ST. LOUIS – Indiana State was selected as the near-unanimous favorite to win the MVC Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship, as announced Tuesday by the conference office.
 
The Sycamores received 10 of the 11 first-place votes and earned 120 out of a possible 121 points in the poll. Indiana State was also picked to finish second on the men's side, as the Sycamores earned three first-place votes and totaled 88 of a possible 100 points.
 
Indiana State features a deep roster on the women's side once again, with five Sycamore athletes owning Valley-leading marks and 14 currently owning top-three rankings in the conference. MVC hurdles record holder Rachel Mehringer (8.16) leads the way for the Blue and White, while Janiya Bowman's conference-leading 200m time (23.77) paces a strong sprints group for the Sycamores. Indiana State also boasts the top marks in the Valley in the triple jump (Jahnel Bowman, 12.80m/42-0), shot put (Aliseonna Garnett, 15.48m/50-9.5) and weight throw (Niesha Anderson, 19.56m/64-2.25), with the field events being a strong suit for the Sycamores this season.
 
The Sycamore men are led by 2025 Second Team All-American Casey Hood Jr., whose conference-leading 60m time (6.61) ranks in the top 30 nationally. Indiana State's top four 60m hurdles athletes have all run under the eight-second mark this season (Kieran Barnewall 7.91, Collin Forrest 7.93, David Carnell 7.97, Parker Doyle 7.98), while Trent Jones (47.52) and Ivan Weaver (47.64) rank among the conference leaders in the 400m. Jaden Smith (triple jump, 15.11m/49-7) and Landon Dobbs (pole vault, 5.05m/16-6.75) lead a young, but talented group of Trees in the field events, with Jake Ottersbach (5217) expected to be in medal contention in the heptathlon.
 
The 2026 MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships are set for Sunday and Monday at the Fall Creek Pavilion in Indianapolis. Sunday's action begins at 9 a.m., with Monday's first events starting at 9:30 a.m.
 
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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.