TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins its 2025 outdoor track and field season Saturday as the Sycamores play host to the Pacesetter Sports Invitational.
Saturday's first events at the Gibson Track and Field Complex start at 11 a.m.
Admission for home track and field meets is $5 and will be collected at the gate.
Who's In The Field?
Joining Indiana State in Saturday's Pacesetter Sports Invitational are Ball State, Chicago State, Dayton, Eastern Illinois, Indiana Wesleyan, IU Indy, Marian (Ind.), McKendree, Purdue Fort Wayne, Rose-Hulman, Southeast Missouri State, St. Mary-of-the-Woods and Vincennes.
Honoring A Legend
The Indiana State University Athletic Department has announced the Gibson Track & Field Complex will now honor John McNichols by naming the John McNichols Memorial Track after the legendary Sycamore Hall of Famer. The Sycamores made the announcement in October following the passage of a vote by the Indiana State Board of Trustees.
McNichols, who led the Sycamore cross country/track and field programs from 1983 until his death in 2016, guided the Blue and White to 38 MVC Championship titles while winning 23 MVC Coach of the Year honors. He coached 15 NCAA Track National Champions, 112 All-Americans, 173 NCAA Track National Qualifiers and 13 NCAA Cross Country National qualifiers. He oversaw the design, development and construction of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course which has hosted 13 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.
The John McNichols Memorial Track will officially be dedicated April 17-19 at the Gibson Invitational, which will also serve as Alumni Weekend for Indiana State.
High Hopes
Indiana State is once again expected to be among best in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, with the Sycamores tabbed favorites on the women's side and second on the men's side in the MVC Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Poll.
The Sycamores are seeking to sweep the MVC Outdoor Track and Field titles for the second straight season, something which has not been accomplished since Wichita State in 2016 and 2017. Indiana State has won each of the last three MVC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, while the Sycamores are also coming off their second straight MVC Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship.
Home Sweet Home
Indiana State opens its outdoor season at home for the first time in the 11-year history of the Gibson Track and Field Complex, with Saturday's meet being just the second meet in the facility's history to take place in March.
The Sycamores have fared well in home meets over the years, placing first in every scored meet at the Gibson Track and Field Complex over the last three seasons. That figure includes Indiana State's 2024 MVC Outdoor Championships sweep.
Indiana State's top recorded mark in 25 different events last season came during one of the Sycamores' three home meets (Gibson Invitational, Sycamore Open, MVC Championships).
Back For More
Indiana State features 21 returning program top-10 marks from a season ago, with Sycamore student-athletes also accounting for eight additional program top-10 marks from previous seasons.
Included in those marks are
Rachel Mehringer's 100m hurdles school record of 13.26, which was set at the 2024 NCAA East First Rounds, and the school record men's 4x100m relay time of 39.64 which was run at Illinois. Three of the four legs from the record-setting 4x1 team return this season.
Topping The Charts
Indiana State featured 12 marks which ranked first in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, with five of those marks coming during the Sycamores' MVC Outdoor Championships sweep.
Half of the Sycamores' conference-leading marks from a season ago were set by athletes who are back for the Blue and White this season, including four conference champions in
Terrance O'Bannon (100m),
Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles),
Will Staggs (pole vault) and
Jake Ottersbach (decathlon).
Sycamores On The National Stage
Indiana State looks to continue its success beyond the conference level this season, as the Sycamores have had double-digit entries in the NCAA East First Rounds in each of the last three seasons. The Trees' 17-athlete delegation last season was the most at an NCAA East First Round since 2015.
The Sycamores have had double-digit athletes and entries in each of the last three NCAA East First Rounds, marking the first time Indiana State has had three or more consecutive seasons with double-digit regional qualifiers since a 10-year stretch from 2006-15 with double-digit qualifiers and entries.
In addition to the continued success in the NCAA East Region, Indiana State will look to increase its presence on the national stage once again. The Sycamores have had at least one athlete qualify for the NCAA Outdoor National Championships in 19 of the last 20 editions (2004-17, 2019, 2021-24 – no championships were contested in 2020), including each of the last five.
Up Next
Indiana State competes in its first of two straight meets at SEC venues, as the Sycamores compete in the Joe Walker Classic April 4-5 in Oxford, Mississippi.
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.
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