TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field takes part in a pair of meets over the next three days, starting Thursday afternoon with the Drake Relays. Competition in Des Moines will run through Saturday afternoon, with Indiana State also set to host the Sycamore Open Saturday at the Gibson Track and Field Complex.
 
Last Time Out
Rachel Mehringer broke Indiana State's 100m hurdles record Saturday afternoon as part of a strong weekend for the Sycamores at the Gibson Invitational.
 
Mehringer's time of 13.38 beat the previous school record by one-tenth of a second, climbing into the top 30 of the NCAA regional qualifying marks in the process. She was one of five Sycamores to set a meet record during the weekend, alongside Jason Dworak in the 1500m, Will Staggs in the pole vault, Shomari Rogers-Walton in the long jump and Elias Foor in the discus.
 
As a team, Indiana State recorded 14 first-place finishes on its way to a sweep of the top spot on both the men's and women's side. The Sycamores recorded 195 points on the men's side and 208.5 points on the women's side, winning by 119.67 points on the men's side and 64 points on the women's side.
 
Raise The Flag
Indiana State had a pair of winning relay teams at last year's Drake Relays and will look to replicate that success once again this year.
 
The Sycamores' men's shuttle hurdle relay team of Daryl Black, Collin Forrest, Luigi Rivas and Quincy Armstrong earned the Trees' first Relays Champions flag of the week with a time of 58.60. Indiana State's women's 4x400m relay team of Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff, Sierra Long and Iyanla Hunter also claimed a Relays Champions flag with a time of 3:47.59.
 
Three of the four legs of both of those winning relay teams are still on the active roster for this season.
 
Record-Setting Sycamores
Indiana State's first home meet of the season saw plenty of highlights for the Sycamores, with the Trees setting one school record and five meet records at the Gibson Invitational. Rachel Mehringer broke the program's 100m hurdles record that had stood for a decade with a time of 13.38, setting the meet record in the process.
 
Mehringer, Jason Dworak (1500m, 3:48.19), Will Staggs (pole vault, 5.31m/17-05.00), Shomari Rogers-Walton (7.50m/24-07.25) and Elias Foor (discus, 56.81m/186-04) all set meet records for the Sycamores, with Foor's mark in the discus also setting a facility record for the Gibson Track and Field Complex.
 
Foor, Mehringer, Rogers-Walton and Staggs are all in strong positions to qualify for the NCAA East First Round, with Foor in position to qualify in multiple events. In addition, Foor, Rogers-Walton and Staggs are all ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA East Region in their respective events, putting them among the national leaders.
 
Top Of The Charts
With two weekends remaining before the MVC Outdoor Championships, Indiana State currently has 10 marks that rank first in the MVC, along with 23 additional top-three marks in the conference. Included in those marks are the top spots in the men's and women's pole vault and long jump.
 
Indiana State's conference-leading marks heading into the weekend are:

• Iyanla Hunter – 400m (55.32)
• Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (13.38)
• Casey Hood Jr., Daunte Majors, Isiah Thomas, Tahj Johnson – 4x100m relay (39.64)
• Kevin Krutsch – high jump (2.10m/6-10.75)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (5.45m/17-10.50)
• Selene Weaver – pole vault (3.92m/12-10.25)
• Shomari Rogers-Walton – long jump (7.89m/25-10.75), triple jump (15.17m/49-09.25)
• Faith Frye – long jump (5.97m/19-07.00)
• Elias Foor – discus (59.51m/195-03)

 
All of Indiana State's event groups (sprints/relays, hurdles, distance/mid-distance, jumps, throws, combined events) feature at least one athlete ranked in the top three of the conference in an event, with all but the combined events having multiple top-five entries in The Valley.
 
Sycamores on the National Stage
Entering the final stretch of the season, Indiana State is poised to send double-digit entries to the NCAA East First Round for the third straight season under program director Angela Martin.
 
With three weekends, including the conference championships, remaining, the Sycamores currently have 10 entries in qualifying position, with five additional entries within 15 spots of qualifying marks.
 
The Sycamores' current marks in qualifying position are:

• Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (33rd, 13.38)
• Casey Hood Jr., Daunte Majors, Isiah Thomas, Tahj Johnson – 4x100m relay (17th, 39.64)
• Kevin Krutsch – high jump (37th, 2.10m/6-10.75)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (eighth, 5.45m/17-10.50)
• Shomari Rogers-Walton – long jump (third, 7.89m/25-10.75), triple jump (40th, 15.17m/49-09.25)
• Brett Norton – shot put (28th, 18.31m/60-01.00)
• Elias Foor – discus (10th, 59.51m/195-03), hammer throw (35th, 62.16m/203-11)
• Lillian Gibbs – javelin (35th, 45.32m/148-08)

 
The Forest Runs Deep
Indiana State's throwers have been a staple atop the MVC charts all season, and that success has translated into the national rankings for Brandan Bettenhausen's group.
 
The Sycamores' men's shot put group entered the #EventSquad rankings for the first time this season at 15th nationally in the event. Brett Norton (18.31m/60-01.00), who is on track to qualify for a third straight trip to the NCAA East First Round, leads the way for the Trees, while Elias Foor (17.16m/56-03.75) has also recorded his career-best mark in the event during the 2024 outdoor season.
 
Norton and Foor are both ranked among the top five in the MVC in the shot put.
 
Clearing The Bar
Indiana State's women's pole vault group has always been a highly competitive collection of athletes, and this year's group is no different. Jeff Martin's vaulters cracked the top 25 in the #EventSquad rankings for the first time this season in this week's rankings, checking in at 25th in the nation in the event.
 
All four of Indiana State's vaulters that comprise the #EventSquad group have cleared 3.78m (12-04.75) or better this season. Selene Weaver (3.92m/12-10.25), a two-time NCAA East First Round participant, leads the pack, while Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff (3.80m/12-05.50), Landis Brandon (3.78m/12-04.75) and Kennedy Merrell (3.78m/12-04.75) have all had strong seasons for the Sycamores.
 
Up Next
Indiana State makes the short trek to Bloomington for its final meet before the MVC Championships, the Billy Hayes Invitational on May 3.
 
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 Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.