KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA – Two Sycamores were crowned champions on the first day of the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships with Maurice Lyke winning the men's long jump for the second straight year and Felisha Johnson the women's weight throw.

Lyke's best distance of 24-feet-7-inches (7.49m) was a career best and the third best in Indiana State history. Frankie Young holds the school record at 26-feet-1.75-inches (7.97m) with Ron Smith second at 24-feet-7.75-inches (7.51m). Indiana State's Robert Webb was eighth with a distance of 23-feet-0.75-inches (7.03m).

The nation's leader in the women's weight throw picked up her first Missouri Valley conference championship Saturday, winning the event with a distance of 74-feet-0.25-inches (22.56m). The Sycamore senior finished third last year, second as a sophomore and was fourth as a freshman.

Dawnielle Passmore scored a point for the Sycamores in the women's weight throw by finishing in eighth with a career best distance of 55-feet-5.25-inches (16.82m). Katelyn Rutz placed 14th with a distance of 50-feet-9.25-inches (15.47m).

Illinois State's Brittany Smith, ranked fifth nationally in the weight throw, finished second at the MVC Indoor with a distance of 68-feet-8-inches (29.93m) while Southern Illinois' Kim Fortney, ranked 24th in the nation, was third at 66-feet-11.5-inches (20.41m).

With five women's events compete at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at the University of Northern Iowa, Wichita State leads with 60.5 points with Illinois State second at 34, Indiana State third with 30.5, Southern Illinois fourth at 29, Missouri State sixth with 16, Bradley and Northern Iowa are tied for seventh with nine, and Drake is ninth with seven points.

With five men's events scored, Southern Illinois holds a very slim lead with 46 points with Indiana State right behind with 45.5 points. Northern Iowa is third with 36 with Wichita State fourth at 28, Drake fifth with 20, and Illinois State sixth with 16.5 points.

Competition resumes at 10:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday with the Heptathlon 60 meter hurdles. Action will be fast and furious the rest of the day through the final event, the men's 4x400 relay, which begins at 5:20 p.m. (ET).

Kelly Steffen picked up Indiana State's first All-Conference recognition of the day as she finished third in the women's Pentathlon with a career best 3,691 points which is the second best total in Indiana State history. Rachael Johnson also had a career best with 3,296 points which ranks sixth on the Sycamore all-time list and finished in the scoring in sixth place. Lizzy Herron competed in her first Pentathlon and finished with 2,737 points for 11th place.

All three Sycamores set career bests in the opening event of the Pentathlon, the 60 meter hurdles, with Steffen third in 8.94 seconds, Johnson eighth in 9.56, and Herron ninth in 9.66. Johnson led the Indiana State athletes in the second event, the high jump, clearing 5-feet-4.25-inches (1.63m) to tie for third. Steffen tied for fifth by clearing 5-feet-3-inches (1.63m) and Herron was 10th at 4-feet-9-inches (1.45m).

Johnson also led the Sycamores in the third event, the shot put, with a career best distance of 32-feet-11.25-inches (10l04m) to finish sixth. Steffen was seventh at 32-feet-8.25-inches (9.96m) with Herron 11th at 20-feet-9.25-inches (6.33m).

Steffen established career bests in the final two events, the long jump and 800 meters, to wrap up her third place finish in the Pentathlon. The junior had a leap of 18-feet-7.75-inches (5.68m) to place second in the long jump and ran 2:25.33 to finish third in the 800 meters. Johnson was 11th in the long jump at 15-feet-7.50-inches (4.76m) and fifth in the 800 meters (2:29.24) while Herron was 10th in the long jump at 15-feet-7.75-inches (4.77m) and eighth in the 800 meters (2:37.36).

Wichita State's Tanya Friesen won the Pentathlon with 3,872 points with teammate Jenny Pinkston second with 3,707 points.

Indiana State's Robert Webb sits in third after the first day of the Heptathlon with 2,957 points. Four events were featured Saturday with the 60 meters, long jump, shot put, and high jump. The final three events will be run Sunday including the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000 meters.

Webb ran 7.21 in the 60 meters to finish fifth overall and then had a leap of 22-feet-0.75-inches (6.72m) for fifth in the long jump. The Sycamore then established a career best in the shot put with a distance of 39-feet-4-inches (11.99m) to finish sixth and rounded out his opening day by tying for first in the high jump by clearing 6-feet-6.25-inches (1.99m).

Austin Bahner of Wichita State leads after the first day with 3,186 points with Northern Iowa's Ethan Miller currently second with 3,144 points.

Dustin Betz ran to a third place finish in an exciting end to the men's 3,000 meters (8:22.27) while John Mascari finished fifth in 8:26.12 and Taylor Head 10th in 8:42.78. Zach Dahleen of Southern Illinois won the event in 8:20.38.

Jessica Zangmeister scored points for the Sycamores in the women's 3,000 meters as she finished eighth with a time o 10:02.80. Wichita State's Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton won with a time of 9:29.03.

All three Sycamore competitors in the women's long jump scored points for Indiana State with Carmelia Stewart leading the way with a fourth place finish on a distance of 18-feet-10.75-inches (5.76m). Kelly Steffen finished seventh at 18-feet-4.25-inches (5.59m) with Kaisha Martin eighth at 18-feet-2.5-inches (5.55m).  Missouri State senior Kimsue Grant won the MVC title on her last jump with a distance of 20-feet-8-inches (6.30m).

Connor Curley, Drew LaMaster, and Wes Schenck each cleared 15-feet-9.25-inches (4.81m) in the men's pole vault, a career best of Schenck with Curley placed fourth, Schenck fifth, and LaMaster tying for seventh. Southern Illinois' Ryan Sidwell won the MVC title by clearing 16-feet-5.25-inches (5.01m).

Brandon Pounds misfired on five of his six attempts in the men's weight throw, finishing a disappointing seventh for the Valley leader heading into the MVC Championships. Pounds only counted throw went 60-feet-11.25-inches (18.57m). Chris Fields was the top Sycamore by finishing fifth at 61-feet-5.5-inches (18.73m).

Sean Dennis was 10th with a career best distance of 59-feet-7-inches (18.16m) with Derek Bunch 11th (59-feet-4.75-inches (18.10m) and Justin Applegate 14th at 57-feet-2-inches (17.42m). Isaac Twombly of Drake was the MVC Champion with a distance of 68-feet-7.25-inches (29.91m).

The Sycamore women's distance medley relay team of Kalli Dalton, Macey Black, Hanna Mercer, and Nicole Lucas finished sixth with a time of 12:14.79. Wichita State won the event in 11:50.10.

The Indiana State men's distance medley relay team of Corey Hahn, Max Tuttle, Brad Adams, and Gabe Ocasio finished second with the ninth fastest time in school history at 10:16.87. Northern Iowa was able to hold off the Sycamores on the final lap to win the MVC title in 10:16.20.

Preliminary Roundup:

Katie Wise kept her winning streak alive in the women's 60 meter preliminaries as she won the second heat in 7.51 seconds. Teammate Kaisha Martin was right behind in 7.61. Indiana State's Demetra Camble was second in the third heat with a time of 7.62 and all three will advance to the finals at 3:35 p.m. (ET) Sunday.

Shaun Smith continued to lower his time in the 60 meters and ran the seventh fastest time in Indiana State history as he won the second heat the MVC Indoors in 6.80. Keith Housley was right behind in a career best 6.86 while Justin Baxtron also had a career best of 6.82 in finishing third in the opening heat. Devin Price was 11th overall and just missed qualifying for the finals with a time of 6.97.

Stacia Weatherford ran the fifth fastest 200 meter time in Indiana State history and advanced to the finals of the event at 4:15 p.m. (ET) Sunday by winning her heat in Saturday's preliminaries with a time of 24.63 seconds. Katie Wise also advanced to the finals with a time of 24.96. Demetra Camble ran 24.79 in her heat but did not advance, finishing second to Printassia Johnson of Illinois State who won in 24.70.

Justin Baxtron and Keith Housley advanced to the men's 200 meter final at 4:20 p.m. (ET) Sunday as Baxtron won the second heat in 22.37 and Housley was second in the opening heat in 22.33. Shaun Smith finished 19th overall in 23.22 while Devin Price was 20th in 23.25.

Macey Black just missed an opportunity to advance to the finals in the women's 400 meters as she ran 57.60 to finish second in the opening heat and 10th overall, just three-tenths of a second off of making the finals on Sunday.

Arqeil Shaw was the only Sycamore to advance in the men's 400 meters and will run in the finals at 3:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday after winning the sixth heat in 49.84. Max Tuttle was second in his heat but failed to advance on time even though he ran 49.84 in the prelims. Ryan Dickson finished 17th overall in 49.92 with Kevin Piraino 18th in 50.38.

Leeann Michl and Shelby Higginbottom advanced to the finals of the women's 800 meters with Michl winning the second heat in 2:15:36 while Higginbottom was second in the opening heat in 2:13.99. The finals will be run at 4:05 p.m. (ET).

The Sycamores had four in the men's 800 meters but only Jonathan Jackson advanced to Sunday's 4:10 p.m. (ET) finals as he won the second heat in 1:54.70. Brad Adams just missed a spot in the finals as he placed ninth in the preliminaries (1:55.48) with Michael Steele 12th (1:55.72), and Corey Hahn 13th (1:55.88).

Stacia Weatherford lowered her school record time in the 60 meter hurdles as she advanced to the finals by winning the second heat in 8.47 seconds. Carmelia Stewart was fourth in that heat with a career best 8 .66 to advance to the 3:45 p.m. (ET) finals on Sunday. Jalencia Lemons had a career best 9.04 to finish 16th overall while Taylor Gilles ran 9.09 to finish 17th.

Greggmar Swift cruised to victory in the second heat of the men's 60 meter hurdles with a time of 7.81 with Adarius Washington finishing second in the heat in 8.10 to also advance to Sunday's 3:55 p.m. (ET) finals. Duane Brown finished second in the first heat in 8.06 and also advanced. Jonathan Jackson just missed, placing ninth overall in 8.27 with Marcus Neely 14th in 8.55.