Results
NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams dominated the Redbird Invitational, as they both won team titles. The women won with an impressive 252.5 points, while the men tallied a strong 186 points.
The Illinois men placed second in the team standing with a total of 156, while Eastern Illinois placed third with 133 points. On the women side, Dayton placed second with 111 points, followed by Eastern Illinois in third with 100.5 points.
ISU combined a total of 15 event wins and notched 14 personal-best performances at the Redbird Invitational. Â
"We had a fantastic effort on both sides today," Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "This was the first men's win of the year, and being at home makes a big difference to have our student-athletes take on their regular routines. We were ready to compete today and I was very proud of both men and women."
Track Events
The Redbirds had spectacular performances in the women's 1,500-meter run. Ariel Michalek finished second in the race with a time of 4:36.71, while Grace Beattie followed in third with a time at 4:38.43. Meagan Biddle finished in fourth after a tremendous kick on the final straightway crossing the finish line with a personal-best time at 4:38.97.
In the men's 1,500-meter run, Jack Anstey finished in third with a time of 3:53.76. Jesse Hahne placed fifth with a time of 3:55.79.
D'Jenne Egharevba posted a strong effort in the women's 100-meter dash as she won the event with a personal-best time of 11.58. Egharevba also won the women's 200-meter dash with a personal-best time of 23.87. Emily Cowan followed in second place in the 200-meter with a time at 24.43.
Demetria Anderson won the women's 100-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 13.89. Katelyn Hill followed in second with a time of 14.47 and Whitney Ward captured a personal-best with a time of 14.85.
In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Jaylan McConico won the event with a time of 14.24.
Whitney Ward won the women's 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:04.60, while Jalen Lewis placed second in the men's 400-meter hurdles with at time of 54.29. Justin Agustin followed in third running a personal-best time of 54.96.
ISU dominated in the women's 4x400-meter relay as Ally Christiani, Rayanne Wright, Amanda McClain and Ashleigh Wilson won the event by a landslide with a time at 3:44.67. Western Illinois battled for second place running a time at 3:58.97.
In the 5,000-meter run, Ashley England won with a time of 17:50.65, which was ten-second faster from the second-place finisher, Carly Pederson from Northern Illinois.
Field Events
On Friday afternoon, Brandy Thomas started the Redbird Invite strong in the women's hammer, as she won the event with a personal-best mark of 50.94m (167-01.75).
Morgan Keller had a superb day winning the women's shot put with a season-best mark of 14.85m (48-08.75) and capturing her personal-best mark in the discus throw with a mark of 50.48m (165-07.75). Â Keller was the first collegiate finisher in the discus throw, as the American-record holder Gia Lewis-Smallwood won with a mark at 53.89m (176-10.00) Both of Keller's marks are leading the Missouri Valley Conference, while her discus throw mark is ranked fourth on the ISU all-time best list.
Ariana Cranston had a stellar performance in the women's pole vault as she captured her all-time personal-best mark at 3.65m (11-11.75), placing second overall. Her mark is ranked fifth in the Valley. Cranston's previous PR was a height of 3.38m (11-01.00), which was posted earlier this year at the indoor Double Dual meet (Jan. 13).
In the long jump, McClain won the event with a personal-best mark at a leap of 6.20m (20-04.25). Her mark is currently leading the Missouri Valley, is ranked seventh in the NCAA West qualifying list and ranked 17th in the nation.
Daniel Webber won the men's discus throw with a personal-best mark of 46.25m (151-09.25), which is ranked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference.
In the men's pole vault, Luke Nelson captured a personal-best mark with a vault at 4.70m (15-05.00), placing second overall.
The Redbirds had strong performances in the men's high jump, as Anthony McRoberts won the event with a season-best height of 2.11m (06-11.00). Francis Ehigbai followed in second place with a mark of 2.06m (06-09.00).
"The future looks good," Bovee said. "As the season goes on, we are picking up a lot of momentum and this was a great step forward for us."
The Redbirds are back in action next weekend, April 14-15, as they travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to compete in the Gibson Invitational.
OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMANCE
Men's 200-meter dash
3. Derrius Rodgers – 20.65 (+6.2)
Women's 400-meter dash
2. Rayanne Wright – 57.04
Men's 800-meter run
3. Tye Sutherland – 1:56.07
Men's 5,000-meter run
2. Wes Ward – 15:54.75
Men's 4x100-meter relay
2. Wilkerson, Hooker, Lewis, Rodgers – 40.92 (team's season-best)
Women's 4x100-meter relay
 1. Cowan, McClain, Golliday, Egharevba – 46.53
Women's high jump
2. Tessa Holland – 1.65m (05-05.00)
3. Haley Becker – 1.60m (05-03.00)
Men's long jump
4. Anthony McRoberts – 7.13m (23-04.75)
Women's hammer throw
6. Sydney Laufenberg – 43.73m (143-06.00) PR
Women's javelin throw
5. Tessa Holland – 37.50m (123-00.75) PR
GoRedbirds.com:Â Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
