CHARLESTON, Ill. - Youth shined for the Indiana State Track & Field teams on Friday night as both the men and women picked up team victories at the Eastern Illinois Friday Night Special.
 
The Sycamore men picked up a victory with 138.33 points and defeated Vincennes (71.50), Western Illinois (64), Eastern Illinois (64), Evansville (60.50), Wabash (51), Millikin (41), Southern Illinois (36), Lincoln (30.33), Butler (20) and Kentucky Wesleyan (17.33). The women tallied 162.5 points and defeated Northern Illinois (125), Eastern Illinois (70), Southern Illinois (59), Western Illinois (41), Millikin (38), Evansville (29), Butler (25), Kentucky Wesleyan (21.5), Lincoln (4) and Vincennes (3).
 
"Overall we had a really good day," Head Coach Angela Martin said. "Our team has stepped up and show that they are a group of fighters. They competed hard and supported each other and that results in some nice improvements. It is nice to go into the Missouri Valley Conference Championships this way."
 
Freshman sprinter JaVaughn Moore put on one of the most important performances of the day, claiming victory in the men's 60-meter dash with a time of 6.85, now the top-time in the Missouri Valley Conference and a personal-best.
 
Ejiroghene Biokoro and Jordan Moothery placed second and third behind Moore in the 60-meter dash, clocking times of 6.91 and 6.92, respectively, which pushes them to third and fourth in the conference.
 
Elsewhere on the track, freshman Matthew Lewis-Banks got back to his winning ways, taking the men's 60-meter hurdles title with a finals time of 8.01. The hurdler still owns the best time in the Valley of 7.93 from the Meyo Invitational.
 
In the distance events, freshman Noah Hufnagel walked away with gold in the men's 3000-meter run with a time of 8:48.41 and was followed by fellow teammate Luke Kerstiens who placed second at 8:52.34.
 
The male pole vaulters were a bright spot for the Trees in the field, as the trio of Antoine Howard, Riley Smith and Richard Griffith took the top-three spots in the event. Howard came out on top with a mark of 4.70m (15-05.00) and Smith took second with the same mark. Griffith took bronze with a vault of 4.55m (14-11.00).
 
High jumper Nick Schultz also performed well on Friday evening, taking home a win in the men's high jump with a jump of 2.03m (6-08.00). His mark of 2.05m (6-08.75) from the Meyo Invitational is third in the MVC.
 
On the women's side, Alli Workman was the top finisher on the track for the blue and white as she took home the women's 3K title with a time of 10:08.99, while her teammates Michaela Ward, Tara Cassidy and Riley Welch when second, third and fourth. The recorded times of 10:28.04, 10:32.81 and 10:45.67, respectively.
 
Jocelyn Quiles also earned a win on Friday evening, as the sophomore overtook Mackenzie Dixon of Millikin by .29 for the title with a time of 2:16.47.
 
Senior Ayanna Morgan was also victorious for the women at EIU, as she jumped her way to victory in the women's long jump. The Barbados native recorded a jump of 5.80m (19-00.50) to win, and fellow senior Caitlin Redmon took second with a jump of 5.75m (18-10.50).
 
Indiana State swept the pole vault at the Friday Night Special, as Hanna Atwood picked up the win for the women with a vault of 3.50m (11-05.75).
 
A delegation of Sycamore distance runners will compete at Notre Dame tomorrow at the Alex Wilson Invitational beginning at 1:20 p.m. ET.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.