OXFORD, Miss. – Led by Will Staggs' outdoor program record mark in the pole vault, Indiana State picked up three first-place finishes Friday and Saturday at the Ole Miss Classic. The Sycamores also set four program top-10 marks over the course of the weekend at the Ole Miss Track and Field Complex.
 
Elias Foor was responsible for half of the program top-10 marks set at the opening meet of the 2024 outdoor season, recording career-best efforts in both the hammer throw (61.72m/202-06) and discus (53.77m/176-05). Lillian Gibbs climbed into the top five in program history in the javelin (42.30m/138-09) in her collegiate debut, while Staggs (5.36m/17-07.00) broke Indiana State's outdoor pole vault record which had stood for 30 years.
 
As a team, Indiana State collected 25 top-five finishes against a field consisting of multiple programs that finished the indoor season in the top 25 nationally. Of those results, 16 were top-three finishes.
 
Event Winners

• Logan Pietrzak – 3000m steeplechase (9:17.55)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (5.36m/17-07.00, outdoor school record)
• Jaden Smith – triple jump (14.68m/48-02.00)

 
Top-Three Finishes

• Tahj Johnson, Trent Jones, Napoleon Hernandez, Cameron Stevens – 4x400m relay (second, 3:15.04)
• Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff, Kamille Gaskin-Griffith, Janiya Bowman – 4x400m relay (second, 3:49.52)
• Lawrence Mitchell – high jump (second, 2.04m/6-08.25)
• Brett Norton – shot put (second, 17.57m/57-07.75)
• Angel Thomas – 100m (third, 11.98)
• Daunte Majors – 200m (third, 21.44)
• Collin Forrest – 110m hurdles (third, 14.61)
• Collette Wolfe, Michelle McDonald, Sophie Yovanovich, Angel Thomas – 4x100m relay (third, 47.00)
• Kevin Krutsch – high jump (third, 1.99m/6-06.25)
• Kyrsten Fehribach – high jump (third, 1.70m/5-07.00)
• Claire Pittman – long jump (third, 5.79m/19-00.00)
• Dominique Wood – triple jump (third, 11.90m/39-00.50)
• Elias Foor – discus (third, 53.77m/176-05, seventh in program history)

 
Other Notable Marks

• Elias Foor – hammer throw (61.72m/202-06, fifth in program history)
• Lillian Gibbs – javelin (42.30m/138-09, fifth in program history)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State picked up top-five finishes in nearly every sprints and hurdles events contested. The Sycamores' relay teams fared especially well with top three finishes in both 4x400m relay and the women's 4x100m relay. On the men's side, Tahj Johnson, Trent Jones, Napoleon Hernandez and Cameron Stevens combined to run a time of 3:15.04 to place second in the men's 4x400. The women's 4x400m team, consisting of Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff, Kamille Gaskin-Griffith and Janiya Bowman, also placed second with their time coming in at 3:49.52. Indiana State's women's 4x100m relay team of Collette Wolfe, Michelle McDonald, Sophie Yovanovich and Angel Thomas placed third with a time of 47.00.
 
Thomas also added a third place-finish in the 100m with a season-opening time of 11.98. Also joining her among top-three finishes from the sprints and hurdles group were Daunte Majors in the 200m (21.44) and Collin Forrest in the 110m hurdles (14.61). Johnson added a fourth-place finish in the 400m with a time of 48.21, while Janiya Bowman finished fourth in the 200m with a time of 24.54.
 
Among the other sprints and hurdles events the Sycamores competed in, Parker Doyle led the way in the 400m hurdles at 57.27, while Gaskin-Griffith paced the Trees in the 100m hurdles at 14.57
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
One of Indiana State's three event wins over the weekend came from the distance crew, as Logan Pietrzak closed the first day of competition by winning the steeplechase. Pietrzak clocked a time of 9:17.55 to take home top spot in the event, while Ryan York ran a time of 9:38.08 to place fourth.
 
The Trees also had a pair of top-five finishers in the 1500m, with Jason Dworak running a time of 3:54.27 to finish fourth and Jackson Krieg running a time of 3:54.44 to place fifth. Hernandez also earned a top-five finish over the weekend, with his 800m time of 1:53.98 placing him fifth in the field.
 
Indiana State had just one women's distance runner compete on the opening weekend of the outdoor season, as Sara Skaff ran a time of 5:02.37 in the 1500m.
 
Jumps
The Sycamores posted a pair of event wins in the jumps events, headlined by Will Staggs' record-setting weekend in the pole vault. Staggs broke Indiana State's outdoor program record, which had stood since 1994, by clearing 5.36m (17-07.00) to place first.
 
Also picking up an event win over the weekend was Jaden Smith, who was first in the triple jump in his first outdoor meet with the Blue and White with a top mark of 14.68m (48-02.00). Indiana State also got a top-three triple jump finish on the women's side from Dominique Wood (11.90m), while Selene Weaver picked up a top-five finish in the pole vault by clearing 3.62m (11-10.50).
 
Indiana State's women's long jump group got its season going on the right foot, as Claire
Pittman placed third with a mark of 5.79m (19-00.00) and Bowman finished fourth with a mark of 5.71m (18-08.75). The Sycamore high jumpers also had a strong start to the season, as Lawrence Mitchell (2.04m/6-08.25) and Kevin Krutsch (1.99m/6-06.25) earned top-three finishes on the men's side, while Kyrsten Fehribach (1.70m/5-07.00) finished third on the women's side. In the men's high jump, Mitch Conard led the way for the Sycamores with a mark of 6.96m (22-10.00) with Jake Ottersbach right behind him at 6.95m (22-09.75).
 
Throws
Indiana State throwers accounted for three program top-10 marks set at the Ole Miss Classic, starting their outdoor season off with a bang.
 
Elias Foor was responsible for two of those marks, moving up to fifth in program history in the hammer throw (61.72m/202-06) and seventh in the discus (53.77m/176-05) while leading the way for the Sycamores in both events. Also moving into the top 10 program charts over the weekend was Lillian Gibbs, who climbed all the way to fifth in program history in the javelin (42.30m/138-09) in her collegiate debut.
 
Brett Norton opened his outdoor season with a strong showing in the shot put, placing second with a top attempt of 17.57m (57-07.75), while Niesha Anderson finished in the top 10 of the women's shot put at 14.49m (47-06.50).
 
Hannah Redlin led the way for the Sycamore women's throwers in the discus (44.68m/146-07), while Anderson had the top mark in the hammer (50.97m/167-02).
 
Up Next
Indiana State makes the short trip northwest to compete in the EIU Big Blue Classic March 29-30 in Charleston, Illinois.
 
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