Southern Illinois hosts the annual Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships this year and the Illinois State track and field team looks to challenge for yet another league title when they compete this weekend in Carbondale, Ill.
We cant control what anyone else does, all weve done is tried to improve week in and week out, Illinois State head coach Jeff Pigg said.
Last season the Redbird women placed second while the men claimed fourth place at the indoor championships at Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Junior Stacia Beste made a strong showing at last years indoor championships, placing second in both the mile and 5,000 meters, while earning a sixth place finish in the 3,000. All-American Sam Serrano also took second place in the womens weight throw with an NCAA provisional qualifying heave of 61 3.
On the mens side junior Alfie Gordillo placed third in the weight throw in last years event, while Illinois State had two of the top five finishers in the mens mile with junior Christian Goy and senior Peter Madsen taking second and fifth, respectively.
As a coach Im pleased with how everyone has done and I think we go into the MVC championships with some momentum, Pigg said. We are just going to line up and compete hard. Were expecting to compete and whatever the outcome I think well be happy with the result.
Goy ran a 4:04.14 at the Iowa State Classic n the mens mile to provisionally qualify for the NCAA indoor Championships. Serrano has also provisionally qualified for the NCAA championships tossing a 58-10 3/4 in the womens weight throw Dec. 8 at the Early Bird Invitational.
Competition begins at noon on Friday with the womens weight throw in Carbondale, Ill.
The Redbirds will next compete at the National Indoor Invite March 2 at Ames, Iowa.
