TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State takes part in its second split-squad weekend of the season Friday and Saturday, with the Sycamores fielding entries in the Tyson Invitational at Arkansas and the Music City Challenge at Vanderbilt.
Indiana State's first events from Vanderbilt will start at 10 a.m. on both days of competition. Friday's first events for the Blue and White from Arkansas start at 1 p.m., with Saturday's action for the Sycamores starting at noon. Both meets will air on SEC Network+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State's return to the Fall Creek Pavilion proved to be a success, as the Sycamores racked up six event wins and 18 top-three finishes at the Fairgrounds Invitational.
Ivan Weaver,
Collin Forrest,
Rachel Mehringer,
Amy Luttrell,
Jaden Smith and the men's 4x400m relay team all claimed event wins over the course of the two-day meet. Forrest (60m hurdles),
Trent Jones (400m),
Hadley Gradolf (3000m), Luttrell (pole vault) and
Campbell Roberts (pole vault) all set program top-10 marks during the weekend.
Weekly Winners
Indiana State accounted for half of the MVC Athlete of the Week honors after a strong showing at the Fairgrounds Invitational, with
Collin Forrest and
Niesha Anderson recognized by the league office Wednesday for their season-best efforts. Forrest earned MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honors for his career-best performance in the 60m hurdles, while Anderson was named MVC Women's Field Athlete of the Week following her season-best performance in the weight throw. Both Sycamore athletes posted MVC-leading marks in their respective events.
Forrest produced a career-best weekend at the Fairgrounds Invitational, winning the 60m hurdles with a finals time of 7.93. He moved up to eighth in program history in the event, and also ran a prelims time of 8.01. Forrest's 7.93 in finals was his fourth time going under the 8-second mark this season, with the Sycamore senior being the only athlete in the conference with multiple 60 hurdles times under the 8-second barrier. Forrest's time ranks first in the MVC, seventh in the Great Lakes Region and inside the top 100 nationally.
Anderson recorded her best weekend of the season at the Fairgrounds Invitational, finishing as the top collegiate athlete in the weight throw with a mark of 19.56m (64-4.25). She became the first athlete in the conference to clear the 19-meter mark this season, pacing a Sycamore throws group which features the top four weight throw marks in the MVC this season. The senior broke the 18-meter mark on five of her six attempts, with her season-best mark of 19.56 coming on her third throw. Anderson's mark ranks first in the MVC, eighth in the Great Lakes Region and inside the top 50 nationally.
Forrest's weekly conference honor is the first of his career, while Anderson earned her sixth career weekly conference honor (one 2025-26 indoor, three 2024-25 indoor, two 2023-24 indoor). Indiana State has earned nine MVC Athlete of the Week accolades during the 2025-26 indoor season, with multiple MVC weekly winners on four separate occasions (Dec. 17, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 11).
Moving Up The Ranks
Indiana State athletes continued their ascent up the program top-10 charts, with five Sycamores recording high marks in program history at the Fairgrounds Invitational.
Trent Jones was the highest mover among Sycamore top-10 marks set during the previous weekend, running an indoor career-best time of 48.10 to climb to seventh in program history in the event. Jones was part of a 1-2 punch for the Trees atop the results at the state fairgrounds alongside
Ivan Weaver (48.07).
Collin Forrest's fourth 60m hurdles time under eight seconds was the best of his career, as the senior produced an MVC-leading time of 7.93. Forrest moved up to eighth in program history in the event.
Indiana State's distance crew produced a program top-10 mark for the second straight week, as
Hadley Gradolf clocked a career-best 3000m time of 9:48.90 to move into ninth in program history in the event
Sophomore pole vaulters
Amy Luttrell and
Campbell Roberts both cleared an indoor career-best mark of 3.89m (12-9), with the duo moving into a tie for 10th in program history in the event.
Going The Distance
Indiana State's women's distance athletes have continued to take their abilities to a new level, with three different athletes recording program top-10 marks this season.
Brittney Burak (3000m, 9:48.09),
Hadley Gradolf (3000m, 9:48.90) and
Halle Miller (mile, 4:56.07) have all recorded program top-10 marks this season for the Blue and White, with the Sycamore women also recording their second straight MVC Cross Country Runner-Up finish in October.
On A Mission
Indiana State sprinters
Ivan Weaver and
Trent Jones have been among the best 400m sprinters in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, with the Sycamore duo representing two of the top three in the event during the 2026 campaign.
Weaver owns the top time in the conference by three-tenths of a second at 47.64, while Jones' career-best time of 48.10 at the Fairgrounds Invitational ranks third in the MVC this season. The duo both rank in the top 10 in program history in the event, with Weaver currently third and Jones ranking seventh.
Indiana State's 4x400m relay team, which Weaver and Jones account for two of the four legs, also ranks in the top 10 in program history with its time of 3:13.93. The Sycamores' 2026 4x400m relay ranks sixth in program history and is the fastest for the Blue and White since 2023.
Chart Toppers
Indiana State boasts the top-ranked 60m hurdles athletes on both sides in the MVC this season, with six Sycamore hurdles athletes currently occupying top-eight spots in the conference.
Collin Forrest's career-best time of 7.93 at the Fairgrounds Invitational put him into the Valley lead this season, with the Sycamore senior being the only athlete in the conference with multiple 60 hurdles times under eight seconds in 2026. Forrest (7.93),
Kieran Barnewall (8.02),
David Carnell (8.04) and
Parker Doyle (8.11) all rank among the top six in the conference this season.
MVC hurdles record holder
Rachel Mehringer's season-best time of 8.25 at the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational paces the conference in 2026, with Mehringer owning the three fastest times in the conference this season (8.25, 8.33, 8.34). Mehringer and
Aubrey Runyon (8.68) currently own top-eight times in the conference, with
Sophie Hale (8.74) just outside the top eight.
Doing It All
Indiana State redshirt junior
Janiya Bowman has been a constant figure across the Missouri Valley Conference rankings this season, entering the weekend as the only women's athlete in the conference to rank in the top five in three individual events.
Bowman has the top 200m time in the conference at 23.98 and also owns one of the fastest 60m times in the conference at 7.45. Her long jump mark of 5.99m (19-8) ranks second in the MVC this season.
Bowman owns top-five program marks in four different events, all of which were set this season. She ranks second in program history in the 300m (39.14), third in the 200m (23.98) and fifth in both the 60m (7.45) and long jump (5.99m/19-8).
Up Next
Indiana State plays host to one final meet before the MVC Indoor Championships, welcoming competition to the Indoor Track and Field Facility for the ISU Open February 21.
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