ST. LOUIS – Indiana State sophomore sprinter Casey Hood Jr. and senior pole vaulter Will Staggs combined to sweep the Missouri Valley Conference weekly awards for men's track and field Tuesday afternoon after career-best weekends at the Tyson Invitational.
 
Hood Jr. was named the MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week for the third straight week, while Staggs was tabbed the MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week.
 
Hood Jr. put up career-best and conference-leading times in both the 60m and 200m at the Tyson Invitational, with his 60m time also ranking among the nation's top times this season. He ran times of 6.59 (prelims) and 6.61(semifinals) in the invitational section, which featured multiple All-Americans and professional athletes, advancing as the second-best time in both. Hood Jr. also ran a career-best time of 21.14 in the 200m to win his heat. His 60m time ranks second in program history and is also tied for the second-fastest time in conference history, while his 200m time ranks third in program history. Hood Jr. owns the top time in the MVC in both the 60m and 200m, with his 60m time also ranking first in the Great Lakes region and 17th nationally. His 200m also ranks in the top five in the Great Lakes region and inside the top 100 nationally.
 
Staggs broke his own school record in the pole vault at the Tyson Invitational, clearing a career-best 5.56m (18-3) to place third in the invitational section behind only two top-10 nationally-ranked vaulters. Competing against a field which consisted of 10 top-50 pole vaulters in the nation, Staggs cleared marks of 5.16m (16-11, first attempt), 5.31m (17-5, third attempt) and 5.46m (17-11, second attempt) before clearing the record-breaking mark of 5.56m (18-3) on his second attempt. His record-breaking clearance was the best by an MVC athlete since 2001 and also marked the fourth time in his career clearing a mark over 18 feet. Staggs reclaimed the top spot in the MVC in the pole vault, with his mark also ranking second in the Great Lakes region and 14th in the nation.
 
The weekly honor is the fourth this season for Hood Jr., who also earned MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week accolades following the DePaul Alumni Classic, Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational and Blue Demon Holiday Invite. Indiana State sprinters have won five MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors out of a possible five weeks. Staggs' weekly honor is his second this season (Crossroads of America Invitational) and the ninth of his career (eight indoor, one outdoor).
 
Indiana State closes its indoor regular season at home Saturday at noon, with the Sycamores playing host to the John Gartland Invitational. The meet is the Sycamores' last before the MVC Indoor Championships.
 
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