Redbirds Ready To Compete At NCAA Track and Field West Preliminary

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AUSTIN, Texas – A group of 11 Illinois State men's and women's track and field standouts are prepped and ready to compete in the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas, Thursday through Saturday.

The University of Texas at Austin will serve as host of the three-day competition, which takes place at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Athletes with the top 12 times/marks, and the best 12 relay teams at both the East and West Preliminary Rounds sites, will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, June 7-10. 

"We are excited to head to Texas with this talented but young group, as 10 of our 11 qualifiers are underclassmen/women," Illinois State head coach Jeff Bovee said. "We are looking to take chances and go for NCAA spots. This group is healthy and hitting their peak at the right time. They compete like veterans and have their eyes set on executing this weekend just like they do every day in practice."

Live stats and live video will be made available through texassports.com each day and for live updates, follow the official Redbird track and field Twitter account @Redbird_TrackXC and use the hashtag #NCAATF.

WOMEN BIOGRAPHIES:

Demetria Anderson, So., St. Louis, Mo. (McCluer North HS) – 100m Hurdles (Friday 4:30 p.m.)
•    Her personal-best time of 13.56 in the 100m hurdles ranks No. 39 on the West qualifying list
•    Finished fifth at the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the 800m with a time of 13.72
•    Also ran a personal-best time of 1:02.32 in the prelims of the 400m hurdles at the MVC Championship and later finished seventh overall

D'Jenne Egharevba, Fr., Naperville, Ill. (Naperville Central HS) – 100m (Thursday 6:30 p.m.)
•    Currently ranks No.47 in the West with a personal best time of 11.58 in the 100m dash
•    Named MVC Freshman of the Year outdoors, after tying for 10th in the league by scoring 14.25 points at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship
•    Earned All-MVC honors with a third-place finish in the 100m dash and was also a member of the All-MVC 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams that both finished second at the MVC Championship

Morgan Keller, Sr., Arlington Heights, Ill. (Rolling Meadows HS) – Shot Put (Saturday 6 p.m.) and Discus (Friday Noon)
•    Ranks No. 28 on the West preliminary list in the shot put with a heave of 15.45 meters (50' 8.25") and No. 31 in the discus with a personal-best mark of 51.87 meters (170' 2")
•    Received All-MVC honors by finishing second with a throw of 50' 8.25" in the shot put and third in the discus with a throw of 157' 4" at the MVC Outdoor Championships 
•    Three-time West Preliminary Round qualifier in the shot put (2015-17)

Sydney Laufenberg, Fr., Clinton, Iowa (Clinton HS) – Discus (Friday Noon)
•    Comes in just behind Keller at No. 33 on the qualifying list with a personal best throw of 51.70 meters (169' 7")
•    Earned a conference title after recording that personal-best throw to earn ISU's first MVC women's discus crown since 2009
•    Also set a personal best of 46.63 meters (153' 0") in the hammer throw at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic

Amanda McClain, So., Findlay, Ill. (Roger C. Sullivan HS) – Long Jump (Thursday 7:15 p.m.)
•    Sits at No. 24 on the West preliminary list in the long jump with a leap of 6.20 meters (20' 4.25") 
•    Led Illinois State's scoring effort at the MVC Championship, ranking fifth in the league with 20 points by scoring 10 points by winning the 400m (54.19), eight points by finishing second in the long jump (19' 9") and two points for helping the 4x400m relay team earn second (3:40.74)
•    Four-time MVC Athlete of the Week and six-time MVC Scholar Athlete of the Week honoree this season 
•    2016 NCAA West Preliminary Round Qualifier in the long jump and the 4x400-meter relay

Brandy Thomas, So., Ludington, Mich. (Bay City HS) – Shot Put (Saturday 6 p.m.)
•    Ranked No. 20 on the West preliminary list in the shot put with a heave of 15.68 meters (51' 5.5") 
•    Conference champion in the shot put with that personal-best throw of 15.68 meters at the MVC Outdoor Championship
•    Also set personal bests in the hammer throw (175' 5") and discus (132' 8") during the 2017 outdoor season

Rayanne Wright, Sr., Ashkum, Ill. (Central HS) – 800m (Thursday 8:10 p.m.)
•    Currently sits No. 29 on the West qualifying list with a time of 2:07.54 in the 800m run
•    Placed fourth at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the 800m with a time of 2:15.85
•    Trimmed nearly three seconds off her personal best time in the 800m to finish fourth at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic 

MEN BIOGRAPHIES:

Jack Anstey, Fr., Newtown Toowoomba, Australia (State HS) – 800m (Friday 6:45 p.m.)
•    Ranks No. 45 on the West qualifying list with a time of 1:50.12 in the 800 meter run 
•    Set that personal-best time at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic to finish third overall
•    Also set a personal best of 3:46.85 in the 1500 meters at the Illinois Twilight meet

Jaylen McConico, Fr., Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook HS) – 110m Hurdles (Friday 5 p.m.)
•    Sits No. 18 on the West qualifying list with a time of 13.91 in the 110 meter hurdles
•    Earned All-MVC honors with his third-place finish at the outdoor championships with that personal-best time of 13.91
•    Also set a personal best of 22.52 in the 200 meters at the Ole Miss Joe Walker Invitational

Anthony McRoberts, Fr., Cahokia, Ill. (Cahokia HS) – High Jump (Saturday 6 p.m.) and Triple Jump (Saturday 3 p.m.)
•    Ranks No. 29 on the West qualifying list with a mark of 2.14 meters (7' 0.25") in the high jump and No. 34 in the triple jump with a mark of 15.28 meters (50' 1.75")
•    First athlete in school history to break the 50-foot mark in the triple jump and the 7-foot mark in the long jump 

Derrius Rodgers, Fr., Lockport, Ill. (Lockport Township HS) – 100m (Thursday 6:55 p.m.) and 200m (Friday 7:55 p.m.)
•    Ranks No. 20 on the West qualifying list with a time of 10.26 in the 100 meter dash and No. 34 in the 200 meter dash with a time of 20.89
•    Led ISU in scoring and ranked sixth in the MVC with 18.50 points at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship to earn MVC Freshman of the Year honors
•    Placed second in the 100m (running a personal-best 10.26 to score eight points) and finished third in the 200m (20.74 for six points) at the 2017 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship
•    Named a Second-Team All-American with a time of 6.77 in the 60-meter dash, finishing 13th at the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships

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