TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field has a busy weekend starting Friday, with the Sycamores slated to have entries in three meets in a two-day span.
The Sycamores will have a contingent of distance runners competing at the GVSU Big Meet Friday, while a host of Sycamores will also take part in the Tyson Invitational at Arkansas Friday and Saturday.
Indiana State also plays host to its first indoor home meet of the season, the Blue-White Classic, Saturday. The first field events in Terre Haute start at noon, with the first events on the track set to begin at 1 p.m.
Last Time Out
Six event wins and 20 top-three finishes highlighted Indiana State track and field's busy Saturday at the DePaul Alumni Classic.
Casey Hood Jr. (60m),
Janiya Bowman (200m),
Trent Jones (400m),
Rachel Mehringer (60m hurdles),
Will Staggs (pole vault) and
Brooklyn Pfaff (pole vault) all took home event wins, with Hood Jr. and Mehringer taking first-place finishes for a second straight weekend.
Indiana State also produced top-three finishes in 12 different events, including podium sweeps in the men's and women's pole vault.
Emma Gresham also cracked the top five in program history in the mile, with Hood Jr. and Pfaff's winning marks in their events also moving them up the program top-10 charts.
Back-To-Back
Indiana State sophomore sprinter
Casey Hood Jr. won his second straight MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week award and third of the season following another stellar performance at the DePaul Alumni Classic.
Hood Jr. continued his strong sophomore season for the Sycamores with a standout showing in the Windy City, clocking 60m times of 6.65 in the prelims and 6.61 in the finals. He finished with the only times under 6.7 seconds in the entire field. Hood Jr. had the fastest prelims time by 0.13 seconds, while his finals time was 0.22 seconds faster than anyone in the field. In addition, his finals time of 6.61 tied his career best in the event, which sits at No. 3 in program history.
Hood Jr. ranks second in the MVC and Great Lakes Region in the 60m, behind only fellow Sycamore
Terrance O'Bannon, with his time also ranking 21st in the nation in the event. He also ranks second in the MVC in the 200m, behind only teammate
Daunte Majors, while ranking in the top 10 in the Great Lakes region in the event.
Winning In The Windy City
Indiana State has become acclimated to success when competing in Chicago, as the Sycamores have recorded 14 first-place finishes across two meets in the Windy City this season.
The Sycamores had eight event winners and set six meet records at the season-opening Blue Demon Holiday Invite, and had six first-place finishes at the DePaul Alumni Classic in their most recent visit to Gately Park.
The success at Gately Park this season could be helpful for Indiana State, with the 2025 MVC Indoor Championships headed back to Chicago in two weeks.
Youth Movement
Indiana State's youth has been on full display this season, particularly on the women's side. The top Sycamore in every women's track event except for the 5000m this is either a freshman or sophomore in terms of indoor eligibility.
Underclassmen are well-represented on the Sycamore program top-10 charts this season.
Rachel Mehringer already has the school and conference record in the 60m hurdles (8.19), while
Casey Hood Jr. (60m and 200m),
Janiya Bowman (200m),
Michelle McDonald (200m),
Ivan Weaver (400m),
Emma Gresham (mile and 3000m),
Brittney Burak (5000m),
Hadley Gradolf (5000m),
Peyton Smith (5000m),
Parker Speth (pole vault),
Abby Ballengee (pole vault),
Jahnel Bowman (triple jump),
Sloan Cox (shot put),
Aliseonna Garnett (shot put) and
Jake Ottersbach (heptathlon) all have program top-10 marks in their freshman or sophomore seasons.
Trees At The Top
Indiana State enters the weekend with the top athlete in the MVC in seven different events, with multiple event groups represented for the Blue and White.
The nine Sycamores who currently hold top marks in the MVC are:
In addition to the top conference rankings, Indiana State owns the top two spots in both the men's 60m (O'Bannon and
Casey Hood Jr.) and the men's 200m (Majors and Hood Jr.), while occupying multiple scoring positions in nearly every event.
Top-Tier Trees
Indiana State currently features seven athletes who rank in the top 50 in the NCAA in an event, with the Sycamores looking to place athletes in the NCAA Indoor National Championships for a third consecutive season.
Indiana State's nationally-ranked athletes through the Sycamores' first three meets of the season are:
Up Next
Indiana State competes in its final meet before the MVC Championships when the Sycamores host the
John Gartland Invitational February 22.
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
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