TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State looks to capture the MVC Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships for a second consecutive season Saturday and Sunday when the Trees head south to Carbondale, Illinois, to compete for the conference hardware.
Saturday's first events for the Blue and White start at 9:45 a.m., with Sunday's first events starting at 10 a.m. Coverage from both days will be aired on ESPN+ with Brad Wells, Mike Mahon and Indiana State Athletics Hall of Famer
Angie Lansing on the call.
Back On Top
Indiana State was picked to repeat as MVC Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions in the conference's pre-championship poll, which was unveiled Wednesday afternoon.
The Sycamores were tabbed unanimous favorites on the women's side, receiving all 12 first-place votes for 144 points. Indiana State garnered six of the 10 first-place votes on the men's side and received 96 out of a possible 100 points.
This year's pre-championship poll marks the second straight season that the Sycamores were selected as unanimous favorites on one side, as the Indiana State men received every first-place vote last year.
Indiana State swept last year's outdoor conference championships, with the Sycamores breaking the program record for points on the men's side at 221.5, a top-five points total in MVC history. The Sycamores' 158 points on the women's side were the most for the Blue and White since 2013, which also culminated in a conference title.
A sweep of this year's MVC Outdoor Championships would give the Sycamores 50 total MVC Championships between the cross country/track and field program. A breakdown of the 48 conference titles won to date can be found below.
| Indiana State Cross Country/Track and Field MVC Championship Totals |
| Men's Cross Country (9) |
1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 |
| Women's Cross Country (2) |
1991, 1993 |
| Men's Indoor Track and Field (7) |
2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Women's Indoor Track and Field (9) |
1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Men's Outdoor Track and Field (13) |
1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Women's Outdoor Track and Field (8) |
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2013, 2024 |
Men's Championship Outlook
Winners of three straight MVC Outdoor Championships, Indiana State is primed to continue its championship run with a pair of All-Americans leading the charge.
Casey Hood Jr. and
Will Staggs will look to continue their record-setting ways in the short sprints and pole vault, respectively, while shot put school record holder
Wyatt Puff looks to complete an indoor-outdoor sweep in the event.
Four outdoor conference champions from last season are on the 32-athlete roster for the Blue and White in
Terrance O'Bannon (100m),
Collin Forrest (110m hurdles), Staggs (pole vault) and
Jake Ottersbach (decathlon), while three of the four legs from Indiana State's title-winning 4x100m relay are back in Hood Jr.,
Daunte Majors and O'Bannon. Indiana State's three indoor conference title winners from this season – Hood Jr., Puff and Bolt – are all among the conference leaders in multiple events this outdoor campaign.
The Sycamores are once again strong on the track, with multiple top-five entries in the 100m (Hood Jr. 10.08, O'Bannon 10.30, Majors 10.39), 200m (Hood Jr. 20.64, Majors 20.92), 400m (
Trent Jones 47.20,
Ivan Weaver 47.31) and 110m hurdles (Forrest 13.84,
David Carnell 13.98,
Parker Doyle 14.05) to go alongside the top-ranked 4x100m relay team in the conference. In the field, the Trees have multiple top-five entries in nearly every event, with the high jump (
Noah Gilmore 2.01m/6-7,
Ethan Widenhoefer 2.00m/6-6.75), pole vault (Staggs 5.53m/18-1.75,
Parker Speth 4.93m/16-2,
Dan O'Laughlin 4.93m/16-2), long jump (
Kilan Macklin 7.56m/24-9.75,
Piere Hill 7.32m/24-0.25), shot put (Puff 18.47m/60-7.25,
Sloan Cox 18.15m/59-6.75) and discus (Bolt 56.48m/185-4, Puff 55.06m/180-8) all being events where the Trees are in position for major point totals.
Women's Championship Outlook
Indiana State aims to repeat as outdoor conference champions for the first time in more than 25 years, with multiple program record holders leading the efforts to keep the MVC hardware where it currently is. Conference record holder
Rachel Mehringer and program record holder
Lillian Gibbs will look to continue their success in the 100m hurdles and javelin, respectively, while strong seasons from the distance crew and both field event groups putting the Blue and White in a strong position.
Mehringer is the lone returning outdoor champion from last season and will look to defend her 100m hurdles title, while four Sycamores who won indoor conference titles –
Niesha Anderson,
Jahnel Bowman,
Janiya Bowman and Mehringer – are all in or around the top positions in their respective outdoor events.
Indiana State features a pair of top-five athletes in the 100m (
Janiya Bowman 11.51,
Michelle McDonald 11.61), with highly-ranked athletes in the 5000m (
Emma Gresham 16:30.04), 10,000m (
Brittney Burak 35:32.69) and 100m hurdles (Mehringer 13.03) to go alongside a strong 4x100m quartet of Bowman, McDonald,
Krystian Dilosa and Mehringer (45.46). The Sycamores have a pathway to significant points in the field events, with conference leaders in the pole vault (
Brooklyn Pfaff 4.09m/13-5), long jump (
Janiya Bowman 6.05m/19-10.25), triple jump (
Jahnel Bowman 12.37m/40-7) and javelin (Gibbs 48.04m/157-7). Multiple top-five entries in the pole vault (Pfaff 4.09m/13-5,
Amy Luttrell 3.77m/12-4.75,
Kennedy Merrell 3.75m/12-3.5,
Abby Ballengee 3.70m/12-1.5), long jump (
Janiya Bowman 6.05m/19-10.25,
Justice Boston 5.78m/18-11.75), triple jump (
Jahnel Bowman 12.37m/40-7, Boston 12.33m/40-5.5), shot put (
Aliseonna Garnett 15.34m/50-4,
Olivia Marshall 14.66m/48-1.25) and discus (Garnett 49.02m/160-10,
Emma Yoder 47.81m/156-10) have the Blue and White primed for another big weekend.
Last Time Out
Indiana State track and field closed out the regular season in a big way, with the Sycamores setting season-best marks across the board in the Sycamore Open.
The Sycamores finally got a long-awaited meet day of good weather and took full advantage. Multiple records fell for the Blue and White on a picture-perfect day at the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex, giving the Sycamores plenty of momentum heading into the conference championships.
Rachel Mehringer shattered the facility, school and MVC record in the 100m hurdles, while
Lillian Gibbs broke her own school record in the javelin and
Will Staggs continued his record-setting ways by breaking his facility record in the pole vault.
Indiana State's regular season finale was a roaring success for the Blue and White, as the Trees placed first in 21 different events while recording 53 top-three finishes on the day and setting 14 program top-10 marks. The Sycamores also sent their senior class, which contributed to 10 MVC Championships over the last four years, off on a high note in their final home meet.
Sycamore Sweep
Indiana State track and field athletes accounted for all four weekly MVC honors Tuesday afternoon after a plethora of season-best showings at the Sycamore Open, the conference office announced.
Terrance O'Bannon was named MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week,
Noah Bolt garnered MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week accolades,
Rachel Mehringer was selected MVC Women's Track Athlete of the Week and
Lillian Gibbs was tabbed MVC Women's Field Athlete of the Week.
O'Bannon ran his two fastest all-conditions 100m times of his career on his way to a first-place finish in the event at the Sycamore Open. He clocked a time of 10.20 (w: +4.4) in prelims and followed with a time of 10.23 (w: +2.2) in finals, marking the third time in his last two meets running a 100m time of 10.30 or faster. In addition, he also ran the anchor leg of Indiana State's 4x100m relay which ran a season-best time of 39.73 to place first. O'Bannon's 100m time ranks third in program history for all-conditions times, and is also second in the MVC, sixth in the Great Lakes Region, 36th in NCAA East Qualifying and 59th nationally. Indiana State's 4x100m relay, with O'Bannon on the anchor leg, ranks first in the MVC, fourth in the Great Lakes Region, 30th in NCAA East Qualifying and 46th nationally, excluding B and C teams.
Bolt picked up a pair of first-place finishes in throws events at the Sycamore Open, headlined by a career-best effort in the discus. His win in the discus saw him record a top mark of 56.48m (185-4), his third meet over 55 meters this season, and he also had the top finish in the hammer throw with a mark of 60.23m (197-7), going over the 60-meter mark for the sixth meet this season. Bolt owns program top-10 marks in both the discus (fifth) and hammer throw (sixth), and is the only male athlete in the MVC to rank in the top 10 in the conference in three different throws events (shot put, discus, hammer throw). His discus mark ranks first in the MVC, sixth in the Great Lakes Region, 23rd in NCAA East Qualifying and 58th nationally, while his hammer throw mark ranks fourth in the MVC, 15th in the Great Lakes Region and 56th in NCAA East Qualifying.
Mehringer broke every 100m hurdles record imaginable with a career-best performance in the event at the Sycamore Open. She ran a wind-legal time of 13.04 (w: +1.7) in prelims and followed with a time of 13.03 (w: +2.3) in finals to place first in the event, both of which were three-tenths of a second faster than anyone in the MVC this season. Mehringer broke the Indiana State facility and school records in the process, while also breaking the Missouri Valley Conference record in the event. She also ran the anchor leg of the Sycamores' 4x100m relay which placed second with a season-best time of 45.46. In addition to having the fastest 100m hurdles time in conference history, Mehringer ranks second in the Great Lakes Region, eighth in NCAA East Qualifying and 14th nationally in the event. Indiana State's 4x100m relay, with Mehringer on the anchor leg, ranks third in the MVC, ninth in the Great Lakes Region and 56th in NCAA East Qualifying, excluding B and C Teams.
Gibbs broke her own school record in the javelin at the Sycamore Open, recording a career-best mark of 48.04m (157-5) to place second at the meet. It was her fourth meet going over the 45-meter mark in the javelin out of her five meets competed in, the most in the conference, and she also has the top eight javelin marks in the conference this season. Gibbs, who leads the MVC in the javelin by more than two meters, also ranks fifth in the Great Lakes Region, 32nd in NCAA East Qualifying and 67th nationally in the event.
Eyes On The Prize
Indiana State seeks to repeat as MVC Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions, and the Sycamores will be among the title favorites on both sides in 2025. Entering the conference championships, the Trees are the top-ranked team on both the men's and women's side in the USTFCCCA MVC Ratings Index.
Indiana State's championship aspirations are bolstered by 12 conference-leading marks this season. The events in which the Sycamores feature the top-ranked athlete in the MVC are:
In addition to the conference-leading marks, Indiana State currently has 49 marks which rank in the top five in the conference, with 15 different events featuring multiple Sycamores in the top five (men's 100m, women's 100m, men's 200m, men's 400m, men's 110m hurdles, men's high jump, men's pole vault, women's pole vault, men's long jump, women's long jump, women's triple jump, men's shot put, women's shot put, men's discus, women's discus).
It's Going Down
Indiana State athletes have broken six school records this season, with at least one program record falling in six different weekends of the 2025 outdoor season. All four disciplines (sprints, distance, jumps, throws) have had at least one school record broken this outdoor season.
The Sycamores' program records broken during the 2025 season are:
Indiana State's record setting ways are just a continuation from the 2024-25 indoor season, where
Tahj Johnson (300m – 33.85), Mehringer (60m hurdles – 8.19) and Staggs (pole vault – 5.56m/18-2.75) all broke program records for the Blue and White.
Trees In The National Ranks
Indiana State is seeking its fourth straight season with double-digit entries in the NCAA East First Round, and the Sycamores are currently on pace to accomplish the feat. Included in the Sycamores' current qualifying entries are a pair of top-10 athletes in NCAA East Qualifying in
Will Staggs and
Rachel Mehringer and five school record holders (
Casey Hood Jr.,
Rachel Mehringer,
Will Staggs,
Wyatt Puff,
Lillian Gibbs)
Entering the weekend, Indiana State has 14 entries currently in a qualifying spot, with multiple additional entries near the current cutline. The Sycamores currently in qualifying positions for the NCAA East First Round are:
- Casey Hood Jr. – 100m (13th, 10.08), 200m (29th, 20.64)
- Terrance O'Bannon – 100m (37th, 10.23)
- Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (eighth, 13.03)
- Collin Forrest – 110m hurdles (31st, 13.84)
- Will Staggs – pole vault (second, 5.51m/18-1)
- Brooklyn Pfaff – pole vault (48th, 4.09m/13-5)
- Kilan Macklin – long jump (35th, 7.56m/24-9.75)
- Wyatt Puff – shot put (24th, 18.47m/60-7.25), discus (33rd, 55.06m/180-8)
- Sloan Cox – shot put (32nd, 18.15m/59-6.75)
- Aliseonna Garnett – shot put (44th, 15.34m/50-4)
- Noah Bolt – discus (23rd, 56.48m/185-4)
- Lillian Gibbs – javelin (33rd, 48.04m/157-7)
Indiana State also has multiple athletes within reach of top-48 spots, with
Janiya Bowman (100m and long jump),
David Carnell (110m hurdles),
Parker Doyle (110m hurdles),
Ellie Irwin (high jump), Garnett (discus) and Bolt (hammer throw) all within the top 65 of additional event rankings heading into the weekend.
Up Next
Following this weekend's meets across the country, the NCAA will announce the qualifiers for the NCAA East and West First Rounds. Indiana State's qualified athletes will compete in the NCAA East First Round, slated for May 28-31 in Jacksonville, Florida.
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
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