CHARLESTON, Ill. – Indiana State track and field put together a second straight strong showing to begin the outdoor season, posting 20 first-place finishes Friday and Saturday at the EIU Big Blue Classic.
 
The Sycamores' throws group was responsible for one-third of the Trees' first-place finishes with seven of the eight throws winners coming from Indiana State. Elias Foor (discus), Justin Miller (javelin) and Lillian Gibbs (javelin) all set program top-10 marks for the Trees, while the Sycamores also swept the top spots in the men's and women's 100m, 200m, 100/110m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
 
Indiana State finished the weekend with 43 top-three finishes, with 26 coming on the women's side and 17 on the men's side. The Sycamores also finished the weekend with 61 top-five MVC marks, 35 of which were set either Friday or Saturday.
 
Event Winners

• Casey Hood Jr. – 100m (10.59)
• Michelle McDonald – 100m (11.77)
• Tahj Johnson – 200m (20.95)
• Janiya Bowman – 200m (24.19), long jump (5.80m/19-00.50)
• Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (13.78)
• Collin Forrest – 110m hurdles (14.52)
• Quincy Armstrong – 400m hurdles (54.60)
• Riley Tuerff – 400m hurdles (1:03.90)
• Alli Steffey – 3000m steeplechase (11:40.36)
• Collette Wolfe, Angel Thomas, Sophie Yovanovich, Michelle McDonald – 4x100m relay (46.69)
• Trent Jones, Napoleon Hernandez, Mitch Conard, Cameron Stevens – 4x400m relay (3:20.77)
• Grace Quinlan – high jump (1.70m/5-07.00)
• Brett Norton – shot put (18.31m/60-01.00)
• Niesha Anderson – shot put (14.65m/48-00.75), hammer throw (55.13m/180-10)
• Elias Foor – discus (59.51m.195-03, second in program history)
• Hannah Redlin – discus (48.81m/160-02)
• Justin Miller – javelin (56.76m/186-03, tenth in program history)
• Lillian Gibbs – javelin (44.39m/145-08, second in program history)

 
Top-Three Finishes

• Isiah Thomas – 100m (second 10.63)
• Angel Thomas – 100m (second, 11.86)
• Alysha Bradford – 400m (second, 58.45)
• Rachel Conhoff – 1500m (second, 4:39.31)
• Shanisa Stinson – 100m hurdles (second, 14.11)
• Kamilla Gibson – 3000m steeplechase (12:09.81)
• Nick Burns, Xavier Wills, Caden Emmert, Jake Ottersbach – 4x400m relay (second, 3:25.84)
• Kayla Douglas – high jump (second, 1.50m/4-11.00)
• Dan O'Laughlin – pole vault (second, 4.45m/14-05.25)
• Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff – pole vault (second, 3.80m/12-05.50), javelin (second, 38.97m/127-10)
• Ali Ilupeju – long jump (second, 7.26m/23-10.00)
• Elias Foor – shot put (second, 17.16m/56-03.75), hammer throw (second, 55.64m/182-06)
• Hannah Redlin – shot put (second, 14.26m/46-09.50)
• Aliseonna Garnett – discus (second, 48.02m/157-06), shot put (third, 13.22m/43-04.50)
• Jackson Krieg – 5000m (third, 15:05.36)
• Kamille Gaskin-Griffith – 100m hurdles (third, 14.44)
• Zenon Rule – pole vault (third, 4.10m/13-05.25)
• Selene Weaver – pole vault (third, 3.65m/11-11.75)
• Dominique Wood – long jump (third, 5.55m/18-02.50)
• Gavin Connelly – discus (third, 46.92m/153-11)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's sprinters and hurdlers had a strong showing, placing first in the men's and women's 100m and 200m, all four hurdles events and both relay events the Trees competed in. The Sycamores went 1-2 in both the men's and women's 100m, with Casey Hood Jr. (10.59) and Isiah Thomas (10.63) leading the way on the men's side and Michelle McDonald (11.77) and Angel Thomas (11.86) pacing the Sycamore contingent on the women's side. Sycamore sprinters also swept the top spots in the 200m, as Tahj Johnson clocked a time of 20.95 on the men's side and Janiya Bowman ran a time of 24.19 on the women's side.
 
In addition to the success in the short sprints, Indiana State swept the top spot in all four hurdles events contested over the weekend. Rachel Mehringer (13.78), Shanisa Stinson (14.11) and Kamille Gaskin-Griffith (14.44) combined to sweep the 100m hurdles podium, while Collin Forrest won the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.57. The Sycamores' duo of Quincy Armstrong and Riley Tuerff won the 400m hurdles titles for the Trees, with Armstrong crossing the line in 54.60 on the men's side and Tuerff running a time of 1:03.90 on the women's side.
 
Indiana State also won both relays it competed in over the weekend. Collette Wolfe, McDonald, Sophie Yovanovich and Thomas teamed up to run a 4x100m relay time of 46.69. The men's 4x400m relay team of Trent Jones, Napoleon Hernandez, Mitch Conard and Cameron Stevens ran a time of 3:20.77.
 
The Sycamores also had strong showings in the 400m, with Alysha Bradford (58.45) placing second on the women's side and Xavier Wills clocking a time of 50.01 to lead a trio of Sycamores under 51 seconds on the men's side. The three Sycamores – Wills, Caden Emmert and Nick Burns – also paired with Jake Ottersbach to form a B team in the 4x400m relay, which was second with a time of 3:25.84.
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
A 1-2 finish in the women's steeplechase led the way for the distance crew in Charleston, with Alli Steffey (11:40.36) and Kamilla Gibson (12:09.81) taking the top spots in the event. The Trees also picked up a pair of additional podium finishes from the distance events, as Rachel Conhoff placed second in the 1500m with a time of 4:39.31 in her season debut, while Jackson Krieg was third in the 5000m with a time of 15:02.82.
 
Indiana State earned three more top-five finishes in distance events on the men's side, with those coming from Ryan Handy in the 1500m (4:01.96), and both Jason Dworak (15:05.36) and Emerson Fayman (15:07.58) in the 5000m. The Trees also earned top-five finishes on the women's side from Emma Gresham in the 1500m (4:42.94) and Morgan Dyer in the 5000m (18:15.50).
 
Jumps
The Sycamores picked up a pair of events wins from the jumps events, both of which came on the women's side. A day after earning a first-place finish in the 200m, Bowman posted a mark of 5.80m (19-00.50) to win the long jump. Bowman was joined in the top three of the long jump by Dominique Wood (5.55m/18-02.50), while Ali Ilupeju placed second on the men's side with a mark of 7.26m (23-10.00).
 
Grace Quinlan also earned a first-place finish at Eastern Illinois by clearing 1.70m (5-07.00) in the high jump. Quinlan was joined in the top three by Kayla Douglas, who cleared 1.50m (4-11.00) in the event.
 
Indiana State had seven top-five finishes between the men's and women's pole vault, with four of those coming on the women's side. Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff cleared 3.80m (12-05.50), while Selene Weaver, Landis Brandon and Kennedy Merrell all cleared 3.65m (11-11.75) for the women's vaulters. On the men's side, Dan O'Laughlin cleared 4.45m (14-05.25), while Zenon Rule cleared 4.10m (13-05.25) and Mitch Conard cleared 3.95m (12-11.50).
 
Throws
Indiana State throwers had a banner weekend for the second straight meet to open the outdoor season, with three different Sycamores setting program top-10 marks. The Sycamores won seven of the eight throws events between the men's and women's teams.
 
Two of those program top-10 marks came in the javelin, with Lillian Gibbs (44.39m/145-08) moving up to second in program history on the women's side and Justin Miller (56.76m/186-03) cracking the top 10 in program history on the men's side.
 
Elias Foor had a huge day in the discus, setting a career-best mark in the event for a second straight weekend. Foor's mark of 59.51m (195-03) moved him into second in program history in the event, while Gavin Connelly also earned a podium finish with a mark of 46.92m (153-11). Hannah Redlin (48.81m/160-02) and Aliseonna Garnett (48.02m/157-06) went 1-2 at the top of the women's discus leaderboard.
 
Niesha Anderson earned a pair of first-place finishes over the weekend, leading the field in both the shot put (14.65m/48-00.75) and hammer throw (55.13m/180-10). Redlin (14.26m/46-09.25) and Garnett (13.22m/43-04.50) joined Anderson in a podium sweep of the shot put.
 
Brett Norton led the way for the men's throwers in the shot put with a top mark of 18.31m (60-01.00), with Foor right behind him in second at 17.16m (56-03.75). Foor also earned a second-place finish in the hammer throw with a mark of 55.64m (182-05), with Norton (52.48m/172-02) placing fourth. Connelly finished in the top five in both the shot put (15.26m/50-00.75) and hammer throw (46.13m/151-04).
 
Up Next
Indiana State travels to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the Tennessee Invitational April 5-6.
 
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