Five Redbirds on the Illinois State track and field teams will be traveling to
Ames, Iowa, Saturday to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Qualifying
Meet hosted by Iowa State.
The purpose of this meet is to provide athletes with the opportunity to qualify
for the National Championships. After both the mens and womens teams
finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, this
meet gives athletes who have the ability to qualify another chance at making it
to the NCAAs.
Jen Klostermann from the womens team will be competing in the 800
meters while Miklos Konkoly and Dan Tripp will both run the 800 meters on
the mens side. JaRod Tobler will compete in the long jump and Gergely Bata
will compete in the high jump.
Klostermann owns the best time in the Valley this season in the 800 meters
after running the race in 2:10.66 at the Iowa State Qualifier in February. The
senior from Highland, Ill., needs a time of 2:07.30 to automatically qualify per
NCAA qualifying standards and Illinois State head coach Elvis Forde thinks
she is capable of that.
This meet is just a chance to give these athletes the reward of competing in
an additional, much higher caliber meet, Forde said. They are shooting to
qualify for the national championships and in all of those going, Jen has the
best chance at doing that. The others will have to put in a super effort but
Jen has put in a good week of practice and is focused and ready.
It is not impossible to have the others qualify as well but they will have to be
at their very, very best, Forde continued. But based on what I have seen,
Jen is mentally prepared and I think she wants this. I hope she goes in with
the confidence she needs to perform like she is capable of.
The meet is Saturday, March 8, with the long jump taking place at 11:30 a.m.
and the high jump immediately afterwards. The 800 meter runs start with the
women at 2:30 p.m. and the men follow at 2:40 p.m.
