KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

CHARLESTON, ILL. ? Sophomore Robert Webb captured the men's decathlon while freshman Kelly Steffen finished second in the women's heptathlon at the Neil Moore Multi's which concluded today at Eastern Illinois. The event is part of the EIU Big Blue Classic which runs through Saturday.

Webb led after the first day's competition and maintained that lead throughout today's final five events to finish with 6,145 points. Dan Simon of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was second with 6,083 points with Drew Feur of Wisconsin-Milwaukee third with 5,920 points. ISU sophomore Dexter Childress was in eighth after the first day but did not finish the event.

Steffen was second after the first day and kept that position to finish her first heptathlon with 4,302 points which is the fifth best total in school history. Shelby Schaal of Wisconsin-Milwaukee won the event with 4,626 points with Laura Hamel of Wisconsin-Milwaukee third at 4,141.  ISU freshman Rachael Johnson finished fourth with 4,011 points with junior Patricia Merrion fifth with 3,602 points.

Webb established personal bests in each of today's final events including 15.50 in the 110 meter hurdles (second), 4:56.61 in the 1500 meters (third), throwing 92'-7” (28.21 meters) in the discus (sixth) and 136'-8” (41.66 meters)  in the javelin (second), and clearing 12'-5.5” (3.80 meters) in the pole vault (tied for fourth).

The sophomore opened the competition on Thursday with a victory in the 100 meters with a personal best time of 11.42. He also established personal bests in the long jump (second at 21'-3.25”/6.48 meters) and the 400 meters (fourth in 53.11). He matched his personal best of 6'-4.25” (1.94 meters) in finishing second in the high jump.

Childress started off well in today's competition as he won the 110 meter hurdles in a personal best time of 15.48. The sophomore also established a personal best in the discus with a throw of 103'-4” (31.51 meters) in finishing third. Childress did not clear the opening height in the pole vault and did not start in the javelin or 1500 meters.

Childress also failed to clear the opening height in the high jump on Thursday but did come back to win the 400 meters with a personal best time of 50.64. The sophomore also established personal bests in the 100 meters with a second place finish in 11.57, the long jump with a sixth place finish at 20'-5.75” (6.24 meters), and the shot put with a second place finish at 35'-2.5” (10.73 meters).

Steffen scored 2,641 points through the first four events to enter the second day of competition in second place. The freshman is within striking distance of heptathlon leader Shelby Schaal of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2,760 points) with just 119 points separating the two heading into the final three event son Friday. Freshman Rachael Johnson is currently in fourth place with 2,391 points while junior Patricia Merrion is in fifth with 2,097 points.

Steffen opened today's action going 17'-5.25” (5.31 meters) to finish second in the long jump. She placed sixth in the javelin with a throw of 76'-3” (23.24 meters) and came back to place third in the 800 meters with a time of 2:32.09.

The freshman opened Thursday's competition with a second place finish in the 100 meter hurdles (15.78). She followed that by clearing 5'-2.5” (1.59 meters) to tie for first in the high jump and place second in the shot put with a heave of 31'-6” (9.60 meters). She closed out the day with a fourth place finish in the 200 meters (27.47).

Johnson made a strong effort to break into the top three in today's final events but came just short. The freshman tied for third in the long jump by going 15'-7.5” (4.76 meters), set a personal best in the javelin by throwing 105'-11” (32.28 meters), and rounded out the competition with a fifth place finish in the 800 meters (2:37.20).

The freshman tied for first in the high jump on Thursday by clearing 5'-2.5” (1.59 meters) while finishing fourth in the 100 meter hurdles (16.89), fourth in the shot put (28'-7.5”/8.72 meters), and fifth in the 200 meters (28.24).

Merrion started the day with a sixth place finish in the long jump by going 14'07.75” (4.46 meters) but finished kept improving from there. The junior was fourth in the javelin at 85'-0” (25.92 meters) and was second in the 800 meters in 2:30.49.

Merrion closed out the opening days' action on a strong note, winning the 200 meters in 26.82. She also finished fifth in the shot put (28'-0.75”/8.55 meters), tied for fifth in the high jump with a personal best 4'-6.25” (1.38 meters, and finished sixth in the 100 meter hurdles (18.44).

Competition in the Big Blue Classic began this evening but the final events were delayed a half hour by lightning.

On the men's side, Indiana State junior Brandon Pounds competed unattached but did establish a new personal best in the hammer throw with a winning distance of 198'-8” (60.55 meters). Pounds has not competed since the first meet of the indoor season due to an injury.

Junior Craig Padgett won the 10,000 meter race with a time of 32:23.86 while junior Jeremiah Vaughan was the top ISU finisher in the 5,000 meters as he finished third in 14:55.50. Senior Michael Disher was fifth (14:58.52) and senior Tyler Kent seventh (15:08.19).

Three Sycamores finished in the top 10 of the 400 meter hurdles led by sophomore Maurice Lyke who placed fifth in a personal best 53.55. Also setting personal bests in the event were freshman Jonathan Jackson (seventh in 54.15) and freshman Max Tuttle (eighth in 54.45).

The Sycamore 4x800 meter relay team of Brad Adams, Corey Hahn, Drew Gambill, and Konstantinos Tzirtziris lost by just a half-second to the host EIU Panthers, finishing in 7:46.73. The 4x400 meter hurdle relay team of Max Tuttle, Ray Skamay, Jonathan Jackson, and Maurice Lyke was also second in 3:38.67.

On the women's side, sophomore Felisha Johnson established a new personal best with a winning throw of 198'-3” (60.43 meters) in the hammer throw. The distance should place her in the top 10 nationally in the event and earn her a spot in the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round.

Sophomore Kylee Thacker won the women's 10,000 meters, the final event contested on Friday, with a personal best time of 38:51.14 while senior Bethany Scruton was second in a personal best 39:25.87. Freshman Valerie Burns was 15th in the 5,000 meters (19:08.38).

Indiana State had three top 10 finishers in the 400 meter hurdles led by sophomore Stacia Weatherford in second with a time of 1:02.33. Sophomore Tori Stone as third in 1:03.68 while freshman Brittany Housel was sixth in 1:04.68.

 The Indiana State 4x400 meter hurdle relay team of Housel, Weatherford, Stone, and Amy Fanella was second in 4:19.62 while the 4x800 meter relay team of Shelby Higginbottom, Leeann Michl, Kaci Smith, and Allison Malone was third in 9:23.74.

The Big Blue Classic wraps up on Saturday with competition in the field events beginning at 11 a.m. (ET) and the running events starting at 12:30 p.m. (ET).