Feb. 24, 2007
Results
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Junior Devon Williams tied her Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship record in the 60-meter dash, finishing in first place with a time of 7.43 seconds to lead the Illinois State track and field team at the final day of the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships Saturday. Williams' time in the 60-meter dash at the SIU Recreation Center not only provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, but also tied the school mark that she set at the 2006 Valley indoor championships.
Williams grabbed her fifth career conference title in the 200-meter dash by finishing the race in first with a time of 24.33 seconds, which is the second-fastest mark in Redbird history. The Redbirds also claimed points in the 200-meter dash from Kyndra Curtin (25.32) and Anna Lovell (26.41), who finished fifth and six, respectively.
Lovell also finished the 400-meters in 56.08, placing second in the event and tallying eight points. She set a season-best in the 60-meter dash, finishing in third place with a time of 7.59 seconds.
Backed by the performances from Williams and Lovell, the Redbird women finished in fourth place with a total of 69 points. Wichita State took home the title, finishing the meet with 142 points. Northern Iowa finished in second (98) and Indiana State (80) placed third. Host Southern Illinois finished in fifth with 55 points, while Drake (43), Missouri State (36) and Bradley (4) rounded out the final spots.
On the men's side, the Redbirds (34 points) finished in sixth place. Northern Iowa, who is nationally ranked, won the championship with 193 points. Indiana State claimed the second spot with 145 points, while Southern Illinois was third (67). Wichita State placed fourth (45) and Drake finished in fifth with 43 points.
Sophomore Maxwell Mkwezalamba won his first career Valley title and the first for men's team this season. Mkwezalamba claimed the top spot in the men's 200-meter dash with a season-best time of 22.09 seconds.
Competing in her final meet as a Redbird, senior Betsy McDonald finished in third place in the mile run, scoring six points and clocking in at 5:00.81. Smudde also scored six points, finishing the 800-meter run in 2:15.62 and in third place.
In the women's weight throw, sophomore Samantha Springer scored a personal-best, throwing a distance of 52-08.75 feet. Springer finished the event in eighth place. In the men's side of competition, junior Anton Walczak also recorded a personal record, finishing in fifth place with a throw of 55-03.75 feet. In addition, Bryan Chancellor's weight throw of 53-08.25 feet was a personal-best.
The men's 4x400-meter relay team of DeAndre Tillman, Mkwezalamba, Randall Robbins and Justin Caldwell finished in third place, recording a time of 3:17.64.
The Redbirds will have one more opportunity to qualify for the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships when they compete at the Last Chance Qualifier, hosted by Iowa State on Saturday, March 3 in Ames, Iowa.
