Schedule of Events 
Dec. 6, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
With a mix of old and new, Illinois State head track and field coach Elvis Forde and the Redbird track and field teams are poised to begin their 2007-08 indoor season at home with the Redbird Open inside Horton Field House Saturday.
The meet will start at 10 a.m. with the throwing events, followed by the running events which are slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. Teams that will be in attendance Saturday include Butler, Illinois Wesleyan, Indianapolis, Lewis University, Loyola, Millikin, Northern Illinois, Saint Louis, St. Ambrose and Valparaiso.
Forde is ready to see how his athletes match up to the competition at the start of the indoor track and field season and believes that this meet will provide a gauge to evaluate their performance.
"This meet gives those kids who have been practicing and training all year long the opportunity to gauge where they are," said Forde. It also allows our staff a chance to evaluate the strides that have been made over the past three months of training. This meet is especially important to our freshmen because it allows us (the track and field staff) an opportunity to see how they are adapting to the college environment, and it allows them to transition into collegiate-level competition."
The ISU distance runners will not be competing in the first track and field meet of the season, as they are coming off their respective cross country seasons. Forde hopes that the success that the men's and women's cross country teams had this year will roll over into the track and field season. He has already noticed a change from last year and believes that the track and field team can build upon the cross country teams' success.
"This season compared to last year is like night-and-day," said Forde. "Our coaching staff has been intact for over a year now and the chemistry between all of us is really special. I think that the chemistry between myself and my coaching staff has extended into the team. The kids are more excited about the competition and training, and we can see our team getting better from that perspective. The camaraderie and chemistry are at a higher level, and the team atmosphere and dynamics elevate us to raise our standards."
Forde will be looking for strong performance from the Redbird women's track and field team. The squad returns senior sprinters Kyndra Curtin, Anna Lovell and Melissa Clarke. Sprinting standout and senior Devon Williams, who last year, was named the most outstanding female track athlete during the 2007 State Farm MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships after winning the 60- and 200-meter dashes, will be competing as an unattached entry. Freshmen Tia Harvey and Meaka Brents are expected to contribute after a positive training season. Junior transfer Megan Thompson will bring additional points to the team in the short hurdles and is expected to be a top-performer in the event Saturday.
On the pole vault for the Redbirds is junior Kristin Brinkman who will look to improve upon her third-place finish at the 2007 Outdoor MVC Track and Field Championships with a vault of 11-feet 11.75 inches. Freshman Amanda Albrecht will contribute in the high jump, while junior Samantha Springer will lead the Redbird throwers. Springer finished the outdoor season as a qualifier for the NCAA Mideast Regional in the discus. Much more is expected from her this season, since she has had one full year of training under assistant track and field coach Jeff Chakouian and has had a year to improve her strength. Freshman Sonja Zoric will also look to start her collegiate throwing career with a strong performance this weekend.
On the men's side, the sprinters are looking to perform well and will be led by Jeremy Johnson. Forde feels that Johnson has the potential to be a top 60-and 200-meter sprinter in the conference. Also coming along well in the short-sprint events are Diondre Williams and Luke Henrichs, as well as freshman walk-on Tristan Francis. In the 400-meter dash, senior DeAndre Tillman has had a strong fall and is being pushed by freshman Dan Murphy. Forde is looking for Tillman and Murphy to bolster the 400-meter for the team.
The jumps look to be a strong event for the Redbird men, with senior Alex Straughn returning. Straughn finished 17th at the 2007 NCAA Championships in the high jump with a jump of 6-08.75 feet. Also joining the Redbird jumpers is freshman Drew Holl. The Redbird pole vaulters will not debut at the first meet, as Nick Ragusa and Jason Field are both injured, but are expected to make full recoveries.
For the throwers, Anton Walczak returns and is expected to have an impact on the conference. Walczak placed fifth at the 2007 conference meet in the weight throw and also competed at the NCAA Regional meet. Seniors Joe Painter, Bryan Chancellor and Nick Chumbley are expected to return in full force and step up as point scorers for ISU.
The 2007 Redbird Open will start at 10 a.m. Saturday from Horton Field House. Tickets will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. from Gate 2 in Horton Field House. Adult tickets are $6 and youth and ISU student tickets will be sold for $3.
