TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama was good to the Sycamores on day one of the Crimson Tide Invitational, as the blue and white picked up two victories and several other athletes earned personal-best marks in the warm weather.
 
A star in the throws, Erin Reese continued her dominance in the field for Indiana State as the redshirt senior walked away the Crimson Tide Invitational champion in the hammer throw. Reese recorded a toss of 62.91m (206-04) on her fifth throw of the competition to take the title. Her mark of 63.56m (208-06) from the Gibson Invite still leads the Missouri Valley Conference, is 11th in the NCAA East Region and 20th nationally.
 
Reese wasn't the only Sycamore to shine in the women's hammer throw. Fellow redshirt senior Cassaundra Roper recorded a new lifetime-best throw of 57.94m (190-01) which is the sixth-best toss in school history. Her mark is now fifth in the Valley and 48th in the East.
 
On the track for the Trees, Brooke Moore was the top finisher. The distance standout raced to a third place finish and season-best time of 4:23.70 in the invitational section of the women's 1500-meter run. With her time, she overtook her own time of 4:27.26 to lead the conference and is now 34th in the East Region.
 
Sophomore Jocelyn Quiles put together her best race in a Sycamore uniform in the invitational section of the 1500-meter run as well. Quiles finished right behind Moore, crossing the finish line in fourth place with the fourth-fastest time in school history of 4:24.41 which is second in the MVC. She is also 38th in the East.
 
The lone representative for ISU in the women's 5000-meter was Michaela Ward. Ward ran a season-best time of 18:13.31 en route to an 11th place finish on Thursday.
 
On the men's side, Quentin Pierce led the way on the track by winning the invitational section of the men's 1500-meter run. Pierce had an impressive kick on the straightaway of the last lap to take the victory, ultimately crossing the line at 3:48.37. The senior now sits at second in the Valley and 42nd in the NCAA East Region.
 
Also in the invitational section of the men's 1500-meter run, Ryan Cash had a career-best race en route to a fifth place finish. Cash clocked the ninth-best time in Indiana State history of 3:50.61 and is now sixth overall in the Valley.
 
A pair of Sycamores earned top-10 finishes during the final event on the track, the men's 5000-meter run, on Thursday night. Distance standout Akis Medrano led the way with a third place finish and time of 14:36.12 which is second in the conference. Freshman Noah Hufnagel crossed the line in eighth place with a time of 15:05.51, which pushes him to fifth in the MVC.
 
In the field for the men, Sam Overton was the top performer with a sixth place finish in the men's hammer throw and a mark of 55.42m (181-10). His toss of 55.86m (183-03) is still third in the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
Finishing behind Overton in the men's hammer throw was Grant Harris, who placed ninth at 49.03m (160-10) and Kannon Sams who took tenth with a mark of 48.03m (157-07).
 
Action on Friday is slated to begin at 10 a.m. ET with the men's and women's discus throws. Track events will get underway at 1 p.m. ET with the women's 4x100-meter relay.
 
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.