One of the most decorated throwers to ever don the Blue and White, 2024 Olympian Erin Reese is in her sixth season as a volunteer assistant with the Indiana State track and field program.
The 2023-24 season was among the best in program history for Indiana State throwers, as Elias Foor was named the MVC Most Valuable Athlete after earning all-conference honors in four different events while earning Second Team All-America honors in the discus. Foor earned program top-10 marks in the discus (second), hammer throw (third) and shot put (ninth), while also setting ISU's facility record in the discus (59.30m/194-07). Brett Norton earned all-conference honors in both the shot put and discus on his way to a third straight NCAA East First Round appearance, while Noah Bolt (weight throw) and Wyatt Puff (shot put) noth set indoor program top-10 marks. On the women's side, Lillian Gibbs broke the school record in the javelin (45.32m/148-08) in just her third collegiate meet, while Niesha Anderson ranked in the top 20 nationally in the weight throw (21.40m/700-02.50), with Gibbs reaching the NCAA East First Round as a freshman.
The 2022-23 saw four Sycamore throwers qualify for the NCAA East First Round, including a pair of NCAA regional debutantes in Noah Bolt and Elias Foor. Brett Norton tied the outdoor school shot put record of 18.40m (60-04.50) on his way to the MVC title in the event, and he also earned an MVC title in the weight throw (20.55m/67-05.25) during indoor season. Puff (shot put, discus) and Bolt (hammer throw, discus) qualified for the NCAA East First Round in multiple events, with Puff placing in the top 25 in both events and Bolt earning all-conference honors in the discus. Hannah Redlin (discus) and Brooklyn Giertz (javelin) earned top-10 program marks on the women's side during the outdoor season, with Redlin also earning all-conference honors in the discus.
Reese, along with Sycamore assistant Brandan Bettenhausen, played a large role in Indiana State's strong 2021-22 season, as eight different Sycamores scored at the conference championships. Wyatt Puff had a career year in the ring, earning all-conference honors in the discus throw while reaching the NCAA East Preliminary Round in both the shot put and discus throw. Puff's mark of 18.23m (59-09.75) in the shot put at the NCAA East Preliminary ranked second in school history and earned him a top-25 finish in the event. Brett Norton and Jayla Bynum also reached the East Prelim in the shot put for the Sycamores, with both setting career-best marks. Bettenhausen also helped Thomas Hickerson earn all-conference honors in the javelin throw at the outdoor championships. Puff, Norton, Bynum, Hickerson, Elias Foor and Brooklyn Giertz all set top-10 marks in school history during the 2021-22 campaign.
The 2020-21 season saw Wyatt Puff qualify for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the shot put as a true freshman. Jayla Bynum continued to develop into one of the top throwers in the MVC, breaking the school record in the javelin throw with a top mark of 45.05m (147-10). Bynum became the first person in program history with a throw over 45 meters in the event, which she accomplished at the MVC Outdoor Championships to earn a top-five finish. In addition to Bynum's school record, Indiana State also had a pair of women's throwers set top-10 marks in school history, with Brittnee James placing ninth in school history in the hammer throw and Hannah Redlin placing 10th in program history in the discus throw.
Indiana State's 2019-20 indoor season saw the Sycamores earn a pair of top-five finishes at the MVCÂ Championships, with three scoring points for the Trees. Lauren England threw a career-best 14.69m (48-02.50) in the shot put to earn the highest finish among the ISU throwers, placing fourth. Brett Norton also earned a top-five finish at the conference championships with a top mark of 18.66m (61-02.75) in the weight throw, while Nick Young had a mark of 17.81m (58-05.25) to place seventh.
In addition to coaching, Reese also competes as a thrower for the Velaasa Track Club. She placed fourth at the 2021 US Olympic Trials in the hammer throw and fourth at the USATF Grand Prix in the hammer throw. Reese qualified for the Olympics for the first time in her career in 2024 the  with a podium finish in the hammer throw at the 2024 US Olympic Trials. Her 14th-place finish in the event in Paris was tied for the best-ever finish by a Sycamore track and field athlete in an Olympic event. Reese's top throws of her season came when it mattered most, with all her best marks coming late in the Olympic qualifying window.
Reese joined the Indiana State staff in a volunteer capacity following a sterling career with the Sycamores. She was a three-time All-American for the Blue and White, earning First Team honors in the weight throw at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships and in the hammer throw at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she finished second in the nation. Reese also earned Second Team All-America honors in the discus throw at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. She was a five-time NCAA East Region qualifier in her two seasons in Terre Haute and earned MVC Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete in both of her seasons with the Sycamores.
