CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The Indiana State Men's and Women's Track & Field will look to bring back some hardware to Terre Haute, as they head to Northern Iowa to compete at the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship on Saturday and Sunday.
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"Both of our teams are prepared, and this is going to be a very exciting and close meet," Head Coach
Angela Martin said. "The MVC Championships mean a lot to our teams, but we have to approach it like we have approached every meet, with confidence and poise. I am excited about the challenge in front of us."
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The Sycamore women have been tabbed to finish second behind Illinois State and the men were picked third behind Illinois State and UNI in the MVC Pre-Championship poll of conference coaches. In the preseason poll both ISU teams were chosen second.
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Last season, Illinois State was crowned the MVC champion on both the men's and the women's side with their men winning by 70 points and the women defeating the Trees by 35 points.
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Once again the women will be battling with the Redbirds for the title and veteran leadership will play a key role, as seniors
Ayanna Morgan,
Brooke Moore,
Cassaundra Roper and
Erin Reese will look to lead the blue and white.
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Moore, the distance star for Indiana State, will pull triple duty over the weekend, racing in the 800-meter run, mile run, and 3000-meter run. Entering the weekend, Moore owns the top time in the Valley in all three events. Her leading time in the 800-meter run is 2:07.37 from the Alex Wilson Invitational, while her mile time is 4:44.15 from the Meyo Invite and her 3000-meter run time is 9:23.53 from the Music City Challenge, which is also a school record. Nationally, her 800-meter time is 38th.
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Also on the track for ISU will be Morgan who will race in the 60-meter hurdles. The Barbados native enters the championships with the best time in the conference and school record time of 8.39 from the Meyo Invitational. She will also compete in the long jump where she is ranked second in the MVC with a mark of 5.91m (19-04.75) from the Music City Challenge.
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In the field for the women, Roper hopes to bring home a victory in the shot put, as the senior currently holds the top toss in the conference of 15.95m (52-04.00) from the Music City Challenge, and her mark is also 31st in the NCAA. Roper will also compete for All-MVC honors in the weight throw, an event where she currently has the fourth-best mark in the conference of 19.45m (63-09.75).
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Erin Reese is the top contender in the Missouri Valley Conference in the weight throw, as her mark of 21.81m (71-06.75) is not only second-best in school history, but is also ninth in the country. The redshirt senior will look to defend her title, as she won the weight throw championship last season with a mark of 21.06m (69-01.25).
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Youth will be the key to the Sycamores' success on the men's side of the meet. Freshmen
JaVaughn Moore and
Matthew Lewis-Banks, as well as senior
Akis Medrano will lead the Trees on the track while sophomores
Dearis Herron and
Nick Schultz look to make an impact in the field.
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Only racing in two meets before the championships, Moore has immediately made an impact for ISU. The freshman claimed victory in the 60-meter dash at the EIU Friday Night Special with the best time in the Valley of 6.85, just .05 away from the ISU top-10.
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Also making an immediate impact for Indiana State has been Lewis-Banks. The Hazel Crest, Ill., native raced to the ninth-best time in school history in the 60-meter hurdles of 7.93 at the Meyo Invitational, which also leads the MVC. Overall, Lewis-Banks owns six wins in the 60-meter hurdles out of seven attempts this season.
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Distance standout
Akis Medrano will be seeking titles in the 3000 and 5000-meter runs this weekend. In the 3000-meter run, Medrano has the sixth-fastest time in the Missouri Valley Conference of 8:17.35 from the Music City Challenge. In the 5000-meter run, the senior sits in second in the conference with the second-fastest time in school history of 14:19.88 from the Meyo Invitational.
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In the field,
Dearis Herron hopes to battle his way to the podium in the long and triple jumps. Entering Saturday, Herron boasts the fourth-best mark in the Valley of 7.23m (23-08.75) from the Indiana State Early Bird and he also is fourth in the MVC in the triple jump with a jump of 14.18m (46-06.25), also from the Early Bird meet.
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Sophomore
Nick Schultz is the top high jumper for the Trees and will also be in contention for All-MVC honors, as he jumped his way to the third-best mark in the Missouri Valley of 2.05m (6-08.75) at the Meyo Invitational.
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Events on Saturday are slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET with the women's pentathlon, while action in the field will get started at 3 p.m. ET with the men's weight throw. ESPN3 will broadcast at select times each day, going live at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and 2:15 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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Men's Pre-Championship Poll:
1. Illinois State - 77 (6)
2. Northern Iowa - 71 (3)
3. Indiana State - 64
4. Southern Illinois - 56
5. Bradley - 44
6. Drake - 35
7. Loyola - 31
8. Valparaiso - 18
9. Evansville - 9
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Women's Pre-Championship Poll:
1. Illinois State - 99 (9)
2. Indiana State - 91 (1)
3. Southern Illinois - 78
4. Northern Iowa - 68
5. Missouri State - 64
6. Loyola - 47
7. Bradley - 39
8. Drake - 33
9. Valparaiso - 17
10. Evansville - 14
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Last Five Men's MVC Indoor Champions:
2018: Illinois State
2017: Wichita State
2016: Wichita State
2015: Indiana State
2014: Indiana State
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Last Five Women's MVC Indoor Champions:
2018: Illinois State
2017: Wichita State
2016: Illinois State
2015: Indiana State
2014: Indiana State
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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.
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