RESULTS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State women's track and field team took home a Missouri Valley Conference trophy, as they were the runner-up Champions with a total of 119 points. The men finished fourth with a total of 92 points, which is the highest the men have finished in the past two years.
Wichita's men and women captured first place with 181 points on the women's side and 146 on the men's side. For the men, Southern Illinois were the runners-up with a total of 108.
"I am very pleased on how our women competed today to get the Valley runners-up," Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "Hats off to Wichita State having one of the most deepest teams in the history of the Missouri Valley with the amount of points they scored, but our women battled well. They were seeded third coming in and finished second, and it came from a number of successful performances. I feel really pleased on where our program is heading winning back-to-back trophies and I am proud of them."
Illinois State had 15 All-Valley performances, 6 individual champions and one NCAA national qualifier overall for the 2017 MVC Championships. Freshman Derrius Rodgers had an incredible weekend, as he punched his ticket to nationals in the 60-meter dash. Rodgers ran a time of 6.64 placing second overall next to UNI's Brandon Carnes who was the Valley Champion at a time of 6.60. Rodgers' time is tied for 12th on the national descending list. The top-16 times in each event qualify for nationals.
Rodgers is the first 60-meter Illinois State track and field student-athlete to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in school history. The last time a Redbird qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships was back during the 2013-14 season, when Curt Jensen qualified in the men's shot put.
"Hats off to Derrius Rodgers for being the first male 60-meter national qualifier in school history," Bovee said. "He is one of the top freshman sprinters in the United States and he keeps getting better. Coach Brenton Emanuel really brought this young man a long way."
Rodgers also captured All-MVC in the 200-meter dash, as he finished second with a time of 21.50. Rodgers and D'Jenne Egharevba were the first recipients of the MVC Freshman of the Year Award. This is the inaugural year of this award and it is awarded to the highest scoring freshman. Rodgers scored 18.5 points, while Egharevba scored 15 points.
Egharevba had a stellar day, as she captured a MVC title in the 200-meter dash, finishing first with a personal-best time of 24.26. She also scored points for the Redbirds in the 60-meter, as she placed fourth with a personal-best time of 7.48, which is second fastest time in ISU history.
Sophomore Amanda McClain went two-for-two on the weekend in the women's long jump and the 400-meter dash. Last night, McClain captured her personal-best long jump with a mark at 6.17m (20-03.00), which is now the school record. Today, she notched her second MVC title in the women's 400-meter dash with a personal-best time at 54.64.
McClain tallied her third MVC title in the women's 4x400-meter relay, as Ally Christiani (57.5) Whitney Ward (56.1) McClain (53.9) Ashleigh Wilson (54.7) won by a landslide with an impressive time of 3:42.32, while the second-place finisher, Indiana State, finished with at time at 3:47.37.
Junior Ben Montgomery had a spectacular performance in the men's 400, as he captured his first MVC title with a time of 47.57.
Montgomery notched his second MVC title in the men's 4x400, as the quartet of Jordan Wilkerson (50.7), Justin Agustin (49.8), Rodgers (48.2) and Montgomery (47.8) worked their way to the top after being in a fourth-place deficit. Each leg ran incredible splits to inch the team to the top. Then, Montgomery was able to beat UNI's Luke Johnston for the win with a time of 3:16.64.
"The 4x400 coming from behind to win was definitely a highlight for our men," Bovee said. "It was just a phenomenal weekend for Ben Montgomery with the win in the 400, beating a national qualifier from Southern Illinois, Warren Hazel, and to come back to win that relay was a way to send us in the outdoor season. I think our men's team is poised to make some progress here in the outdoor season, and in the future as well."
In the field, sophomore James Brandenburg had an incredible weekend in the men's heptathlon. He captured All-Valley honors by placing third with a personal-best score of 5,185 point. Brandenburg posted three personal-best and one season-best out of seven events. He captured a PR in the long jump (7.28m/23-10.75), shot put (11.51m/37-09.25) and 60-meter dash (7.09). He also posted a season-best in the high jump with a height at 1.90m (6-02.75).
Freshman Anthony McRoberts claimed All-Valley accolades in the men's high jump with a second-place finish at a personal-best height of 2.12m (6-11.50).
The women had stellar performances in the shot put, as the Redbirds scored 17 points. Morgan Keller had a strong performance, with a second-place finish and capturing All-MVC honors with a mark at 14.60m (47-10.75). Brandy Thomas placed fourth with a toss at 14.50m (47.07.00), followed by Kassie Hoyme who captured an impressive PR mark at 14.31m (46-11.50).
Senior Haley Becker notched All-MVC honors in the high jump with a third-place finish at a height of 1.62m (5-03.25).
Rodgers will be back in action on March 10-11, as he travels to College Station, Texas, to compete in the 60-meter dash at NCAA Indoor Championships. For more information about the NCAA Indoor Championships, fans can go to GoRedbirds.com.
OTHER SCORERS Â
Women's 400 meter
4. Ashleigh Wilson– 55.80
Women's 800 meter
4. Rayanne Wright – 2:12.36
8. Molly Krawczykowski – 2:18.73
 Women's mile run
4. Dakota Roman – 5:00.45
5. Phoebe Clowser – 5:01.47
6. Grace Beattie – 5:03.50
Men's mile run
8. Paul Steeno – 4:16.43 (PR)
Men's 3,000 meter
6. Jesse Hahne – 8:23.58 (PR)
Women's 60-meter hurdlesÂ
4. Demetria Anderson – 8.53
Men's 60-meter hurdlesÂ
4. Jaylan McConico – 8.04
Women's triple jump
5. Victoria Gruszka – 12.06m (39-07) (PR)
Men's shot put
8. Adam Schaufelberger– 16.64m (54-07.25) (PR)
Men's heptathlon
7. Jordan Wilkerson – 4,856 (PR)
Men's Team Scores
1. Wichita State – 146
2. Southern Illinois – 108
3. Northern Iowa – 101
4. Illinois State – 92
5. Indiana State – 75
6. Bradley – 59
7. Drake – 43
8. Loyola – 38
Women's Team Scores
1. Wichita State – 181
2. Illinois State – 119
3. Indiana State – 98
4. Southern Illinois – 89
5. Northern Iowa – 67.5
6. Missouri State – 46
7. Drake – 33.5
8. Loyola – 15
9. Bradley – 14
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