TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field plays host to its third indoor meet of the season Saturday when it welcomes competition to the Indoor Track and Field Facility for the ISU Open. The meet is the Sycamores' last before the MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Field events begin at noon, with the first events on the track set for 12:40 p.m.
Last Time Out
JaVaughn Moore broke his own 60m school record, leading Indiana State in a strong showing for the Sycamores at the Music City Challenge.
Moore, who ran a sub-6.7 time in the prelims, semifinals and finals, clocked a time of 6.62 to reset the program record. He also finished one-hundredth of a second shy of the school record in the 200m at 21.08.
Brett Norton also picked up a win in the weight throw with a top mark of 19.86m (65-02.00). As a team, Indiana State set 10 top-10 program marks at the meet.
Also recording top-10 marks in program in the Music City were
Erica Barker (3000m),
Ethan Breen (mile),
Brooklyn Giertz (pole vault),
Tahj Johnson (400m)
Jackson Krieg (3000m),
Noah Malone (60m),
William Staggs (pole vault) and
Wyatt Wyman (800m), in addition to Moore's top mark.
Top-Three Trees
Indiana State men's track and field reached its highest regional ranking in program history when the Sycamores checked in at No. 3 in the Great Lakes region in Monday's USTFCCCA rankings. The Sycamores are only behind Indiana and Wisconsin in the region, which covers the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The ranking gives Indiana State back-to-back top-five regional rankings for the first time in program history after being ranked fourth last week.
Indiana State's high ranking is bolstered by the likes of
JaVaughn Moore (6.62 in the 60m),
Kevin Krutsch (2.15m/7-00.50 in the high jump) and
Shomari Rogers-Walton (7.65m/25-01.25 in the long jump, 15.56m/51-00.75 in the triple jump), who are ranked in the top three in the region in their respective events.
No slouches either, the Sycamore women re-entered the Great Lakes region top 10 Monday, as the Blue and White checked in at No. 10. Indiana State has been ranked in the top 10 on the women's side in three of the four regional rankings this season, reaching as high as sixth in the region.
Niesha Anderson (19.54m/64-01.25 in the weight throw) and
Ryann Porter (12.59m/41-03.75 in the triple jump) both rank in the top five in the region in their respective events for the Sycamores.
Trees at the Top
Indiana State held firm atop the weekly USTFCCCA conference rankings following a strong showing in Nashville. The Sycamore men were ranked first in the MVC, with Indiana State also ranked second in the conference on the women's side.
Bolstering the high rankings within the conference for the Sycamores are seven marks on the men's side that rank first in the MVC and two women's marks that are tops in the conference.
Shomari Rogers-Walton is responsible for a pair of those marks in the long jump (7.65m/25-01.25) and triple jump (15.56m/51-00.75), with
JaVaughn Moore (60m, 6.62; 200, 21.08), the distance medley relay team of
Ethan Breen,
Tahj Johnson,
Wyatt Wyman and
Jackson Krieg (9:47.61),
Kevin Krutsch (high jump, 2.15m/7-00.50) and
William Staggs (pole vault, 5.23m/17-01.75) all owning top marks in the Valley. On the women's side,
Ryann Porter (triple jump, 12.59m/41-03.75) remains a constant atop the MVC rankings in the triple jump.
Strength in Numbers
Indiana State currently has six top-20 national rankings in the latest USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings, with multiple event groups represented among the high marks for the Blue and White.
The men's shot put (10th) carries the highest ranking for the Sycamores, with Indiana State also featuring in the top 20 nationally in the men's 60m (11th), men's weight throw (12th), women's pole vault (13th), men's long jump (14th) and men's triple jump (20th).
Weekly Winner
After breaking the school record in the 60m dash for the fourth time in his career, Indiana State sprinter
JaVaughn Moore was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Moore had a meet to remember at the Music City Challenge, breaking the school record in the 60m while coming one-hundredth of a second shy of the school record in the 200m. He ran sub-6.7 times in the 60m in the prelims (6.69), semifinals (6.64) and finals (6.62), with the finals time of 6.62 setting the school record. Moore opened his weekend in dominant fashion in the 200m, with his time of 21.08 moving him to second in program history, just one-hundredth of a second off the school record. He owns the top marks in the MVC in both events following last weekend's proceedings, and also ranks second in the Great Lakes region and 16th in the nation in the 60m, and second in the Great Lakes region in the 200m.
The weekly award is the seventh for Moore in his career, as he has previously earned five honors during indoor season and one during outdoor season. Moore's weekly honor gives Indiana State nine MVC Athlete of the Week awards this season, with
Kevin Krutsch,
Brett Norton,
Ryann Porter,
Shomari Rogers-Walton,
William Staggs,
Isiah Thomas and
Wyatt Wyman (twice) all picking up conference honors earlier this season.
Up Next
Indiana State looks to defend its MVC Indoor Championship titles Feb. 26-27 in Chicago. The Sycamores swept the men's and women's titles last season at Gately Park, marking the first sweep for Indiana State since 2015.
