MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee track & field wrapped up their weekend at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships with plenty of Blue Raiders taking home gold medals from El Paso.
Stephen Eloji led the way with a winning time of 13.28s in the 110m hurdles, breaking his own CUSA Championship record from a season ago. It was one of two gold medals for Eloji, who also won in 400m hurdles.
Elsewhere for the men,
Carmelo Cannizzaro,
Brian Kiptoo and
Vincent Yegon swept the podium for MTSU in the 3000m Steeplechase, with Cannizzaro taking gold, Kiptoo silver and Yegon bronze in the event. Kiptoo also won the 5000m race. The men finished fourth as a team with 105 points.
The women's team had three different Blue Raiders win outdoor titles, with
Lakesha Smith finishing first in the long jump with a PB and CUSA best 6.07m,
Viktoria Rusnakova winning the triple jump on Sunday with a PB 12.62 mark and the second furthest in CUSA this season, and
Odilia Jepchumba besting all in the 1500m race. The women's team also finished fourth with 104.2 total points.
Stamper Tees Up for the West Lafayette Regional
MTSU's
Owen Stamper started his NCAA Tournament this morning on the Par 72 Kampen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, looking to advance to the NCAA Championship later this month.
The West Lafayette Regional features 13 teams in addition to 10 individual golfers, one of whom is Stamper. The lowest five teams in the regional after 54 holes, as well as the lowest scoring individual golfer not on one of those five teams, will advance to the NCAA Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA from May 24-29.
Baseball picks up series win at Jax State to set up final series at the Reese this weekend
Baseball put itself into the driver's seat for the final spot in the CUSA Tournament after a 3-2 win on Sunday to take the series, two games to one, over last place Jacksonville State.
Trace Phillips tossed seven innings of four-hit ball to earn the win on Sunday, giving up just one run while striking out nine Gamecocks.
With the win, MTSU moves two games ahead of Jax State for the final spot in the CUSA Tournament. Any win over Dallas Baptist this weekend or any loss from the Gamecocks at Sam Houston would clinch the Blue Raiders' place in Ruston.
Peterson Plaza opens on Saturday!
On Saturday, May 18, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will unveil the new Steve Peterson Champions Plaza at Reese Smith Jr. Field with a dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. CT, prior to the first pitch which is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Steve Peterson Champions Plaza will honor the former coach's legacy to Middle Tennessee baseball, along with the numerous championship teams he coached. The plaza will also honor all championship teams prior to the Peterson era, as well as those to come.
In conjunction with the dedication ceremony, MTSU will host its annual Baseball Alumni Tailgate. Lunch and tickets are provided to Baseball Alumni and their families. The dedication ceremony will be open to the public; however, lunch will be for alumni only.
Blevins, Echols earn All-CUSA Softball honors
Sophomore
Ansley Blevins was named First Team All-Conference as one of the two catchers to earn the honors. Blevins finished with 14 home runs on the year for the second most in MTSU Softball program history. Her 10 home runs in league play led the way this season in CUSA.
"Ansley really matured her game this season," said head coach
Jeff Breeden. "She had a great power year for us. She deserves all the accolades that come her way. She is the epitome of a student athlete and great ambassador for our university."
Senior
Shelby Echols was named First Team All-Conference as an infielder. Echols started in all 52 games this season for MTSU and totaled 57 hits on the year for the fifth most in CUSA. Echols finished with a career batting average in the .320's and stole 40 bases in two years as a Blue Raider.
"I am proud of Shelby and her accomplishments," said Breeden. "She has played steady for us the last two years. She was among the top of the conference in hits all season. Shelby is a great role model for young players."
Blakely returns to Middle Tennessee Women's Basketball
Former MTSU standout and Arizona guard
Courtney Blakely has signed with Middle Tennessee women's basketball, head coach
Rick Insell announced Monday morning.
"We are excited to welcome Courtney back home to finish where her career started," Insell said. "Courtney is a dynamic guard. She has great speed, the ability to get to the rim and can score from different areas. She can also change the game defensively. Courtney was a big part of our success during her time here and we can't wait to welcome her back to Murfreesboro."
Blakely, a 5-8 guard from Gary, Indiana, played in 68 games and earned 11 starts during her initial stint at MTSU, helping guide the Blue Raiders to both the 2023 Conference USA Regular Season and Tournament titles. She averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while seeing 20.3 minutes a night. The dynamic guard shot 40.4 percent from the field and totaled 81 steals while donning the Blue and White.
Football Season Ticket Multi-Month Payment Plan Deadline is this Wednesday!
2024 Volleyball Schedule Revealed
Head Coach Chuck Crawford has announced the 2024 Middle Tennessee volleyball schedule, which will include 31 matches for the Blue Raiders. MTSU will play 12 non-conference matches while playing nine Conference USA opponents twice.
"Coming off last year's success, we have tried to increase the difficulty level of competition to raise our end of the year RPI," said MTSU Head Coach Chuck Crawford.
Conference USA Welcomes Missouri State in 2025
