KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State track & field teams will participate in their first scored meet of the 2011 Outdoor Season this weekend as they compete in the 15th Annual Tom Botts Invitational hosted by the University of Missouri. The competition will be held Friday and Saturday in Audrey J. Walton Stadium.
This is the third straight year that Indiana State has competed in the event with the Sycamore men winning the team title in 2009 and finishing second to Missouri in 2010. The Sycamore women were second both years to the Missouri Tigers.
The meet was originally a quadrangular but expanded to five teams a year ago and will have nine teams this year. Indiana State, Missouri, Central Missouri, Drake, Northern Iowa, and Southeast Missouri will be in competition along with the Illinois men, Missouri State women, and the Northern Illinois women.
“This will be our first time to run as a full team,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. “Most of the athletes will be competing in their best events so we will know more about our prospects after the weekend.”
Junior Major Clay (high jump) and senior Michael Disher (steeplechase) will be back to defend their event titles from a year ago. The Sycamores also won the 4x100 meter relay.
“Our team enjoys competing at Missouri and at this facility,” McNichols said. “The facility is a European style venue and is a lot like the one that I envision ours to be in the future.”
McNichols will have a lot deeper team in competition than a year ago and expects good competition from a strong Missouri squad, an Illinois team that is in transition but has quality athletes, and from conference schools Northern Iowa and Drake.
“This will be a little different type of meet than in years past with so many teams and invitational scoring,” Angie Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. “There will be several conference teams there and each one has their own strengths.”
Senior Kelsey Hanley (hammer throw) will be returning to defend her event title from a year ago.
“We made good progress last week and will be looking for more progress this week,” Martin said. “The goal is to keep making progress each week as we get closer to the conference championship. The kids are working hard and a lot of them have good goals for the season.”
Competition begins at 3:00 p.m. (ET) Friday with the men's discus, women's shot put, men's long jump, and women's pole vault. The only track event scheduled for Friday is the men's and women's steeplechase which will be run at 4:30 p.m. (ET).
Saturday's events start at 11 a.m. (ET) with the remaining field events. Action on the track starts at 11:30 a.m. (ET) with the women and women's 4x100 meter relay. The 4x400 meter relay is the final event for the competition and will start at approximately 2:35 p.m. (ET).
The weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 77 degrees on Friday with a high of 80 degrees and a 40 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms on Saturday.
“At least it won't be cold and I hope that the rain holds off until late Saturday afternoon,” McNichols said.
