KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
CEDAR FALLS, IOWA ? The Indiana State men's track & field team captured their first State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship Sunday but he slimmest of margins, edging out Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa, and Wichita State in the final event to bring home the trophy.
“It was a pretty incredible track meet,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. “For most of the day it was like a dual meet between us and Northern Iowa but Southern Illinois and Wichita State were right there too.”
Indiana State won the championship with 139.5 points. Southern Illinois was second with 135.0 with Wichita State third at 126.5, Northern Iowa fourth with 123.0, Illinois State fifth with 82 points, and Drake sixth with 48 points.
The four and a half points between the Sycamores and Salukis was the closest finish since 1991 when Southern Illinois edged Illinois State by four and a half points 123-118.5. Indiana State was third that year with 96 points. The margin is also the second smallest in Missouri Valley Conference history with the closest coming in 1975, two years before ISU joined the Valley, when Drake and North Texas State fought to a 77-77 tie.
The Sycamores held a half-point lead entering the final event of the championship, the 4x400 meter, or mile, relay, with 129.5 points to 129.0 for SIU, 123.0 for UNI, and 121.5 for WSU.
“Really, at that point, any team with a break here or there could have won it,” McNichols said. As it turned out, SIU and we were in the driver's seat which made for a rather intense relay. We were seeded third but our guys responded.”
Indiana State had never won the indoor team title before this year but has finished second 12 times and third 12 times in the 35 years that the Sycamores have been in the Missouri Valley Conference.
This was McNichols' 83rd Valley championship (including outdoor track & field and cross country) with the veteran coach receiving his first Indoor Coach of the Year accolade with the team victory. He has been named Outdoor Coach of the Year sixtimes and has been named Cross Country Coach of the Year seven times.
The 4x400 meter relay team of freshman Keenan Johnson, freshman Brad Adams, junior Andrew Stull, and freshman Max Tuttle won with a time of 3:18.64, beating Illinois State (3:19.22) and Southern Illinois (3:21.20). All four Sycamores were All-Conference recognition with their victory.
Two more Sycamores were winners on the day as junior Major Clay successfully defended his high jump title, clearing 7'-3” (2.21 meters) and junior Ernest Rollins won his first triple jump title with a personal best distance of 49'-4.25” (15.04 meters) which is the ninth best distance in school history.
Clay was also named the Most Outstanding Male Field Athlete becoming the first Sycamore since Jason Carruthers in 2005 to earn that title.
Several other Sycamore men earned All-Conference honors during Sunday's competition including: senior Daryl Truitt with a second place finish in the 60 meter dash in a personal best 6.78 seconds (the fifth fastest time in school history), Adams in the 800 meters with a third place finish in a personal best 1:53.06 (the eighth best time at ISU), sophomore Albaro Escalera in the 5,000 meters with a third place finish in a personal best 14:39.47 (the seventh best in school history), and senior Michael Roberts with a second place finish in the 60 meter hurdles in a personal best time of 7.97 seconds (10th best in school history).
Wichita State repeated as the women's team champion by scoring a record 186 points in the championship. Southern Illinois was second (125.75) with Illinois State third (113.0), Indiana State fourth (67.50), Northern Iowa fifth (59.75), Drake sixth (51.0), Missouri State seventh (44.0), and Bradley eighth (15.0).
“This is about where we expected to finish with such a young team,” Angie Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. “We finished in the top half of the conference and all of the girls competed very hard. For most of these girls it is now time to put on their outdoors hat and get ready to compete.”
Indiana State sophomore Felisha Johnson just missed earning her second all-conference honor of the championship as she finished fourth in the shot put with a personal best throw of 52'-2” (15.90 meters). That is the second best throw in school history.
The highlight of the field events for Indiana State came in the pole vault where junior Nicole Hope and sophomore Richelle Kimble tied for second as each cleared 12'-4.5' (3.77 meters). Senior Alicia Fritschi also cleared 12'-4.5” which is a career best her but was placed sixth in the competition by the number of misses. Hope and Kimble each earned All-Conference recognition.
Also earning All-Conference recognition was sophomore Leeann Michl with a third place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:13.10. The 4x400 meter relay team of freshman Shelby Higginbottom, sophomore Stacia Weatherford, junior Kaci Smith, and Michl also earned All-Conference recognition with a third place finish in 3:49.93.
