KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Indiana State track and field athletes set 12 personal records and added an additional 16 season-best performances at the Tennessee Invitational, propelling the Sycamores to a successful weekend against a strong field of competition at Tom Black Track at LaPorte Stadium.
 
Four of the season-best marks for the Sycamores came in the relays, where the men's and women's 4x100m and 4x400m teams had their best showings of the outdoor campaign and now own the top spot in the MVC in both 4x100m relays. Every event group for the Sycamores had multiple season-best performances.
 
As a team, Indiana State earned 23 top-five finishes, with 14 coming on the men's side and nine coming on the women's side. Of those top-five finishes for the Sycamores, 17 were in the top three. The Sycamores also picked up event wins from the men's 4x100m relay team of Casey Hood Jr., Tahj Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Daunte Majors, Will Staggs in the pole vault, Shomari Rogers-Walton in the triple jump and Hannah Redlin in the shot put.
 
Event Winners

• Casey Hood Jr., Tahj Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Daunte Majors – 4x100m relay (39.99, third in program history)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (5.20m/17-00.75)
• Shomari Rogers-Walton – triple jump (15.17m/49-09.25)
• Hannah Redlin – shot put (14.35m/47-01.00)

 
Top-Three Finishes

• Tahj Johnson – 400m (second, 47.42, seventh in program history)
• Logan Pietrzak – 5000m (second, 14:32.53)
• Kevin Krutsch – high jump (second, 2.10m/6-10.75)
• Grace Quinlan – high jump (second, 1.70m/5-07.00)
• Brett Norton – shot put (second, 18.10m/59-04.75)
• Niesha Anderson – shot put (second, 14.18m/46-06.25)
• Elias Foor – discus (second, 53.18m/174-05)
• Hannah Redlin – discus (second, 46.00m/150-11)
• Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (third, 13.60, third in program history)
• Riley Tuerff – 400m hurdles (third, 1:02.81)
• Janiya Bowman, Michelle McDonald, Collette Wolfe, Angel Thomas – 4x100m relay (third, 45.88)
• Kyrsten Fehribach – high jump (third, 1.70m/5-07.00)
• Jaden Smith – triple jump (third, 14.71m/48-03.25)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's relay teams all recorded season-best performances at the Tennessee Invitational, including conference-leading times in both the men's and women's 4x100m relay. The men's quartet of Casey Hood Jr., Tahj Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Daunte Majors ran a time of 39.99 to place first, while the women's team of Janiya Bowman, Michelle McDonald, Collette Wolfe and Angel Thomas clocked a time of 45.88. Johnson also ran one of the legs of the Sycamores' men's 4x400m relay which ran a time of 3:13.36, alongside Trent Jones, Mitch Conard and Cameron Stevens. Bowman teamed up with Alysha Bradford, Riley Tuerff and Iyanla Hunter to run a 4x400m relay time of 3:47.91.
 
The Sycamores' 400m group had a strong showing Saturday, headlined by Johnson running a career-best time of 47.42 to place second. Johnson's time was the best in the MVC this season and also moved him into the top 10 in program history in the event. Jones ran a season-best 48.95, while Hunter had a strong performance on the women's side with a time of 55.32 after running unattached last weekend.
 
In addition to the success in the long sprints, Indiana State set multiple personal records in the short sprints. Angel Thomas ran her fastest 100m time of the season at 11.84, while Collette Wolfe's time of 12.03 was the best time of her career. Rachel Mehringer added a career-best time of 24.80 in the 200m for the Blue and White, while Daunte Majors finished fourth in the men's 100m at 10.61.
 
Indiana State's hurdles group had another high-level performance, with Mehringer leading the way for the Trees. Mehringer ran season-best times in the 100m hurdles of 13.63 in the prelims and 13.60 in the finals to finish third. Shanisa Stinson ran a season-best time of 14.03 in the prelims. Collin Forrest ran times of 14.94 and 14.99 in the 110m hurdles, while Parker Doyle ran a season-best time of 15.32 in the event. Doyle also ran his best-ever 400m hurdles time of 56.43 in Knoxville, while Tuerff clocked a season-best time of 1:02.81 on the women's side.
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
The Sycamore distance crew put together a strong meet in the southeast, with Logan Pietrzak's second-place finish in the 5000m leading the way. Pietrzak ran a time of 14:32.53, while Cael Light ran a career-best time of 14:48.87 in the event. Indiana State's contingent in the steeplechase also showed major steps forward, as Ryan York shaved more than 20 seconds off his previous best by running a time of 9:16.11 and Ryan Handy ran a time of 9:25.86 in his event debut.
 
Rachel Conhoff and Emma Gresham both put together strong showings in the 1500m, with Conhoff clocking a season-best time of 4:34.78 and Gresham running a career-best time of 4:39.63. On the men's side, Jason Dworak ran a season-best time of 3:51.76.
 
Indiana State's 800m group also had a good day, led by Napoleon Hernandez with a season-best time of 1:53.04. Xavier Wills ran a career-best time of 1:55.04, while Halle Miller also ran a career-best time on the women's side of 2:18.51.
 
Jumps
Half of Indiana State's four event wins over the weekend came from the jumps group, with Will Staggs taking top spot in the pole vault and Shomari Rogers-Walton winning the triple jump. Rogers-Walton jumped a conference-leading mark of 15.17m (49-09.25) in his outdoor season debut and he was also joined in the top three by Jaden Smith, who recorded a career-best mark of 14.71m (48-03.25). Staggs cleared 5.20m (17-00.75) in his return to competition after breaking the outdoor program pole vault record in the season opener.
 
The high jump was another strong event for the Sycamores, with three top-three finishes for the Trees. Kevin Krutsch led the way for the Sycamores on the men's side by clearing a season-best 2.10m (6-10.75), while Grace Quinlan and Kyrsten Fehribach both cleared 1.70m (5-07.00) on the women's side.
 
In addition to Staggs' mark in the men's pole vault, the Sycamores had a trio of strong performances in the women's pole vault. Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff, Landis Brandon and Selene Weaver all cleared 3.70m (12-01.50), with the mark representing season bests for both Brandon and Weaver. Piere Hill and Claire Pittman paced the Sycamores in the long jump, with Hill recording a season-best mark of 6.95m (22-09.75) on the men's side and Pittman recording a mark of 5.74m (18-10.00) on the women's side. Dominique Wood represented the Blue and White in the women's triple jump, placing 10th with a top mark of 11.53m (37-10.00).
 
Throws
A 1-2 finish in the women's shot put paced Indiana State's throws group, as Hannah Redlin (14.35m/47-01.00) and Niesha Anderson (14.18m/46-06.25) led the Trees at the top of the table in the event. The Sycamores also had a second-place finish in the men's shot put from Brett Norton, whose top mark came in at 18.10m (59-04.75)
 
Redlin also added a podium finish for the Sycamores in the discus, with her top throw of 46.00m (150-11) placing her second. Elias Foor also finished second for the Trees in the men's discus, with his top attempt coming in at 53.18m (174-05). Foor added a top-five finish in the hammer throw as well, with his top mark coming in at 58.95m (193-05).
 
Indiana State had just one competitor in the javelin in Knoxville, as Quinlan competed in the event in preparation for future multi events that she will compete in later this season. Quinlan recorded a top mark of 27.76m (91-01).
 
Up Next
Indiana State competes in the Gary Weineke Memorial April 13 in Champaign, Illinois.
 
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