INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State's time at the MVC Indoor Championships got off to a strong start Sunday, as the Sycamores lead the women's standings and are in strong contention for a high finish on the men's side.
 
Amy Luttrell and Janiya Bowman won gold in the pole vault and long jump, respectively, with Bowman breaking the school record and picking up her second straight championship in her event. Ellie Irwin added all-conference honors in both the high jump and pentathlon, while the women's DMR, Aliseonna Garnett and Niesha Anderson all picked up all-conference accolades on the opening day for the Blue and White
 
Team Scores
MEN
1. Northern Iowa – 76.5
2. Illinois State – 54.5
3. Drake – 27
4. Indiana State – 23
5. Belmont – 20
6. UIC – 18
7. Bradley – 9
8. Southern Illinois – 4
9. Valparaiso – 2
10. Evansville – 0
 
WOMEN
1. Indiana State – 75
2. Northern Iowa – 57
3. Illinois State – 46.5
4. Murray State – 36.5
5. Drake – 19
6. Bradley – 18
7. Southern Illinois – 9
8. Belmont – 8
9. UIC – 3
10. Evansville – 1
11. Valparaiso – 0
 
Sunday MVC Champions

• Amy Luttrell – pole vault (4.08m/13-4.5, fifth in program history)
• Janiya Bowman – long jump (6.15m/20-2.25, indoor program record)

 
Sunday All-Conference

• Gnister Grant, Kyarra DeGroote, Hallie Mimbela, Halle Miller – distance medley relay (third, 11:47.92, third in program history)
• Ellie Irwin – high jump (second, 1.69m/5-6.5), pentathlon (third, 3610, fifth in program history)
• Noah Gilmore – high jump (third, 2.02m/6-7.5)
• Aliseonna Garnett – weight throw (second, 19.67m/64-6.5)
• Niesha Anderson – weight throw (third, 19.51m/64-0.25)

 
Sunday Scorers

• Nick Burns, Caden Emmert, Jocqael Thorpe, Ryan York – distance medley relay (fourth, 10:00.65)
• Ethan Widenhoefer – high jump (fourth, 2.02m/6-7.5)
• Essence Johnson – high jump (eighth, 1.63m/5-4.25)
• Landon Dobbs – pole vault (sixth, 4.90m/16-0.75)
• Abby Ballengee – pole vault (seventh, 3.78m/12-4.75)
• Campbell Roberts – pole vault (eighth, 3.63m/11-10.75)
• Aaron Massiah – long jump (fifth, 7.17m/23-6.25)
• Jahnel Bowman – long jump (eighth, 5.61m/18-5)
• Austin Grays – weight throw (eighth, 18.09m/59-4.25)
• Emma Yoder – weight throw (fourth, 18.62m/61-1.25)
• Olivia Marshall – weight throw (sixth, 17.98m/59-0)
• Cora Williams – weight throw (seventh, 17.92m/58-9.5)
• Emma Martin – pentathlon (seventh, 3267)
• Sophie Hale – pentathlon (eighth, 3226)

 
Sprints/Hurdles
Indiana State's sprinters and hurdlers were nearly perfect in qualifying for finals in Sunday's action, with top seeds in the men's 60m and women's 60m hurdles leading the charge. Casey Hood Jr. made an early statement in 60m prelims with his time of 6.59 and will be joined by Terrance O'Bannon (6.69) in finals. Hood Jr. will pull double-duty on Monday, as he also advanced to 200m finals with his time of 21.35. Janiya Bowman also advanced to finals for the Sycamores in the 200m, with her time of 23.86 sending her to Monday's championship round.
 
Rachel Mehringer continued her Valley-leading campaign by advancing to 60m hurdles finals with the top prelims time of 8.26. Aubrey Runyon added a career-best 8.61 and Sophie Hale clocked a time of 8.76, as all three Sycamores advanced to finals. Collin Forrest led the charge on the men's side at 7.91, while Kieran Barnewall ran his third straight sub-8 race at 7.99. Forrest and Barnewall will be joined in finals by David Carnell and Parker Doyle, who both ran 8.03.
 
Indiana State went 2-for-2 in qualifying for the men's 400m and women's 60m, with every Sycamore in those events advancing to finals. Trent Jones (47.79) and Ivan Weaver (48.07) claimed finals spots for the Blue and White in the 400m, while Reneisha Andrews (7.38) and Michelle McDonald (7.58) cruised to automatic qualifying spots in the 60m.
 
Mid-Distance/Distance
Indiana State's distance crew put together a strong opening day, with all-conference honors for the women's distance medley relay team being the headline result. The Sycamores' DMR, featuring three local products in Gnister Grant, Kyarra DeGroote and Halle Miller, alongside fellow Hoosier State product Hallie Mimbela, ran a time of 11:47.92, which ranks third in program history. Indiana State also earned a fourth-place finish in the men's DMR, as the Sycamore quartet of Nick Burns, Caden Emmert, Jocqael Thorpe and Ryan York placed fourth with a time of 10:00.65.
 
Burns had a busy day for the Blue and White, as he also qualified for 800m finals with a career-best time of 1:51.64. He also cracked the top 10 in program history in the process and will be joined in the finals by Xavier Wills, who qualified with a time of 1:52.62.
 
Grant also qualified for finals in a distance event in addition to her DMR performance, as her time of 4:54.58 in the mile prelims earned her a spot in Monday finals. Emerson Fayman also qualified for finals on the men's side, with his time of 4:17.28 earning him an automatic qualifier out of his heat.
 
Jumps
Both of Indiana State's MVC Champions on Sunday came from the jumps group, with Janiya Bowman's school record in the long jump being the headliner. Bowman's mark of 6.15m (20-2.25) bested Indiana State Athletics Hall of Famer Lauren Martin's 2009 record and gave her the MVC title for the second straight year. Jahnel Bowman added a point for the Blue and White, with her mark of 5.61m (18-5) putting her eighth. On the men's side, Aaron Massiah tallied a career-best mark of 7.17m (23-6.25) to finish fifth, earning four points for the Sycamores.
 
Amy Luttrell also recorded a career-best mark on her way to an MVC title, clearing 4.08m (13-4.5) to win the pole vault and move into the top five in program history in the event. Abby Ballengee (3.78m/12-4.75) and Kennedy Merrell (3.63m/11-10.75) also scored for the Sycamores, who picked up 13 points in the event. Landon Dobbs finished in a tie for sixth on the men's side with his clearance at 4.90m (16-0.75).
 
Indiana State's high jumpers also had a strong day, with Ellie Irwin earning a second-place finish with her clearance at 1.69m (5-6.5). Essence Johnson also scored for the Sycamores, with her clearance at 1.63m (5-4.25) placing her eighth.  Noah Gilmore and Ethan Widenhoefer both cleared 2.02m (6-7.5) to place in the top five on the men's side, with Gilmore placing third and Widenhoefer finishing fourth to add 11 points to the Sycamore tally.
 
Throws
Indiana State picked up big points in the women's weight throw, with all five Sycamores in the event finishing in scoring position. Aliseonna Garnett (19.67m/64-6.5) and Niesha Anderson (19.51m/64-0.25) both earned all-conference honors for their top-three finishes. Emma Yoder (18.62m/, Olivia Marshall (17.98m/59-0) and Cora Williams (17.92m/58-9.5) all finished inside the top seven, as Indiana State picked up 24 points in the event.
 
The Sycamores also added a point in the men's weight throw, as Austin Grays recorded a career-best launch of 18.09m (59-4.25) to place eighth in the field.
 
Multis
Ellie Irwin's busy day was rewarded with a top-three finish in the pentathlon, as the Sycamore sophomore also moved into the top five in program history with her total of 3610. Irwin used strong performances in the 60m hurdles (8.76) and high jump (1.67m/5-5.75) to propel her up the standings. Emma Martin closed with the top 800m in the field (2:26.79) and a strong performance in the high jump (1.58m/5-2.25), with her 3267 points putting her seventh. Sophie Hale also scored for the Sycamores with her score of 3226 putting her eighth, with her top hurdles time (8.66) and top-five long jump performance (5.29m/17-4.25) helping her earn a point for the Sycamores.
 
Jake Ottersbach leads the Sycamore heptathletes through the first day, with his score of 2834 putting him fifth. Ottersbach still has his best event, the 60 hurdles, left on day two, and had top-five performances in the 60m (7.11), long jump (6.75m/22-1.75) and high jump (1.92m/6-3.5). Ty Newsom is right behind in sixth with 2750 points, led by a top-five finish in the 60m (7.14). Zenon Rule is also in scoring position in eighth at 2655 points, with sixth-place finishes in three of the four events. Rule's shot put mark of 11.79m (38-8.25) was tied with Newsom for the highest among the Sycamore heptathletes.
 
Up Next
Indiana State seeks to capture the MVC Indoor Championships Monday, with the final day of action starting at 9:30 a.m.
 
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