May 18, 2008
Results
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Illinois State track and field standout senior Devon Williams captured individual titles in the 100- and 200-meter dash and anchored the 4x100-meter relay to claim a total of three championships titles at the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Southern Illinois at Lew Hartzog Track in Carbondale, Ill., Sunday. The ISU women's team finished third with 120.5 points while the men captured fifth place (95 points).
For the first time in Valley history, Northern Iowa swept all four team track titles, winning both the men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field championships in 2008.
On the women's side it was a close race between first and second and third and fourth. Northern Iowa edged out Southern Illinois (168 points) for the title in the women's competition, scoring a total of 172.5 points. The Redbirds finished in third, only two and a half points ahead of Wichita State (118 points). Indiana State (108) finished fifth, Missouri State (96) sixth, Drake (24) seventh and in-state rival Bradley placed eighth with eight points.
Northern Iowa captured the men's championship, as the Panthers earned back-to-back outdoor titles with 204 points. Wichita State (180.5) ended in second, while Southern Illinois placed third with 165 points. Indiana State (137.5) finished in fourth, ISU (95) placed fifth and Drake rounded out the field of competitors taking sixth with 19 points.
Illinois State brought home a combined total of 16 all-conference awards and a three conference titles.
Illinois State head track and field coach Elvis Forde was proud of his teams' efforts this weekend.
"I think everyone that was in a final today gave their heart and pushed their bodies to the limit," said Forde. "It was a special day. Overall I knew going into this weekend that we would finish higher than our projected sixth place finish. The kids really dug deep and we had some really strong performances."
In both of Williams individual events she earned regional qualifying marks. In the 100 she won the event with a time of 11.61, then in the 200, the Oswego, Ill., native ran a career-best time of 23.90 to improve her third best time in the ISU school record book. Williams will end her senior career with eight individual conference titles (five indoor, three outdoor) and three 4x100-meter gold medals.
"Devon has had a wonderful career at ISU and in the Missouri Valley Conference, said Forde. "She has perfected her training and earned two provisional marks in the 200 and 100. She was the catalyst for scoring and we are going to miss her next year. Her performances speak for themselves and she leaves big shoes to fill."
The women's sprint squad was put work as six individuals advanced into the final day to capture a total of 51 points for the Redbird women. In the first race of the afternoon the women's quartet of senior Anna Lovell, freshman Meaka Brents, and seniors Kyndra Curtin and Williams claimed ISU's fourth-consecutive title at the Valley championships in the 4x100-meter relay, crossing the finish line with a season-best time of 46.10, with the win the foursome gain an automatic ticket to the regional meet.
Curtin joined Williams in the 100, running a hundredth of a second shy of her career-best to take fourth with a time of 11.98. In the 200, three `Birds captured points with Williams winning the event, Lovell placing fourth with a time of 24.42 and Melissa Clarke taking eighth crossing the finish line in 25.08. In the 400-meter run Lovell (56.08) placed fifth, while teammates junior Brianna Officer (56.58) and Clarke (57.40) finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
Freshman Michelle Brunk battled in the 800-meter run earning her first all-conference accolade with a second-place finish in a career-best time of 2:11.25. Senior Suzy Turner placed third in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:28.40.
Junior Samantha Springer earned her first all-conference award of the weekend, placing third in the discus with a throw of 150-05, while senior Nick Chumbley was runner up in the the men's discus with a career-best throw of 161-03.
Senior Alex Straughn was unable to defend his indoor triple jump title as he came in second tying his career-best of 49-11.75.
On the men's side, the 4x100-meter relay of seniors Kelley Anderson, Jeremy Johnson, DeAndre Tillman and Alex Straughn earned all-conference honors as the four placed third with a time of 41.80.
In the men's distance events, freshman Matt Mroczynski claimed his first all-conference award with a third-place finish in the 5,000-meter run clocking a time of 15:16.86. Sophomore teammate Scott Krapf finished just behind him with a time of 15:19.88 and junior Mike Richardson (15:32.55) came in 10th.
Sophomore Nick Ragusa cleared a season-best height of 16-00.75 in the pole vault to take fifth place, while senior Jason Field (15-07) took ninth.
Members of the ISU men's and women's teams will be competing at the NCAA Mideast Regional, hosted by Arkansas May 30-31
