KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. - Warm temperatures. Sunny skies. A gentle breeze.
These are some of the signs that spring has arrived but so is the move of the track & field season from indoors to outdoors. That sign will make its appearance this Saturday when the Indiana State track & field team ventures into outdoor competition for the first time this season as they compete at Eastern Illinois in the "Ice Dual" between the two schools.
With temperatures expected to be in the upper 70s and a 40 percent chance of a thunderstorm, Saturday's competition may not be more related to winter as was the original contest between the two schools a year ago. Indiana State was scheduled to compete in a quadrangular at SIU Edwardsville to open the 2011 outdoor season but an ice storm forced SIUE to cancel the competition. Indiana State and Eastern Illinois coaching staffs quickly worked to put together a dual meet competition despite the cold and wet weather ... hence the name "Ice Dual."
"This first meet will be more of a feeling out process for a lot of our athletes as we try to determine what events suit their abilities best," Angela Martin, Indiana State track & field coach, said. "It is a shortened schedule and we are not taking all of our athletes as some are still recovering from the indoor season. Still, we are very excited to be outside and competing. It will be a preview of the Big Blue Classic which will be held next week in Charleston."
Select field events will begin the competition at 12:00 p.m. (ET) at O'Brien field on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., including the discus, javelin throw, hammer throw, pole vault, high jump, and long jump. The running events will begin at 1 p.m. (ET) starting with the men's 110 meter hurdles. They will be followed by the women's 100 hurdles, the 100 meters, 1,500 meters, 400 meter hurdles, 800 meters, 2,000 meter steeplechase, and conclude with the 4x400 meter relay.
"The shortened schedule is a good way to start the season because it means that we are not there all day and we can rest some athletes who are still recovering from injuries," Martin said. "Eastern always provides outstanding competition which will make this a highly competitive meet."
Felisha Johnson, Nicole Hope and Richelle Kimble return for the outdoor season after advancing to the NCAA East Preliminary a year ago. Hope will not compete Saturday. Major Clay, Ernest Rollins, Andrew Stull, Jeremiah Vaughan, and freshmen Greggmar Swift competed in the NCAA East Preliminary Round a year ago and also begin the outdoor season looking to return to post-season competition.
Clay and Johnson advanced to the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships with Clay finishing 20th in a lightning delayed high jump competition and Johnson 18th in the women's shot put. She also competed in the hammer throw but fouled on each of her first three attempts.
Indiana State will be back in Charleston, Ill., next week for the annual Big Blue Classic which begins with the Neil Moore Multi's on Thursday and Friday. The main meet will be held on Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois.
Indiana State will compete at the Auburn Tiger Track Classic (Apr. 6-7) in Auburn, Ala., before hosting the annual Pacesetter Quadrangular on Friday and Saturday, April 13-14, with Indiana State welcoming in Southern Illinois, Milwaukee, and Butler for the two-day competition.
The Sycamores will then compete at the Polytan Indiana Invitational (Apr. 21-22) in Bloomington, Ind., the Drake Relays (Apr. 26-28) in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Billy Hayes Invitational (May 4) at Bloomington, Ind. Some members of the Sycamores will also compete in the EIU Tuesday Tweener on Apr. 24 in Charleston, Ill.
