TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field is set to take part in a pair of meets over the weekend, as the Sycamores will compete in the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame Friday and Saturday while also playing host to the Blue-White Classic Saturday afternoon.
Friday's proceedings from South Bend will start at 4 p.m., with Saturday's action at Notre Dame starting at 10 a.m. Saturday's Blue-White Classic will start at noon.
Who's In The Field?
Indiana State will compete at the Meyo Invitational against Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Butler, Central Michigan, Dayton, DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Grace, Grand Valley State, Hope, Huntington, Illinois, Illinois-Springfield, Illinois State, Indiana, Iowa, Kent State, Louisville, Marquette, Michigan, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio State, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Saint Louis, Tiffin, Toledo, UIC, Valparaiso and Western Michigan.
The Sycamores will play host to Brescia, DePauw, Evansville, Greenville, McKendree and St. Mary-of-the-Woods at the Blue-White Classic.
Last Time Out
Will Staggs matched his own indoor program record in the pole vault at the Michigan Invitational, headlining 14 top-three finishes for Indiana State inside the U-M Indoor Track Building.
Staggs cleared 5.41m (17-09.00) to set the meet record in the event, while
Casey Hood Jr. (60m),
Kevin Krutsch (high jump) and
Shomari Rogers-Walton (triple jump) also took home first-place finishes for the Sycamores.
In addition to the high-level finishes against a deep field featuring five of the top 10 teams in the Great Lakes region, Indiana State recorded 13 season bests at the meet while 15 Sycamores set personal records in Ann Arbor.
The Forest Runs Deep
The USTFCCCA's #EventSquad rankings were released for the first time this season on Monday, with Indiana State owning four event groups ranked in the top 15 nationally.
The Sycamores' men's triple jump group owns the top ranking for the Blue and White at No. 6 nationally, while the men's 60m group also ranks in the top 10 at No. 7. Both the men's shot put and men's weight throw groups checked in at No. 11 nationally.
Weekly Winner
Indiana State pole vaulter
Will Staggs was selected as the MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week Thursday, as announced by the conference office.
Staggs tied his own indoor program pole vault record, which he set at last year's MVC Championships, on his way to a fourth straight first-place finish in the event at the Michigan Invitational. He was the lone athlete in the field to clear five meters, clearing marks of 5.11m (16-09.25) and 5.26m (17-03.00) before tying the Indiana State program record of 5.41m (17-09.00) on his first attempt.
Staggs continues to lead the MVC in the pole vault, while his mark of 5.41m also ranks third in the Great Lakes region and 12th in the nation.
Sycamores On The National Stage
Indiana State's strong start to the season has seen six Sycamore athletes ranked among the nation's best in their respective events this season.
Included in those marks are a pair of top-15 national rankings in
Will Staggs, who ranks 12th in the pole vault (5.41m/17-09.00) and
Niesha Anderson, who is 15th in the weight throw (21.36m/70-01.00).
Anderson is one of three Sycamore throwers to earn a top-50 national ranking, alongside
Wyatt Puff in the shot put (26th, 18.28m/59-11.75) and
Noah Bolt in the weight throw (50th, 20.31m/66-07.75). Sprinters
Terrance O'Bannon (30th, 6.66) and
Casey Hood Jr. (36th, 6.67) also own top-50 marks in the 60m.
Top-Ranked Trees
Indiana State checked in at No. 6 on the men's side and No. 11 on the women's side in the latest Great Lakes Region rankings. The Sycamores remained as the highest regionally-ranked team among MVC schools.
The Sycamores are bolstered by a quartet of top-three individual rankings in the region, as
Terrance O'Bannon (60m),
Will Staggs (pole vault),
Noah Bolt (weight throw) and
Niesha Anderson (weight throw) all rank among the best athletes in the Great Lakes region in their respective events.
Up Next
A second straight split-squad weekend is on deck for the Sycamores, with Indiana State set to compete in the GVSU Big Meet, Marian Invitational and Tyson Invitational.
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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