TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Six meet and two facility records fell Friday night at the Indoor Track and Field Facility, as Indiana State opened its 2023-24 indoor season in style at the John Gartland Invitational.
 
The Sycamores earned first-place finishes on both the men's and women's side, claiming the top spot in 20 events on day. Terrance O'Bannon (60m) and Luigi Rivas (60m hurdles) set facility records, while O'Bannon, Rivas, Claire Pittman (long jump), Will Staggs (pole vault), Wyatt Puff (shot put) and Shomari Rogers-Walton (triple jump) all set meet records for the Sycamores.
 
As a team, Indiana State finished with 231 points on the men's side and 200 points on the women's side. The Sycamore men were 112 points ahead of second-place UIndy, while the women were 108 points ahead of second-place SIU Edwardsville.
 
Event Winners

• Terrance O'Bannon – 60m (6.69, meet and facility record)
• Angel Thomas – 60m (7.72)
• Trent Jones – 200m (22.27)
• Sophie Yovanovich – 200m (24.98)
• Iyanla Hunter – 400m (56.87)
• Napoleon Hernandez – 600m (1:22.46)
• Michelle Gasmund – 800m (2:30.32)
• Luigi Rivas – 60m hurdles (8.00, ran meet and facility record 7.95 in prelims)
• Rachel Mehringer – 60m hurdles (8.65, ran 8.52 in prelims)
• Trent Jones, Daunte Majors, Casey Hood Jr., Terrance O'Bannon – 4x400m relay (3:25.57)
• Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff, Janiya Bowman, Iyanla Hunter – 4x400m relay (3:54.67)
• Grace Quinlan – high jump (1.74m/5-08.50)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (5.34m/17-06.25, meet record)
• Selene Weaver – pole vault (3.76m/12-04.00)
• Claire Pittman – long jump (5.87m/19-03.25, meet record)
• Shomari Rogers-Walton – triple jump (15.11m/49-07.00)
• Wyatt Puff – shot put (18.28m/59-11/75, meet record)
• Niesha Anderson – shot put (14.54m/47-08.50), weight throw (19.69m/64-07.25)
• Noah Bolt – weight throw (20.16m/66-01.75)

 
Top-Three Finishes

• Casey Hood Jr. – 60m (second, 6.71)
• Sophie Yovanovich – 60m (second, 7.72)
• Zach Powell – 400m (second, 50.63)
• Xavier Wills – 600m (second, 1:22.53)
• Quincy Armstrong – 60m hurdles (second, 8.09)
• Janiya Bowman – long jump (second, 5.61m/18-05.00)
• Jaden Smith – triple jump (second, 14.34m/47-00.75)
• Dominique Wood – triple jump (second, 11.32m/37-01.75)
• Noah Bolt – shot put (second, 17.32m/56-10.00)
• Hannah Redlin – shot put (second, 13.51m/44-04.00)
• Elias Foor – weight throw (second, 19.65m/64-05.75)
• Daunte Majors – 60m (third, 6.84)
• Nick Burns – 600m (third, 1:22.73)
• Collin Forrest – 60m hurdles (third, 8.32)
• Riley Tuerff – 60m hurdles (third, 8.74)
• Napoleon Hernandez, Caden Emmert, Nick Burns, Xavier Wills – 4x400m relay (third, 3:26.75)
• Jalisa Fuller, Grace Quinlan, Emily Lowe, Kyrsten Fehribach – 4x400m relay (third, 4:08.52)
• Lawrence Mitchell – high jump (third, 2.00m/6-06.75)
• Dan O'Laughlin – pole vault (third, 4.66m/15-03.50)
• Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff – pole vault (third, 3.71m/12-02.00)
• Faith Frye – long jump (third, 5.45m/17-10.75)
• Ali Ilupeju – triple jump (third, 14.30m/46-11.00)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's sprinters got off to a strong start, led by Terrance O'Bannon and Casey Hood Jr. O'Bannon set the meet and facility record with a time of 6.69 in the 60m, with Hood Jr. right behind him at 6.71. Teammate Daunte Majors placed third with a time of 6.84, with that trio being the final three legs of the winning 4x400m relay team alongside Trent Jones at 3:25.57. Jones also won the 200m at 22.27.
 
Not to be outdone, Indiana State's women's sprinters also took the top spots in the 60m, 200m and 4x400m relay. Angel Thomas and Sophie Yovanovich both ran times of 7.72 in the 60m, with Thomas winning by one-thousandth of a second (7.711 vs. 7.712). Yovanovich later went on to win the 200m with a time of 24.98, the only sub-25 second time in the field. Indiana State's team of Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff, Janiya Bowman and Iyanla Hunter teamed up to win the 4x400m relay in 3:54.67, with three members of that quartet also earning top-three finishes in other events. Hunter went on to take the 400m title in 56.87.
 
The Sycamore hurdlers also got their season off on the right foot, as Luigi Rivas led a podium sweep in the men's 60m hurdles with meet and facility record-setting times of 7.95 in the prelims and 8.00 in the finals. Quincy Armstrong finished second at 8.09, while Collin Forrest was third in 8.32. Parker Doyle (prelims) and Jake Ottersbach (finals) both clocked times of 8.36 in their Sycamore debuts. On the women's side, Rachel Mehringer made a strong first impression in her Sycamore debut with times of 8.52 in the prelims and 8.65 in the finals. She was joined in the top three by Tuerff, who clocked a time of 8.74.
 
Distance
Most of Indiana State's distance runners did not compete Friday after finishing the cross country season less than a month ago. The Sycamores still had a pair of event winners in mid-distance events in Napoleon Hernandez, who won the men's 600m in 1:22.46, and Michelle Gasmund, who took top spot in the women's 800m at 2:30.32. Xavier Wills was right behind Hernandez in the 600m at 1:22.53, while Nick Burns completed the podium sweep in the event with a time of 1:22.73.
 
Cannen Wolf was the lone Sycamore in the men's 800m with a time of 2:05.35. Ian Gadberry (9:15.64) and Parker Mimbela (9:22.47) represented the Trees in the men's 3000m with fourth and sixth-place finishes, respectively.
 
Jumps/Pole Vault
Indiana State's jumps group started the season strong, with the Sycamores setting a trio of meet records in jumps events. Claire Pittman got the evening going with a meet record in the women's long jump at 5.87m (19-03.25), with Bowman (5.61m/18-05.00) and Faith Frye (5.45m/17-10.75) rounding out the top three. Mitch Conard had the top mark for the Trees in the men's long jump at 6.75m (22-01.75), earning him a fourth-place finish.
 
Fresh of an All-America outdoor season, Will Staggs opened his indoor season with a meet-record mark of 5.34m (17-06.25), while Dan O'Laughlin finished third after clearing 4.66m (15-03.50). Indiana State also had two of the top three in the women's pole vault, as Selene Weaver cleared 3.76m (12-04.00) to finish first and Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff finished third after clearing 3.71m (12-02.00).
 
Grace Quinlan got her season started on a high note, as she cleared a career-best mark of 1.74m (5-08.50) to win the women's high jump. Kyrsten Fehribach cleared 1.65m (5-05.00) to finish fourth in her Indiana State debut. On the men's side, Lawrence Mitchell earned a third-place finish after clearing 2.00m (6-06.75).
 
Shomari Rogers-Walton ended the meet with a bang, setting a meet record in the men's triple jump with a season-opening mark of 15.11m (49-07.00). Jaden Smith (14.34m/47-00.75) and Ali Ilupeju (14.30m/46-11.00) were right behind him in second and third for the Sycamores. Dominique Wood also earned a podium finish for the Blue and White in the women's triple jump, her top mark of 11.32m (37-01.75) placing her second in the field.
 
Throws
It was a banner day for the Sycamore throwers, as Indiana State placed first in all four throws events contested. Niesha Anderson won both women's throws events, taking home top spot in the shot put (14.54m/47-08.50) and weight throw (19.69m/64-07.25). Hannah Redlin also added a second-place finish for the Syacmores in the shot put with a mark of 13.51m (44-04.00).
 
Wyatt Puff led the way for the Trees in the men's shot put, setting a meet record with a top mark of 18.28m (59-11.75). Noah Bolt was behind him in second with a top mark of 17.32m (56-10.00), while also winning the weight throw with a top mark of 20.16m (66-01.75). Elias Foor placed second in the weight throw for the Sycamores at 19.65m (64-05.75).
 
Up Next
Indiana State's next meet will come after the calendar turns to 2024, as the Sycamores host longtime rival Illinois State for the Coughlan-Malloy Cup January 12.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.