassed the automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships and is the second best throw in the nation at this time. Sycamore junior Mary Theisen was second at 54'-0" (16.46 meters) with senior Tara Perigo third with a personal best 53'-1.75" (16.20 meters), and junior Kasey Kahle fourth with a personal best 52'-4.75" (15.97 meters).

Johnson also won the shot put with a heave of 52'-0.5" (15.86 meters) which broke the EIU Early Bird meet record of 15.12 meters thrown by EIU's Kandace Arnold in 2009. The mark also ranks her third nationally at this time. Theisen finished second in the competition with a throw of 48'-11.75" (14.93 meters).

On the men's side, sophomore Greggmar Swift set a new Early Bird meet record after winning the men's 60 meter hurdles with a personal best time of 7.85 which is the fifth fastest in school history and ties him for second best in the nation at this time. Swift had set the previous EIU Early Bird meet record a year ago at 7.91 in his first collegiate meet as a Sycamore.

Another winner for the Indiana State women was senior Nicole Hope who smashed her previous personal best in the indoor pole vault with a winning vault of 13'-4.5" (4.08 meters) which is the second best in school history.

Junior Shalesa Smith established a new personal best in the triple jump with a winning leap of 38'-6.25" (11.74 meters) while freshman Carmelia Stewart was second at 37'-6.5" (11.44 meters) in her first collegiate competition.

Senior Kaci Smith was a winner for the ISU women as she held off sophomore teammate Kalli Dalton to win the 800 meters with a time of 2:20.79. Dalton finished second in 2:22.08. Sophomore Jessica Zangmeister won the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:20.08 while freshman Nicole Lucas was third in 10:36.06.

Sophomore Max Tuttle won the men's 600 meters with a personal best time of 1:21.42 while freshman Ryan Henrickson was third in 1:24.09. Sophomore Brad Adams won the 800 meters in 1:57.32 with red-shirt junior Corey Hahn third at 1:58.29. Senior Jeremiah Vaughan won the mile w=in 4:19.30 with junior Dustin Betz second in 4:19.56.

Freshman Jonathan Christensen won the high jump competition in his first meet as a Sycamore by clearing 6'-8.75" (2.05 meters) with sophomore Robert Webb second at 6'-4.75" (1.95 meters). Senior Ernest Rollins was the other individual winner for ISU as he won the triple jump with a leap of 47'-8.5" (14.54 meters).

Vaughan, freshman Jonathan Jackson, Hahn and Betz combined to win the distance medley relay for the ISU men with a time of 10:23.59 while Dalton, junior Macey Black, junior Leeann Michl, and senior Kristy Twitchell combined to win the women's distance medley relay in 12:36.12.

In other results for the Sycamore women: senior Jaquelle spencer was third (7.72) and freshman Demetra Camble fifth (7.82) in the 60 meters; Black ran a personal best 26.04 to finish sixth in the 200 meters with freshman Kaisha Martin seventh (26.67); junior Stacia Weatherford was second (57.60) and sophomore  Shelby Higginbottom third (58.43) in the 400 meters; Twitchell fourth (3:00.51) and junior Hanna Mercer fifth (3:09.01) in the 1,000 meters; and senior Kacie Klem third (5:11.41) and junior Andrea Prusz fourth (5:12.14) in the mile.

Weatherford was third in the 60 meter hurdles (9.01) after running a personal best 8.77 in the preliminary which is the third fastest time in school history. Junior Tori Stone was fourth in 9:08 after running 9.03 in the preliminaries. Weatherford, Higginbottom, Camble and Smith combined to finish second in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:53.84.

Senior Nikki Snearley established a personal best of clearing 5'-4.25" (1.63 meters) in placing second in the high jump with freshman Katie Bekavac fifth at 5'-2.25" (1.58 meters). Freshman Kaisha Martin was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 17'-5.25" (5.31 meters) with Higginbottom sixth at 17'-2" (5.23 meters).

Sophomore Kelly Steffen established a personal best 3,558 points in placing third in the pentathlon. Steffen ran a personal best 9.13 to finish second in the 60 meter hurdles, tied for fourth by clearing 5'-1.75" (1.57 meters) in the high jump, had a personal best leap of 18'-3" (5.56 meters) to place second in the long jump, had a throw of 32'-10.5" (10.02 meters) in finishing fourth in the shot put, and ran a personal best 2:27.39 to finish third in the 800 meters.

In other results for the ISU men: junior Justin Baxtron was sixth (7.03) and freshman Devon Price seventh (7.09) in the 60 meters; Baxtron second (22.29) and Price sixth (23.50) in the 200 meters; Jackson third (50.23) and freshman Ryan Dickson fourth (51.14) in the 400 meters; sophomore Drew Gambill ran a personal best 2:33.52 to finish second in the 1,000 meters with freshman Taylor Head third (2:40.16); and, junior Albaro Escalera was second (8:33.33) and senior Craig Padgett third (8:33.78) in the 3,000 meters.

Sophomore Brad Adams, Dickson, sophomore Kevin Piraino, and Tuttle combined to finish second in the 4x400 meter relay in 3:23.08.

Junior Dexter Childress was third in the pole vault by clearing 15'-0.75" (4.58 meters). Webb had a personal best leap of 21'-8.75" (6.62 meters) to finish second in the long jump with Piraino third with a personal best5 21'-5.5" (6.54 meters). Sophomore Chris Fields had a personal best throw of 51'-7.25" (15.73 meters) to place fourth in the shot put with freshman Braylon Gagnon seventh at 46'-6.25" (14.18 meters).

The Sycamores will be off over the Christmas break but will resume action on January 14 when they travel to Normal, Ill., for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup competition