TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field took advantage of ideal weather at the Gibson Invitational sponsored by the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau, taking home the top spots on both the men's and women's side at the Gibson Track and Field Complex.
Competing in a field consisting of nearly 1,000 athletes, the largest meet ever hosted by Indiana State, the Sycamores finished with 140 points on the men's side and 123 points on the women's side. Indiana State's men's team finished 28.5 points ahead of second-place Southern Illinois, while the women's team finished 17 points ahead of Illinois State.
Over the course of the three-day meet, Indiana State racked up six event wins, which came from the sprints, distance and jumps groups. Seven Sycamores set top-10 program marks over the weekend, with at least one athlete from every event group climbing the charts in program history.
Indiana State also recognized its 2023 senior class at the meet, with
Cassidy Bagby,
Kelsey Bowlds,
Mitchell Cline,
Faith Frye,
Hannah Hendrick,
Iyanla Hunter,
Kevin Krutsch,
Sierra Long,
Emmanuel Odubanjo,
Ayana Parchman,
Brandon Peck,
Claire Pittman,
Riley Tuerff,
Brittney Walker and
Jhivon Wilson honored for their accomplishments in the Blue and White. Athletes who returned this season for a fifth year of eligibility –
Daryl Black,
JaVaughn Moore,
Trevor Thompson,
Wyatt Wyman and
Frankie Young III – were previously recognized.
Event Winners
Top-Three Finishes
- Iyanla Hunter – 400m (second, 56.00)
- Jackson Krieg – 1500m (second, 3:50.89)
- Ethan Breen – 3000m steeplechase (second, 9:16.13)
- Nyla Jones, Michelle McDonald, Kamille Gaskin-Griffith, Alysha Bradford – 4x100m relay (second, 46.25)
- Alysha Bradford, Maria Biskopstoe, Sierra Long, Iyanla Hunter – 4x400m relay (second, 3:58.09)
- Kevin Krutsch – high jump (second, 2.08m/6-09.75)
- Brooklyn Giertz – pole vault (second, 3.90m/12-09.50)
- Claire Pittman – long jump (second, 5.89m/19-04.00)
- Noah Bolt – hammer throw (second, 60.73m/199-03, fifth in program history)
- Elias Foor – javelin (second, 53.79m/176-06), hammer throw (third, 60.55m/198-08, sixth in program history)
- Ali Ilupeju – triple jump (third, 13.91m/45-07.75)
- Wyatt Puff – shot put (third, 17.57m/57-07.75)
Other Notable Results
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's men's short sprinters were part of a photo finish in the 100m, with the nine finalists separated by just two-tenths of a second.
Terrance O'Bannon came out on top with a meet-record time of 10.35, finishing slightly ahead of teammates
Noah Malone (10.41),
Isiah Thomas (10.49) and
Daunte Majors (10.54). In the women's 100m,
Nyla Jones clocked a season-best time of 11.79 in the prelims and followed that with an 11.99 in the finals.
Ryann Porter moved her way up the record books in the 100m hurdles, with her career-best time of 13.99 ranking seventh in program history. Porter,
Taylor Jackson (14.25) and
Riley Tuerff (14.34) all ran wind-legal season-best times. Tuerff also added a top-five finish in the 400m hurdles at 1:02.84. Indiana State's men's hurdlers also had strong performances, as
Luigi Rivas ran a season-best time of 14.29 in the 110m hurdles prelims and
Daryl Black also ran a season-best of 14.56.
Indiana State's women's 4x100m relay of Jones,
Michelle McDonald,
Kamille Gaskin-Griffith and
Alysha Bradford ran a season-best time of 46.25, while the women's 4x400m relay team of Bradford,
Maria Biskopstoe,
Sierra Long and
Iyanla Hunter placed second at 3:58.09. The men's 4x400m relay team of
Wyatt Wyman,
Napoleon Hernandez,
Mitchell Cline and
Cameron Stevens came in at 3:17.04.
Stevens (21.74) and Jones (25.04) had the top men's and women's 200m times, respectively, while Stevens also had the top men's 400m time for the Trees at 49.38. Hunter ran a time of 56.00 to lead the Sycamores in the women's 400m.
Distance
Two of Indiana State's six event wins came from the distance crew, with
Jason Dworak also climbing into the top 10 in program history in the 1500m. Dworak ran a time of 3:50.47, narrowly beating out teammate
Jackson Krieg (3:50.89).
Kyra Young set a PR in the women's 1500m at 4:51.26.
Morgan Dyer also picked up an event win for the Blue and White, running a career-best time of 17:56.63 to win the 5000m.
Sara Skaff shaved more than a minute off her season-opening 5000m time, crossing the line in 18:23.19 to place in the top five. On the men's side,
Emerson Fayman ran a time of 15:39.36.
Indiana State also had strong performances in the steeplechase, with
Ethan Breen running a time of 9:16.13 on the men's side and
Cassidy Bagby running a career-best 11:22.13. The Sycamores also got a top-10 performance in the men's 800m from
Nicholas Burns (1:55.73).
Jumps/Pole Vault
Indiana State picked up three of its event wins from the jumps group, with the Sycamores getting season-best performances from each of their winners.
William Staggs set an outdoor PR for the second straight week in the pole vault, clearing 5.21m (17-01.00) to move into the top three in program history. The Sycamores also got a second-place finish on the women's side from
Brooklyn Giertz, who cleared 3.90m (12-09.50).
The Sycamores went 1-2 at the top of the men's high jump, with
Trevor Thompson clearing 2.11m (6-11.00) and
Kevin Krutsch clearing 2.08m (6-09.75).
Kelsey Bowlds was the lone Sycamore in the women's high jump, clearing 1.55m (5-01.00).
Indiana State also earned an event win from a familiar face, as Porter had a season-best mark of 12.84m (42-01.50) in the triple jump. On the men's side,
Ali Ilupeju had a mark of 13.91m (45-07.75) to place third. The Trees also got a second-place finish in the women's long jump from
Claire Pittman, who had her best-ever wind-legal jump at 5.89m (19-04.00).
Mitch Conard had the top mark in the men's long jump at 6.97m (22-10.50).
Throws
A trio of Sycamore throwers set top-10 program marks at their home complex, with two of those coming in the same event.
Noah Bolt (60.73m/199-03) and
Elias Foor (60.55m/198-08) moved up to fifth and sixth, respectively, in program history in the hammer throw.
Foor also had season-best marks of 53.79m (176-06) in the javelin, 52.84m (173-04) in the discus and 16.68m (54-08.75) in the shot put.
Wyatt Puff led the way for the Trees in the men's shot put, earning a top-three finish with his mark of 17.57m (57-07.75). Bolt had the top mark for the Blue and White in the men's discus at 53.14m (174-04).
Hannah Redlin also moved her way up the record books in the discus, with her top attempt of 48.67m (159-08) moving her up to ninth in program history in the event.
Josie Hapack also had a personal-best mark of 47.16m (154-09).
Niesha Anderson had the best mark for the Sycamores in the women's shot put (14.09m/46-02.75) and hammer throw (49.55m/162-07), while Giertz had the best mark in the javelin at 40.14m (131-08).
Multis
Indiana State's heptathletes opened the meet with a bang, as
Kamille Gaskin-Griffith recorded her best-ever heptathlon at 4589 points. Gaskin-Griffith had strong marks in the 100m hurdles (14.47), 200m (24.64) and javelin (35.21m/115-06).
Eva Grace Quinlan also placed in the top 10 of the 32-athlete field with 4388 points. Quinlan's marks in the 200m (25.59) and high jump (1.54m/5-00.50) were both in the top 10 in the field.
Chloe Rolen had top-10 marks in the high jump (1.48m/4-10.25) and shot put (10.32m/33-10.25), and finished with 4243 points.
Up Next
Indiana State heads back to SEC territory, as most of the Sycamores will compete in the Crimson Tide Invitational April 21-22 at Alabama. A select contingent will remain in the Hoosier State to compete at the Indiana Invitational in Bloomington.
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For the latest information on the Sycamore Track & Field and Cross Country teams, make sure to check out
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