Several Sycamores Also Compete

At Taylor Invitational Saturday

KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

BLOOMINGTON, IND. ? Freshman Jordan Colanese was the lone winner for the Indiana State track & field team but the Sycamores still had an outstanding meet with numerous personal bests, several top 10 finishes, and several athletes breaking into the all-time top 10 list with their efforts at the Billy Hayes Invitational Friday at Indiana University.

Colanese won the men's javelin with a personal best throw of 174'-8” (53.25 meters) which is the sixth best throw in school history.

Not to be outdone, ISU junior Jeremiah Vaughan ran a personal best 3:46.03 to finish fifth in the Invitational 1500 meters. That is the second best time in school history, just behind school record holder Jordan Fife (3:44.98) and just ahead of Sean Bowman (3:47.35). Vaughan already holds the indoor mile record at Indiana State at 4:04.04 set in 2010.

Another great effort was made by the men's 4x100 meter relay team that finished second in 40.43. That is the second fastest time in school history as they came within eight hundredths of a second of breaking one of the oldest records on the book. Yackley, Tate, Johnson and Brown ran 40.35 in 1997.

“Vaughan ran a great race,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach said. “He is just behind Fife and ahead of Bowman which is pretty elite company. He is healthy and really running like his old self. Our 4x100 ran a good race but they still have room for improvement.”

Sophomore Felisha Johnson inched closer to the top two spots all-time in women's shot put as she threw a personal best 51'-7.75” (15.74 meters) to finish third in the event Friday. Christy Barrett holds the school record at 56'-10.75” (17.34 meters) set in 1991 while Jenny Folz is second at 51'-9.25” (15.78 meters) set in 1999.

Johnson was also third in the hammer throw with a distance of 194'-7” (59.30 meters) and was eighth in the discus at 1 and was eighth in the discus at 149'-6” (45.56 meters).

Sophomore Tori Stone and freshman Brittany Housel broke into the top 10 all-time in the 400 meter hurdles as each posted a personal best effort at the Billy Hayes Invitational. Stone knocked nearly two seconds off her previous personal best as she finished fourth in 1:02.12 which is the ninth best all-time. Housel was over a second faster than her previous best and finished fifth in 1:02.41 which is the 10th all-time.

Junior Nicole Hope went vault-for-vault with two of the best vaulters in the nation and matched her career best by clearing 13'-1.5” (4.00 meters) and placing third in the women's pole vault. Vera Neuenswander and Kelsie Ahbe, both from Indiana, are ranked 10th nationally and fifth in the East with Hope 19th in the East and 46th nationally. Neuenswander won by clearing 13'-9.25” (4.20 meters) with Ahbe second at  13'-5.25” (4.10 meters).

Also on the track for the ISU men: Corey Hahn finished third (3:55.25), Dustin Betz fourth (3:57.32), and Drew Gambill seventh (4:02.06) in the regular 1500 meters, Shaun Smith ran a personal best 10.70 to finish fifth in the 100 meters while Daryl Truitt ran a season best 10.72 to finish sixth, Andrew Stull was seventh (21.75) and Kevin Piraino ninth (22.00) in the 200 meters, Keenan Johnson was sixth in the 400 meters (49.05), and Konstantinos Tzirtziris set a personal best (1:52.61) in placing ninth in the 800 meters.

Sycamore hurdlers also did well on Friday. Michael Roberts ran a season best 14.27 to place fourth in the 110 meter high hurdles while Greggmar Swift was fifth (14.55) and Maurice Lyke eighth (14.82). Jonathan Jackson ran 53.27 to place third in the 400 meter hurdles with Max Tuttle sixth (53.91) and Ray Skamay seventh (54.08).

In field events: Robert Webb established his third personal best of the season as he cleared 6'-8” (2.03 meters) to finish fourth in the high jump, Steven Swinford and Tucker Field both cleared 15'-5” (4.70 meters) to tie for seventh in the pole vault, Shayne Cureton jumped 23'-2.75” (7.08 meters) to place third in the long jump, Nigel Jolly went 23'-0.5” (7.02 meters) for fourth in the long jump, and Kevin Piraino had a jump of 45'-6.5” (13.88 meters) to place fourth in the triple jump.

“This ends our preparation for the conference,” McNichols said. “Now we have to sit down, look over the performance list, and select the 32 that will go to the MVC Outdoors and start preparing for the championships.”

The Sycamore women had several outstanding performances on the track during the day. Kaci Smith ran a personal best 57.31 to place second in the 800 meters while Andrea Prusz ran a personal best 4:44.40 to place fifth, Kristy Twitchell a personal best 4:45.64 for sixth, and Kacie Klem was seventh (4:46.20) in the 1500 meters. Two more personal bests were established in the 3000 meters as Jessica Zangmeister placed fourth (10:29.47) and Valerie Burns sixth (10:41.48).

Shalesa Smith ran a personal best 12.75 in placing seventh in the 100 meters, Macey Black was fifth (25.62), Leeann Michl eighth (26.13), and Rachel Posey 10th (26.26) in the 200 meters, and Kelly Steffen was sixth (15.42) and Sarah Snapp seventh (15.53) in the 100 meter hurdles.

In the field events: Rachael Johnson cleared 5'-3.25” (1.61 meters) to place ninth in the high jump, Richelle Kimble and Alicia Fritschi both cleared 12'-1.5” (3.70 meters) to finish ninth and 10th, respectively, in the pole vault, Shalesa Smith jumped a personal best 16'-9.75” (5.12 meters) to place ninth in the long jump, Tara Perigo threw 44'-4.75” (13.53 meters) for ninth in the shot put and 120'-6” (36.74 meters) to place third in the javelin, and Kelsey Hanley had a throw of 192'-5” (58.64 meters) for fourth in the hammer and a distance of 145'-3” (44.28 meters) for 10th in the discus.