CHICAGO – Indiana State's 2024-25 indoor track and field season got off to a strong start Friday, with 10 different Sycamores putting up top-25 national marks at the Blue Demon Holiday Invite.
Included in the Sycamores' season opener was a school record, as
Tahj Johnson broke Indiana State's program record in the 300m with a time of 33.85. The Trees set a trio of top-10 national marks Friday, with
Casey Hood Jr. (60m, 6.67),
Rachel Mehringer (60m hurdles, 8.34) and
Noah Bolt (weight throw, 20.32m/66-8) all putting themselves among the nation's best in the early stages of the season.
Indiana State racked up eight first-place finishes as a team, with the Sycamores recording 23 top-three finishes over the course of the day. The Sycamores' depth was on full display, especially in the field events with multiple top-three finishes in nearly every field event contested.
Event Winners
Top-Three Finishes
- Casey Hood Jr. – 60m (second, 6.71, meet record time of 6.67 in prelims)
- Tahj Johnson – 300m (third, 33.85, school record)
- Nick Burns – mile (second, 4:33.85)
- Caden Emmert – mile (third, 4:38.06)
- Collin Forrest – 60m hurdles (third, 8.13)
- Rachel Mehringer – 60m hurdles (second, 8.34)
- Kevin Krutsch – high jump (second, 2.06m/6-9)
- Noah Gilmore – high jump (third, 1.98m/6-6)
- Ellie Irwin – high jump (second, 1.69m/5-6.5)
- Abby Ballengee – pole vault (second, 3.85m/12-7.5)
- Campbell Roberts – pole vault (third, 3.70m/12-1.5)
- Jahnel Bowman – triple jump (third, 11.75m/38-6.75)
- Wyatt Puff – shot put (second, 17.85m/58-6.75)
- Olivia Marshall – shot put (second, 14.24m/46-8.75)
- Aliseonna Garnett – shot put (third, 13.94m/45-9)
- Elias Foor – weight throw (second, 18.71m/61-4.75)
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's sprinters and hurdlers got their season started on the right foot, led by
Tahj Johnson's school record in the 300m. Johnson clocked a time of 33.85 to break a program record set by former Sycamore All-American JaVaughn Moore back in 2022.
Johnson also teamed with
Zach Powell,
Caden Emmert and
Matthew Wray for a first-place finish in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:20.90. Wray (35.26) also cracked the top 10 in program history in the 300m in his collegiate debut.
Johnson wasn't the only Sycamore sprinter to have a strong season opener, as
Casey Hood Jr. clocked a time of 6.67 in the prelims of the 60m. Hood Jr. followed with a 6.71 in the finals, with his prelim time being the fourth-fastest in the nation this season.
Sycamore hurdlers also had a strong season debut, led by
Rachel Mehringer with 60m hurdles times of 8.36 (prelims) and 8.34 (finals). Mehringer's time in the finals was just one-hundredth off her career best, and also ranks 10th this season.
Collin Forrest ran a career-best time of 8.12 in the 60m hurdles prelims on the men's side, and followed with a time of 8.13 in the finals. Indiana State also got strong season debuts from
Kamille Gaskin-Griffith (8.77 prelims/8.74 finals) and
Jake Ottersbach (8.42 prelims/8.50 finals).
Mid-Distance/Distance
With cross country season ending in November, Indiana State elected to not compete in most of the distance events Friday. Despite that, the Sycamores still have a pair of podium finishes in a distance event.
Nick Burns (4:33.85) and Emmert (4:38.06), two athletes that have mostly competed in the 400m and 800m in their careers, both placed in the top three in the mile.
Jumps
Indiana State continued its domination of the jumps events with four first-place finishes and 10 top-three finishes in the season opener. Included in those totals were sweeps of the pole vault titles, with
Will Staggs (5.15m/16-10.75) and
Brooklyn Pfaff (4.00m/13-1.5) both setting meet records on their way to first-place finishes. Pfaff was joined by
Abby Ballengee (3.85m/12-7.5) and
Campbell Roberts (3.70m/12-1.5) for a Sycamore sweep of the podium on the women's side.
The Sycamores also picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the horizontal jumps events on the men's side.
Kilan Macklin took home top spot in the long jump in his Indiana State debut with a mark of 7.09m (23-3.25), while
Jaden Smith set a meet record in the triple jump with his indoor career best mark of 14.88m (48-10). The Trees had strong performances in both horizontal jumps events on the women's side, with
Jahnel Bowman (11.75m/38-6.75) earning a podium finish in the triple jump and
Janiya Bowman (5.79m/19-0) placing in the top five in a closely-contested long jump leaderboard.
Indiana State's strong reputation in the high jump was on full display, with
Kevin Krutsch clearing 2.06m (6-9) to place second in the field and inside the top 25 nationally. The Sycamores also had multiple freshmen with high-level performances in the event, with
Noah Gilmore (1.98m/6-6) and
Xavier Sherrell (1.93m/6-4) getting their debut seasons off to a good start, and
Ellie Irwin clearing 1.69m (5-6.5) for a second-place finish on the women's side.
Throws
Indiana State's throwers had a banner day to start the season, with four top-25 national marks and three first-place finishes in the season opener.
The Sycamores set meet records on both sides in the weight throw, with
Noah Bolt (20.32m/66-8) and
Niesha Anderson (19.75m/64-9.75) both registering marks that rank in the top 15 nationally.
Elias Foor also earned a top-three finish on the men's side with a mark of 18.71m (61-4.75).
Indiana State's 1-2 punch in the men's shot Friday currently sits among the nation's best.
Sloan Cox had a Sycamore debut to remember, recording a career-best mark of 17.92m (58-9.5) to place first with
Wyatt Puff (17.85m/58-6.75) right behind. Cox and Puff both rank in the top 20 nationally in the event. The Trees also had a pair of top-three finishes in the women's shot put, with
Olivia Marshall (14.24m/46-8.75) earning a second-place finish in her collegiate debut and
Aliseonna Garnett (13.94m/45-9) following behind in third.
Up Next
Indiana State's next meet comes after the calendar flips to 2025, as the Sycamores face longtime rival Illinois State for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup January 17 in Normal, Illinois.
The Sycamores won the Coughlan-Malloy Cup last season by a 178-118 margin, marking the first time since 2017 that the cup resided in Terre Haute. The 60-point margin was also the largest in the dual meet since 2015.
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
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Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the
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