TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State opens its 2026 outdoor track and field campaign Friday and Saturday, as the Sycamores travel across the state line for the EIU Big Blue Classic in Charleston, Illinois.
Friday's first events from O'Brien Field start at 3 p.m., while Saturday's proceedings begin at noon. A stream for both days will be available on the Eastern Illinois YouTube channel.
Run It Back
Indiana State has been the premier track and field program in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 2020s, with the Sycamores amassing 13 MVC Championships since the start of the 2021-22 season. The Trees have swept the MVC Outdoor Championships in each of the last two seasons, and have also won each of the last three MVC Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Sycamores should be primed for success in 2026 and beyond, as 91 percent of Indiana State's scoring at the MVC Women's Indoor Championships and 75 percent of the Trees' scoring from the MVC Men's Indoor Championships came from athletes who have multiple seasons of outdoor eligibility (including the 2026 season).
Championship Expectations
Indiana State's 2025 MVC Outdoor Championship sweep featured 10 individual titles for the Sycamores, with most of those championship-winning performances returning for the Blue and White for the 2026 outdoor season.
Three two-time MVC Outdoor Champions headline the bunch in
Terrance O'Bannon (100m),
Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles) and
Collin Forrest (110m hurdles), while
Jahnel Bowman (triple jump),
Ryan Handy (3000m steeplechase),
Casey Hood Jr. (200m) and
Emma Yoder (discus) all back in the fold for the Sycamores this season. Hood Jr. and O'Bannon also made up half of Indiana State's title-winning 4x100m relay team from last year.
Postseason Feeling
Indiana State continued its trend of postseason success last year, as the Sycamores qualified an MVC-leading 16 entries and 14 student-athletes for the 2025 NCAA East First Round. 10 of the 14 athletes who reached the regional round for Indiana State last season are back in action for the Sycamores in 2026.
Rachel Mehringer and
Casey Hood Jr. both earned All-America accolades during the 2024-25 campaign, as Hood Jr. was a Second Team All-American during the indoor season and Mehringer was a Second Team All-American during the outdoor season.
Among the returning postseason qualifiers,
Niesha Anderson,
Sloan Cox,
Collin Forrest,
Aliseonna Garnett,
Ryan Handy and
Kilan Macklin all made their first NCAA East First Round appearance in 2025.
Lillian Gibbs, Hood Jr., Mehringer and
Terrance O'Bannon were all repeat postseason qualifiers for the Blue and White.
Best Is The Standard
Indiana State's staff is one of the best in the Great Lakes Region, with Sycamore coaches continuing to add accolades to their belt during the 2025-26 season after another strong season for the Blue and White.
Angela Martin was named the 2026 MVC Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and the 2026 USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Women's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after leading the Sycamores to their third straight indoor conference title. Martin's accolades were her 16th career MVC Coach of the Year honor and her seventh Great Lakes Coach of the Year award at the helm of the Blue and White.
Brandan Bettenhausen was also named the 2026 MVC Women's Indoor Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year after his throwers scored 45 points between the shot put and weight throw on their way to another conference title. Bettenhausen earned his second career MVC Assistant Coach of the Year award after previously receiving the accolade for the 2024 men's outdoor season.
Three different Sycamore assistants on the current coaching staff have earned MVC Assistant Coach of the Year honors since the start of the 2021-22 season. Bettenhausen (2024 men's outdoor, 2026 women's indoor) and
Jeff Martin (2022 men's indoor, 2022 women's indoor) are both multi-time recipients of the MVC Assistant Coach of the Year award, while
Julian Harvey (2025 men's outdoor) earned his first MVC coaching honor last season as part of Indiana State's title sweep.
Looking Back
Indiana State's last trip to the EIU Big Blue Classic was a successful early season weekend for the Sycamores in 2024. The Blue and White posted 20 first-place finishes in their last visit to Charleston, including wins in seven of the eight throws events.
Indiana State also swept the 100m and 200m, along with all four hurdles events, as the Sycamores compiled 43 top-three finishes as a team.
Elias Foor earned MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week honors for his top-10 national mark in the discus, while a trio of throwers for Indiana State set program top-10 marks in Foor (discus),
Justin Miller (javelin) and
Lillian Gibbs (javelin).
Current Sycamores
Casey Hood Jr. (100m),
Janiya Bowman (200m and long jump),
Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles),
Collin Forrest (110m hurdles),
Alli Steffey (3000m steeplechase),
Niesha Anderson (shot put and hammer throw) and
Lillian Gibbs (javelin) were all event winners during Indiana State's last appearance at the EIU Big Blue Classic, while
Trent Jones was a part of the Trees' first-place 4x400m relay team that weekend.
Up Next
Indiana State plays host to its first outdoor meet of the 2026 season April 3-4, welcoming teams to the John McNichols Memorial Track at the Gibson Track and Field Complex for the Pacesetter Sports Invitational.
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
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
- #MarchOn -
