Feb. 23, 2007
Results
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Junior Anna Lovell advanced in three different sprint events and junior Devon Williams advanced in two as the pair highlighted the Illinois State track and field team's efforts at the first day of the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships Friday at the SIU Recreation Center in Carbondale, Ill.
Starting off the day of competition, sophomore Kristin Brinkman recorded the Redbirds' first points with a fourth-place finish in the pole vault. Brinkman's third jump of 11-08.00 feet was not only a personal-best, but was the second-best mark in Illinois State history. The conference's fastest sprinter in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes did not disappoint, as Williams advanced to the finals in both races. Williams (7.58 sec.) turned in the second fastest time in the 60-meter semi-final race, while she also posted the second-best time in the preliminary race of the 200-meters (24.73).
Lovell (7.62) advanced to the 60-meter dash and 400-meter dash (57.13) finals as well as recording the fastest time in the 200-meter dash preliminaries with a time of 24.72.
In the women's pentathlon, junior Frannie Epps placed fifth with a personal-best score of 3,384 points, which is the third-best tally in school history. Epps was first in the 60-meter hurdles (9.16 seconds), second in the shot put (36-05.00 feet), eighth in the high jump (4-10.25 feet), placed seventh in the long jump (17-04.25 feet) and finished in ninth place in the 800-meter run (2:32.19).
Sophomore Kathleen Thompson ran the 5,000-meters in 17:40.05, placing fourth and securing four points for the `Birds. Her time also was a season-best. The women's distance medley team also claimed points for the `Birds, finishing second with a time of 11:56.73.
Freshman Nick Ragusa led the men's group of pole vaulters, finishing in sixth place with a jump of 15-00.00 ft. In the men's shot put, the Redbirds had two athletes secure points as Blake Gish finished in fourth place and Joe Painter placed fifth. Gish's throw of 50-03.50 feet was a personal and season-high as well as Painter's throw of 49-06.25 feet. Samuel Watts also scored points for the `Birds, posting a season-best jump of 22-11.25 feet in the long jump and finishing in fifth place.
Sophomore Kim Smudde advanced in the women's 800-meters, finishing the preliminary race with a time of 2:15.59. Redbird teammates Alex Straughn and TJ Fakehinde scored points in the high jump, with Straughn placing fourth with a jump of 6-08.00 ft. Fakehinde finished in sixth place, also clearing a season-best 6-08.00 ft.
In the men's 200-meter dash preliminaries, sophomore Maxwell Mkwezalamba advanced to the finals with a time of 22.28.
After day one, the ISU women's team is in fourth place with 18 points. Wichita State is in first, with a total of 64 points. The Redbird men's team sits in fifth place, tallying a total of 16 points. Northern Iowa, the favorite in the Valley's pre-championship poll, has a commanding lead with 70 points.
The women's weight throw will begin the final day of competition starting at 10 a.m. Multi-events will begin at 10:45 a.m., followed by the track events at 2 p.m.
