CHICAGO – Three Indiana State track and field athletes claimed individual conference titles Sunday, as the Sycamores sit near the top of the leaderboard on both sides after the opening day of the MVC Indoor Championships.
 
Janiya Bowman (long jump, 5.79m/19-0) and Noah Bolt (weight throw, 20.24m/66-5) both claimed their first career individual titles, while Niesha Anderson won her second straight weight throw conference title (21.12m/69-3.5). Indiana State also had eight additional top-three placers on the first day of competition, with the Sycamore distance, jumps and throws groups represented on the podium.
 
Indiana State sits in first place on the women's side following the opening day of competition with 67 points, 30 ahead of Illinois State. The Sycamores enter Championship Monday in second place on the men's side with 40.5 points, four behind Northern Iowa.
 
Team Scores
MEN
1. Northern Iowa – 44.5
2. Indiana State – 40.5
3. Bradley – 27
4. Illinois State – 26.5
5. Drake – 17
6. Southern Illinois – 15
7. Belmont – 10.5
8. UIC – 7
9. Valparaiso – 5
10. Evansville – 2
 
WOMEN
1. Indiana State - 67
2. Illinois State – 37
3. Northern Iowa – 30
4. Belmont – 27
5. Drake – 24
6. Bradley – 19
7. Southern Illinois – 11
T8. Murray State – 8
T8. Missouri State – 8
10. UIC - 3
 
Sunday MVC Champions

• Janiya Bowman – long jump (5.79m.19-0)
• Noah Bolt – weight throw (20.24m/66-5)
• Niesha Anderson – weight throw (21.12m/69-3.5)

 
Sunday All-Conference

• Erica Barker – 5000m (second, 16:45.16)
• Ryan York, Trent Jones, Nick Burns, Jason Dworak – distance medley relay (third, 10:01.63)
• Will Staggs – pole vault (second, 5.40m/17-8.5)
• Brooklyn Pfaff – pole vault (second, 3.87m/12-8.25)
• Campbell Roberts – pole vault (third, 3.72m.12-2.5)
• Abby Ballengee – pole vault (third, 3.72m/12-2.5)
• Kilan Macklin – long jump (third, 7.27m/21-10.25)
• Elias Foor – weight throw (third, 18.94m/62-1.75)

 
Sunday Scorers

• Brittney Burak – 5000m (fifth, 16:55.34)
• Hadley Gradolf – 5000m (eighth, 17:16.70)
• Morgan Dyer, Jahnel Bowman, Halle Miller, Gnister Grant – distance medley relay (eighth, 11:52.20)
• Kyler Kidd – pole vault (fifth, 4.75m/15-7)
• Kennedy Merrell – pole vault (fifth, 3.72/12-2.5)
• Ali Ilupeju – long jump (seventh, 7.00m/22-11.75)
• Dominique Wood – long jump (sixth, 5.60m/18-4.5)
• Aliseonna Garnett – weight throw (fifth, 18.19m/59-8.25)
• Kamille Gaskin-Griffith – pentathlon (fifth, 3519)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
In a day consisting solely of prelims for the Sycamore sprinters and hurdlers, Indiana State qualified most of its crew for Monday finals. Casey Hood Jr. (6.57) and Terrance O'Bannon (6.65) snagged the top two 60m spots, with Hood Jr. (21.31) and Daunte Majors (21.56) both qualifying for the 200m finals. Hood Jr.'s 60m time ranks in the top 20 nationally and is just one-hundredth of a second off the school record.
 
The Trees also had a trio qualify for the 400m finals, as Ivan Weaver (47.92), Tahj Johnson (48.38) and Trent Jones (48.73) all advanced out of prelims. On the women's side, Janiya Bowman qualified for 200m finals with a time of 24.08, while Michelle McDonald and Mehringer missed on advancing to finals by mere thousandths of a second.
 
The Blue and White had four 60m hurdles athletes qualify for Monday finals, three of which came on the men's side in Collin Forrest (8.07), David Carnell (8.09) and Parker Doyle (8.20). Rachel Mehringer continued her strong season by advancing with a heat-winning time of 8.42 on the women's side.
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
Indiana State's distance crew put together a strong day with significant scoring on both sides. The Trees placed three in the top eight of the women's 5000m, including a podium finish from Erica Barker (16:45.16). Brittney Burak ran a program top-five time of 16:55.34 to place fifth, while Hadley Gradolf ran a time of 17:16.70 to also score for the Trees.
 
The Sycamores also picked up an all-conference finish on the men's side in the distance medley relay, as Ryan York, Trent Jones, Nick Burns and Jason Dworak teamed up to run a time of 10:01.63. Indiana State's women's DMR team of Morgan Dyer, Jahnel Bowman, Halle Miller and Gnister Grant ran a program top-10 time of 11:52.20 to place eighth and pick up a point.
 
In addition to his role in the DMR, Dworak also advanced to Monday's final in the mile with a time of 4:14.84. He wasn't the only Sycamore to qualify for mile finals, as Emma Gresham ran a time of 4:52.21 to qualify on the women's side.
 
The Sycamores had a pair compete in the men's 800m prelims, with Xavier Wills (1:53.83) missing on advancing by three-tenths of a second and Caden Emmert (1:53.72) seven-tenths of a second off advancing.
 
Jumps
Indiana State's jumps group put up heavy point totals on both sides, with double-digit point totals in the men's pole vault, women's pole vault and women's long jump. Janiya Bowman had the big result in the women's long jump, as her final attempt of 5.79m (19-0) clinched the conference title in the event. Also posting a season best in the event was Dominique Wood, who jumped 5.60m (18-4.5) to place sixth. On the men's side, Kilan Macklin earned a spot on the podium with his mark of 7.27m (23-10.25) and Ali Ilupeju had a season-best result of 7.00m (22-11.75) to place seventh.
 
The Sycamore pole vaulters scored double-digit points on both sides Sunday, with Brooklyn Pfaff (3.87m/12-8.25), Campbell Roberts (3.72m/12-2.5) and Abby Ballengee (3.72m/12-2.5) all earning podium finishes on the women's side. Kennedy Merrell also cleared the aforementioned mark of 3.72m to place fifth, while the Trees also had two top-eight finishes on the men's side. Will Staggs cleared 5.40m (17-8.5) to finish second, with only a jump-off denying him of a fourth straight MVC pole vault title, while Kyler Kidd cleared a career-best 4.75m (15-7) to finish in a tie for fifth.
 
Throws
Indiana State swept the top spots in the two throws events contested Sunday, with the Sycamores having multiple scorers on both sides. Niesha Anderson defended her MVC weight throw title with a mark of 21.12m (69-3.5), a full two meters better than the rest of the field, while Aliseonna Garnett placed fifth with a mark of 18.19m (59-8.25).
 
On the men's side, Noah Bolt captured the weight throw title in his final indoor meet with a mark of 20.24 (66-5). Bolt wasn't the only Sycamore on the podium, though, as he was joined by Elias Foor in third with a mark of 18.94m (62-1.75).
 
Multis
Indiana State's multis gave the Blue and White a big boost on the first day of competition, which included Kamille Gaskin-Griffith rising all the way to fifth in the pentathlon. Gaskin-Griffith placed first in the 60 hurdles (8.75) and had a career-best effort in the high jump (1.61m/5-3.25), while also recording a season best in the long jump (5.36m/17-7) on her way to scoring 3519 points, a top-10 mark in program history. Kathryn Ison (3251) and Chloe Rolen (3187) both had career-best point totals in the pentathlon, with Ison using a strong 60 hurdles time (9.00) and a career-best in the 800m (2:31.70) and Rolen picking up career-best marks in both the 60 hurdles (9.39) and 800 (2:30.62).
 
The men's multis completed four of the seven heptathlon events on the first day, with Jake Ottersbach leading the way for the Blue and White. Ottersbach sits in fourth with 2865 points, just 12 points off a podium spot, and placed in the top five in the 60m (7.15), long jump (6.84m/22-5.25) and high jump (1.92m/6-3.5). Ty Newsom goes into the second day of competition in ninth with 2762 points, just nine points off a top-eight spot, and recorded career-best marks in both the 60m (7.15) and long jump (6.69m/21-11.5). Zenon Rule earned 2555 points to place him 11th through the first day of competition, with his marks also including a personal best in the 60m (7.17).
 
Up Next
Indiana State looks to capture the MVC Indoor Championships once again Monday, with the first events starting at 10:30 a.m.
 
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