TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field hits the road for the second time this outdoor season when the Sycamores take part in the Joe Walker Invitational Friday and Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi.
Friday's field events begin at noon., with the first events on the track slated to start at 6:15 p.m. Saturday's action kicks off with field events at 12:30 p.m., while events on the track will start at 3 p.m.
Who's in the Field?
Indiana State and host institution Ole Miss will be joined in the field by athletes from Alabama, Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Austin Peay, Ball State, Christian Brothers, Coahoma CC, Illinois State, Jackson State, Lamar, Lipscomb, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, Mississipppi Valley State, Murray State, Notre Dame, Sam Houston State, South Alabama, Southeast Missouri State, St. Norbert, UL Monroe, UT Martin, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky.
Last Time Out
Indiana State throwers notched a pair of top-10 program records at the Gibson Track and Field Complex, leading the way for the Sycamores at the Pacesetter Sports Invitational.
Brooklyn Giertz opened the meet with the third-best mark in program history in the javelin throw (44.23m/145-01), while
Wyatt Puff closed the meet by breaking the facility record in the discus throw (56.53m/185-05). Puff's mark also ranked second in program history in the event, marking the second straight week that he set a PR in the discus.
Overall, Indiana State earned 15 first-place finishes and finished first on both the men's and women's side. The Sycamores finished with 237 points on the men's side and 248 points on the women's side, finishing more than 150 points ahead of the second-place men's (Purdue Fort Wayne) and women's (Notre Dame) teams.
Top-10 Trees
Indiana State continues to make noise in the Great Lakes region, as the Sycamores find themselves ranked in the top 10 in the region on both the men's and women's side.
The Sycamore men are ranked fourth in this week's rankings, making it the seventh consecutive rankings index with the Sycamores in the top five in the region (indoor and outdoor). Indiana State is ranked 10th in the women's rankings, marking the fifth time this season the Sycamore women are in the top 10 in the region.
Indiana State also has a trio of event groups that are ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the first USTFCCCA #EventSquad rankings of the outdoor season. Leading the way for the Sycamores is the men's discus group that is ranked fifth in the nation. Also earning top-10 national rankings for the Trees are the men's shot put (sixth) and women's pole vault (10th) groups.
Topping the Charts
Through the first three weekends of the 2023 outdoor season, Indiana State has 11 marks that rank first in the MVC. Seven of those 11 marks come on the men's side, while four are on the women's side. Six of the Sycamores' top marks in the conference come in field events, with track events accounting for five.
Indiana State's athletes with top marks in the conference are:
In addition, the men's 4x100m relay team also ranks first in the Great Lakes region.
Weekly Winners
Following standout performances at the Pacesetter Sports Invitational, Indiana State track and field athletes
Iyanla Hunter and
Wyatt Puff earned MVC weekly honors, as Hunter was tabbed the MVC Women's Track Athlete of the Week and Puff picked up MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors.
Hunter placed first in her lone individual event of the Pacesetter Sports Invitational, running a wind-aided time of 24.61 (w: +2.4) to place first by one-hundredth of a second. She also ran the anchor leg of Indiana State's 4x400m B relay team, running a split under 55 seconds that ended up being the fastest 400 split in the field. Hunter's 200m time ranks second in the MVC and 23rd in the Great Lakes region. She is also a part of the Sycamores' 4x400m relay team that ranks first in the MVC and seventh in the Great Lakes region.
Puff had a strong showing at the Pacesetter Sports Invitational, breaking the facility record in the discus and earning top-two finishes in both events he competed in. His top mark in the discus of 56.53m (185-05) won the event and also ranks second in school history, in addition to breaking the Gibson Track and Field Complex record. Puff also placed second in the shot put, with his top mark of 17.99m (59-00.25) also being the second-best mark of his career in the event, indoor or outdoor. Puff's marks from this weekend's meet rank first in the MVC in both events. Additionally, he ranks second in the Great Lakes region, 14th in NCAA East Region qualifying and 29th in the nation in the discus, and seventh in the Great Lakes region, 17th in NCAA East Region qualifying and 44th in the nation in the shot put.
The weekly award is the first career weekly honor for both Hunter and Puff and Indiana State's second and third weekly honor during outdoor season. Indiana State won 10 MVC Athlete of the Week awards during indoor season, with
Kevin Krutsch,
JaVaughn Moore,
Brett Norton,
Ryann Porter (twice),
Shomari Rogers-Walton,
William Staggs,
Isiah Thomas and
Wyatt Wyman (twice) all picking up conference honors.
Quincy Armstrong earned the Sycamores' first conference honor during outdoor season after clocking a 400m hurdles time under 53 seconds at the Don McGarey Invitational.
Up Next
Indiana State is back in action at the Gibson Track and Field Complex April 13-15 for the Gibson Invitational, sponsored by the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Sycamores will recognize their track and field alumni and their 2023 senior class at the meet.
