The Badger Elite Invitational in Madison, Wis., is the next challenge that the Illinois State track and field team will face in preparation for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships next month.
The Redbirds travel north for an 11:45 a.m. start Saturday, one week after a close loss to Indiana State in a dual meet. Head coach Elvis Forde however, feels that both the men and the womens teams are heading in the right direction as they face more competition this weekend.
After last weekend, we didnt feel bad with how our kids performed, Forde said. This weekend well find out more about our team as we start to get further into the season.
One area that Forde was proud to see do well was the middle distance runners. Dan Tripp won MVC Track Athlete of the Week accolades for his performance at Indiana State, winning the mile with a time of 4:13.96. Despite taking time away from training due to injury and illness, Jeremy Doherty still finished second behind Tripp with a time of 4:16.78.
I think after the season he had last year, Dan should be one of the top milers in the conference, Forde said. He is running with a lot of confidence. But Jeremy was probably the most surprising since he hasnt been able to train much. Hes trying to find his way back and he ran very well last weekend.
Bronco Meeks has found his way to the top of the Valley rankings in the 800-meter run. Hes won both times hes raced this season, taking first at the Redbird Open (1:54.66) and at Indiana State (1:55.04).
In the mens throws, Mark Jackson won the weight throw at Indiana State with his career best mark of 61-0, the second best mark in the Valley this season. Rhett Hillard, Brian Krantz and Jackson currently own the Valleys top three spots in the shot put.
On the womens side, Laura Kennedy continued her memorable senior season by running a personal best in the 3,000-meter run, winning with a time of 10:01.10, a Valley best so far this season. An all-conference performer in cross country, Forde sees Kennedy only getting better as the season progresses.
Laura is a quiet person, but she is one of the most dedicated, Forde said. I think her success is no fluke because of her dedication. Her early performances are an indication of what kind of year she is going to have for us.
In the womens sprints, Lian Lucas didnt miss a beat after a month off for Christmas Break, achieving a strong finish in the 200-meter dash (25.33) against Indiana State. Lucas time in the 200 was the best of her career. Lucas time of 7.66 in the 60-meter dash at the Redbird Open in December was a Valley best this season.
