TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State track and field sets its sights on the 2024 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which the Sycamores host Friday through Sunday at the Gibson Track and Field Complex.
Friday and Saturday's events will start at 10 a.m. with the combined events, while Sunday's action will start at 11:30 a.m. Gates will open one hour prior to the start of each day's events.
Trees On Top
Indiana State was selected as the pre-championship favorites to hoist the trophies on its home track in the MVC Pre-Championship Poll, which was unveiled Monday.
The Sycamores were tabbed unanimous favorites on the men's side, garnering all 10 first-place votes for 100 points. Indiana State received nine of the 12 first-place votes on the women's side and earned 141 out of a possible 144 points.
Men's Championship Outlook
Indiana State seeks its third straight MVC Outdoor Championship title and third consecutive indoor/outdoor title sweep, and the Sycamores once again have a deep group with 28 top-five marks in the conference. The Trees feature a trio of field athletes ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA East Region in
Elias Foor (discus, 59.51m/195-04),
Shomari Rogers-Walton (long jump, 7.89m/25-10.75) and
Will Staggs (pole vault, 5.50m/18-00.50) while also boasting the top-ranked athletes in the 400m hurdles (
Quincy Armstrong, 52.66), high jump (
Kevin Krutsch, 2.10m/6-10.75) and triple jump (Rogers-Walton, 15.33m/50-03.50) to go alongside a school record-setting 4x100m relay team of
Casey Hood Jr.,
Daunte Majors,
Isiah Thomas and
Tahj Johnson (39.64).
The Sycamores remain deep with multiple top-five conference marks in seven different events, including three in the 100m, pole vault, long jump and triple jump. 2023 NCAA East First Round qualifiers
Lawrence Mitchell (high jump, 2.04m/6-08.25) and
Brett Norton (shot put, 18.37m/60-03.25) add to a strong group of field athletes, while Thomas (100m, 10.47),
Napoleon Hernandez (800m, 1:50.89),
Jason Dworak (1500m, 3:43.69) and
Logan Pietrzak (steeplechase, 9:03.70) all cracked the program top-10 charts this season on the track.
Women's Championship Outlook
Fresh off its second MVC Indoor Championship in the last three years, Indiana State looks to take it one step further and complete an indoor/outdoor title sweep with 20 top-five marks in the conference leading the way. 100m hurdles school record holder
Rachel Mehringer (13.38 wind-legal/13.34 all-conditions) leads a deep group of athletes on the track, which also features two of the top four 100m sprinters in the conference in
Michelle McDonald (11.65) and
Angel Thomas (11.72).
The Trees also feature a trio of field athletes in prime position to qualify for the NCAA East First Round in
Lillian Gibbs (javelin, 45.32m/148-08),
Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff (pole vault, 4.15m/13-07.25) and
Grace Quinlan (high jump, 1.75m/5-08.75), while
Faith Frye also tops the conference in the long jump (5.97m/19-07.00). 2023 NCAA East First Round qualifier
Selene Weaver (pole vault, 3.92m/12-10.25) has produced her best results of the season in recent weeks, while
Rachel Conhoff (1500m, 4:26.72/steeplechase, 11:03.13) and
Niesha Anderson (hammer throw, 55.13m/180-10) have added their names to the program top-10 charts this season.
Last Time Out
Will Staggs cleared 18 feet for the first time at an outdoor meet Friday at the Billy Hayes Invitational, breaking his own program record in the pole vault as part of another productive meet for Indiana State.
Staggs' mark of 5.50m (18-00.50) marked the first time since 2007 that an MVC athlete cleared a mark of that height or better in the pole vault. He was one of three event winners on the day for the Sycamores, alongside
Napoleon Hernandez in the 800m and
Rachel Mehringer in the 100m hurdles.
In addition to the first place finishes,
Rachel Conhoff and
Jason Dworak both climbed their way up the program top-10 charts in the 1500m with strong showings in the invitational section. Indiana State finished the meet with 13 top-five finishes, despite not competing with a full squad with the MVC Outdoor Championships just one week away.
Top Of The Charts
Heading into the MVC Outdoor Championships, Indiana State currently has 10 marks that rank first in the MVC, along with 20 additional top-three marks in the conference. Included in those marks are the top spots in the men's and women's pole vault and long jump.
Indiana State's conference-leading marks heading into the weekend are:
All of Indiana State's event groups (sprints/relays, hurdles, distance/mid-distance, jumps, throws, combined events) feature at least one athlete ranked in the top five of the conference in an event, with all but the combined events having multiple top-five entries in The Valley.
Sycamores on the National Stage
Entering the final stretch of the season, Indiana State is poised to send double-digit entries to the NCAA East First Round for the third straight season under program director
Angela Martin.
Heading into the 2024 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Sycamores currently have 12 entries in qualifying position. To qualify for the regional round, athletes must be ranked in the top 48 in an event or on a relay team ranked in the top 24.
The Sycamores' current marks in qualifying position are:
- Rachel Mehringer – 100m hurdles (35th, 13.34)
- Casey Hood Jr., Daunte Majors, Isiah Thomas, Tahj Johnson – 4x100m relay (18th, 39.64)
- Kevin Krutsch – high jump (44nd, 2.10m/6-10.75)
- Grace Quinlan – high jump (42nd, 1.75m/5-08.75)
- Will Staggs – pole vault (seventh, 5.45m/17-10.50)
- Brooklyn Giertz-Pfaff – pole vault (24th, 4.15m/13-07.25)
- Shomari Rogers-Walton – long jump (fourth, 7.89m/25-10.75), triple jump (33rd, 15.33m/50-03.50)
- Brett Norton – shot put (31st, 18.31m/60-01.00)
- Elias Foor – discus (10th, 59.51m/195-03), hammer throw (39th, 62.16m/203-11)
- Lillian Gibbs – javelin (42nd, 45.32m/148-08)
The Forest Runs Deep
One thing that has propelled Indiana State back to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference in recent years is depth, and this year's Sycamores are no different. Indiana State features five different groups ranked in the top 25 nationally in the latest #EventSquad rankings.
- Men's long jump – 17th
- Women's heptathlon – 17th
- Men's shot put – 18th
- Women's pole vault – 20th
- Men's steeplechase – 23rd
The Sycamores also have eight more groups ranked in the top 50 nationally, those being the women's 100m hurdles (27th), men's hammer throw (27th), women's discus (28th), men's pole vault (30th), women's javelin (42nd), men's 100m (44th), men's 110m hurdles (44th) and women's high jump (44th).
Up Next
Following this weekend's meets across the country, the NCAA will announce the qualifiers for the NCAA East and West Preliminary Rounds. Indiana State's qualified athletes will compete in the NCAA East Preliminary, slated for May 22-25 in Lexington, Kentucky.
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.
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