TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field hits the road for the first time this season Friday and Saturday, as the Sycamores take part in the Crossroads of America Invitational.
Friday's action from the Fall Creek Pavilion starts at 12:15 p.m., with Saturday's first events starting at 9:30 a.m.
Last Time Out
Three meet records and three facility records headlined Indiana State's performance Saturday as the Sycamores played host to Illinois State for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup inside the Indoor Track and Field Facility.
In a tightly-contested meet that came down to the wire, Illinois State reclaimed the cup for the first time since 2023 by a 153-147 margin.
Casey Hood Jr.,
Janiya Bowman and
Jahnel Bowman broke facility records for the Blue and White in Saturday's meet, while both Bowman sisters also broke meet records for the Sycamores.
Ivan Weaver and
Aliseonna Garnett both factored into multiple event wins for the Trees, who claimed 13 event wins as a team.
Weekly Winners
Indiana State junior sprinter
Casey Hood Jr. and sophomore jumper
Jahnel Bowman earned Missouri Valley Conference accolades Wednesday morning following record-setting showings at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup.
Hood Jr. was named MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season, while Bowman was named MVC Women's Field Athlete of the Week.
Hood Jr. continued his blistering start to the season at Saturday's Coughlan-Malloy Cup, breaking Indiana State's facility record in the 60m with a top-10 time in the nation. Hood Jr.'s time of 6.61 was a season-best and broke his own facility record from the season opener (6.63). His times of 6.66 and 6.61 in Saturday's meet were his second and third sub-6.70 times in the 60m this season, making him the only MVC athlete with multiple sub-6.7 60m times this year. Hood Jr. tops the MVC in the 60m, with his facility record time also ranking second in the Great Lakes region and 10th nationally. He also owns the second-fastest 200m time in the conference this season.
Bowman had a career-best outing Saturday at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup, setting a meet and Indiana State facility record in the triple jump. Bowman's mark of 12.80m (42-0) was the second-best in program history behind only Indiana State Athletics Hall of Fame member Lauren Martin, and topped the field by nearly a full meter. She recorded the best mark in both the MVC and Great Lakes region this season, with her jump of 12.80m also ranking 22nd in the NCAA this season. Bowman's top three attempts all cleared 12 meters (12.80m/42-0, 12.46m/40-10.5, 12.29m/40-4), and she also clocked a split of 55.6 while running the second leg of Indiana State's season-best 4x400m relay.
The weekly honor is the eighth of Hood Jr.'s career and second this season, having also earned MVC Track Athlete of the Week honors twice during the 2025 outdoor season and four times during the 2025 indoor season. Bowman's weekly honor is the first of her career. Indiana State's five MVC Athlete of the Week honors are tied for the most in the conference this season.
Record Setters
Indiana State's performance at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup was highlighted by multiple meet and facility records, including a pair in the horizontal jumps.
Janiya Bowman recorded a career-best long jump mark of 5.99m (19-8) and added a meet record 300m time of 39.14, while
Jahnel Bowman posted a meet record mark of 12.80m (42-0) in the triple jump.
Casey Hood Jr. also continued his blistering start to the 2025-26 season with a 60m time of 6.61, lowering his facility record that was set in the season-opening
John Gartland Invitational.
Topping The Conference
Indiana State enters the weekend with first-place marks in the Missouri Valley Conference through the opening stages of the 2025-26 season. Five of the Sycamores' conference-leading marks are in field events, with two coming on the track. Indiana State's sprints, jumps and throws groups are all represented among the MVC leaders.
Indiana State's conference-leading marks come from:
The Sycamores feature 23 top-three marks in the conference, including multiple top-three marks in the men's pole vault (
Lincoln Hulsey and
Landon Dobbs both at 4.95m/16-2.75), women's pole vault (
Campbell Roberts 3.86m/12-8,
Amy Luttrell 3.81m/12-6), women's triple jump (
Jahnel Bowman 12.80m/42-0,
Justice Boston 11.83m/38-9.75,
Aaliyah Thurman 11.31m/37-1.25), women's shot put (
Aliseonna Garnett 15.48m/50-9.5,
Olivia Marshall 14.46m/47-5.25) and women's weight throw (Garnett 18.77m/61-7,
Cora Williams 18.67m/61-3).
Region Ranked
Indiana State will likely be regionally ranked on both the men's and women's side when the initial set of Great Lakes region rankings are announced Tuesday afternoon. The Sycamores currently feature 29 marks which rank in the top 10 regionally, with every event group for the Sycamores represented among the region's best.
Of those 29 top-10 regional marks, 11 rank in the top five of the Great Lakes Region, consisting of schools from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Indiana State's top-five region marks come from:
- Casey Hood Jr. – 60m (second, 6.61)
- Reneisha Andrews – 60m (third, 7.40)
- Janiya Bowman – long jump (fourth, 5.99m/19-8)
- Jaden Smith – triple jump (first, 15.11m/49-7)
- Jahnel Bowman – triple jump (first, 12.80m/42-0)
- Sloan Cox – shot put (fourth, 18.00m/59-0.75)
- Ellie Irwin – pentathlon (third, 3492 – track conversion from 3471)
- Emma Martin – pentathlon (fifth, 3318 – track conversion from 3297)
- Jake Ottersbach – heptathlon (third, 4960 – track conversion from 4936)
- Ty Newsom – heptathlon (fourth, 4763 – track conversion from 4739)
- Zenon Rule – heptathlon (fifth, 4731 – track conversion from 4707)
Sycamores In The National Spotlight
Indiana State has sent athletes to the NCAA Indoor National Championships in each of the last three seasons, and the. Sycamores will look to continue that trend in 2026.
The Sycamores enter the weekend with six top-50 national marks this season, including one which ranks inside the top 16.
Indiana State's top-50 national rankings come from:
Up Next
Indiana State splits its squad for the first time this season Jan. 30-31, with the Sycamores fielding entries in both the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational at Missouri at the Rose-Hulman Classic.
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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