KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Indiana State track & field team opened up the outdoor season in grand fashion, wining nine women's events and five men's events in an unscored dual meet with the Eastern Illinois University Panthers Saturday in O'Brien Stadium.
"We are still making the transition from indoors to outdoors and we did show a lot of progress today," John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. "The weather was a lot better today than a year ago when the temperature never made it above 30 degrees."
"Every event was pretty evenly contested," Angela Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. "Eastern Illinois is always a tough competitor for us but we did have a lot of bright spots today. This was a great way to get the outdoor season going."
The Sycamore women won five of the six contested field events during the dual meet. Richelle Kimble led a sweep of the top three spots in the pole vault by clearing 12-feet-6¼-inches (3.82 meters) with Lauren Rice second at 11-feet-0¾-inches (3.37 meters) and Hannah McKnight third after clearing a personal best 10-feet-6¾-inch (3.22 meters).
Kelly Steffen had a personal best leap of 18-feet-4½-inch (5.60 meters) to win the long jump with Shalesa Smith third with a personal best 17-feet-9½-inch leap (5.42 meters). Tara Perigo won the javelin with a throw of 127-feet-5-inches (38.85 meters) with Steffen throwing a personal best 113-feet-9-inches (34.67 meters) for second.
Mary Theisen won the discus throw for Indiana State with a toss of 163-feet-8-inches (49.88 meters) with Felisha Johnson third at 136-feet-5-inches (41.58 meters). Johnson came back to win the hammer throw with a distance of 179-feet-3-inches (54.63 meters) with Theisen second at 151-feet-6-inches (46.19 meters).
Indiana State dominated the hurdle events with Stacia Weatherford taking the 100 meter hurdles in 14.56 and then taking the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:00.62. Carmelia Stewart was second in the 100 meter hurdles (15.13) and fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:05.71). Steffen was fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.73) with Brittany Housel second in the 400 hurdles (1:04.59).
Kristy Twitchell ran a personal best 7:01.26 to win the 2000 meter steeplechase and lead a sweep of the top three spots by the Sycamores. Kalli Dalton was second in 7:05.24 and Hanna Mercer ran a personal best 7:05.65 to take third.
The other Indiana State win came in the 800 meters where Kaci Smith ran 2:17.18 to win the event. Shelby Higginbottom ran a personal best 2:18.13 to finish third.
Macey Black ran a personal best 12.56 to finish second in the 100 meters with Ja-liza Prophet fourth (12.97). Leeann Michl ran a personal best 4:39.55 to finish second in the 1500 meters with Kacie Klem third in 4:42.39.
The Sycamores ran three 4x400 meter relays on the day.
"We put together three pretty even teams and sent them out there to run," Martin said. "They all did pretty well and kept us ahead of the EIU teams for most of the event."
Weatherford, Housel, Stewart and Prophet combined to place second in 4:03.84 with Black, Michl, Patricia Merrion, and Sarah Snapp third in 4:03.93. Higginbottom, Smith, Tori Stone and Amy Fanella combined to finish fourth in 4:04.21.
The Indiana State men won three of the six contested field events. Johnathan Christensen won the high jump by clearing 6-feet-8¾-inches (6.875 meters) with Jamal Hampton second at 6-feet-2¾-inches (1.90 meters). Jordan Colanese won the javelin with a throw of 168-feet-4-inches (51.31 meters).
Brandon Pounds posted the fourth best distance in school history as he won the hammer throw with a mark of 196-feet-0-inches (59.75 meters) while also finishing second in the discus at 156-feet-11-inches (47.83 meters). Chris Fields was third in the hammer with a personal best 152-feet-2-inch (46.38 meters) while placing fourth in the discus at 140-feet (42.67 meters).
Ernest Rollins had a personal best leap of 22-feet-11¼-inches (6.75 meters) to finish second in the long jump while Maurice Lyke had a personal best leap of 21-feet-6-inches (6.55 meters) for third. Wes Schenck was second in the pole vault by clearing 15-feet-inches (4.65 meters) with Robert Webb fourth at 12-feet-9½-inches (3.90 meters).
Max Tuttle won the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 53.51 with Ray Skamay second (53.90) and Duane Brown fourth (55.88). Lyke was second in the 110 hurdles (14.72) with Brown third (15.12) and Tuttle fourth (15.32).
Gabe Occasion won the 2000 meter steeplechase in 6:10.91.
Devin Price was fourth in the 100 meters (10.95), Corey Hahn second (1:56.42) and Ryan Dickson fifth (2:00.29) in the 800 meters, and Albaro Escalera a personal best 3:58.76 for third in the 1500 meters. Brad Adams was fourth in the 1500 meters in 4:03.25.
The Sycamores had a pair of 4x400 meter relays competing. Tuttle, Dickson, Ryan Henrickson and Skamay combined to finish second in 3:19.09 while Webb, Arqeil Shaw, Brown and Price combined to finish fourth in 3:23.51.
Indiana State will be back at O'Brien Stadium on the campus of Eastern Illinois University next Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the Big Blue Classic.
