NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Redshirt senior Erin Reese was the leader for the Sycamore Track & Field teams on day one of the Music City Challenge, placing fourth in a loaded field of the weight throw.
 
"The women's team fared well today led by Erin, Ayanna [Morgan] and the distance medley relay team," Head Coach Angela Martin said. "Overall we have seen some better performances from our team and I hope they are motivated to come back and show their talents tomorrow. The competition level at this meet is high caliber and I know we can step up to the challenge."
 
Reese's day in the weight throw started out strong as she recorded her top throw of the day on her first attempt, earning a mark of 21.44m (70-04.25) which would lead the conference had she not recorded a mark of 21.81m (71-06.75) at the ISU Early Bird meet. Her mark from the Early Bird meet is sixth in the nation.
 
To show the depth of the women's weight throw field, the Missouri Valley Conference-leading mark from Reese would have placed third on Friday behind Janeah Stewart who threw 24.82m (81-05.00) and Annette Echikunwoke who recorded a toss of 22.82m (74-10.25).
 
The lone other top-10 performance for the blue and white came from Ayanna Morgan in the women's long jump. Morgan, a Barbados native, jumped to a mark of 5.91m (19-04.75) which was good for a seventh place finish. The senior now owns the second-best mark in the Valley.
 
Elsewhere on the track, the women's distance medley relay team composed of Jessi Conley, Imani Hall, Rebecca Odusola and Devon Zeck placed fourth going up against top competition, clocking a time of 12:06.33. The Trees fell only to Michigan State, Michigan and Cincinnati.
 
Freshmen Matthew Lewis-Banks and JaVaughn Moore posted the best times on the track for ISU, earning 15th and 16th, respectively, in the 200-meter dash. Lewis-Banks sprinted across the finish line with a time of 22.271, just .002 ahead of Moore who finished at 22.273.
 
In the field for the men, Sam Overton threw his way to a 13th place finish in the weight throw, earning a mark of 17.82m (58-05.75) to lead the Indiana State men. His mark is now fourth in the MVC.
 
Action on the track is set to resume on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET with the women' 3K, while field events will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.
 
Other Notable Performances
Women's 200m Dash:
17. Ayanna Morgan - 25.10
 
Men's 5K:
16. Noah Hufnagel - 15:08.34
 
Women's 5K:
19. Michaela Ward - 18:04.99
20. Tara Cassidy - 18:07.52
 
Men's High Jump:
13. Richard Griffith - 1.97m (6-05.50)
15. Nick Schultz - 1.97m (6-05.50)
18. Nathan Kiger - 1.92m (6-03.50
20. Avery Taylor - 1.92m (6-03.50)
 
Women's High Jump:
14. Caitlyn Redmon - 1.66m (5-05.25)
15. Kara Cooke - 1.61m (5-03.25)
 
Men's Long Jump:
11. Dearis Herron - 6.97m (22-10.50)
14. Corey DuPriest - 6.75m (22-01.75)
18. Noah Rogers - 6.57m (21-06.75)
 
Men's Pole Vault:
13. Antoine Howard - 4.65m (15-03.00)
13. Riley Smith - 4.65m (15-03.00)
 
Women's Weight Throw:
14. Cassaundra Roper - 18.10m (59-04.75)
 
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.