May 2, 2008
Redbird Invitational Program 
Track and Field Notes | May 2, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
After not having a home meet since January, which was during the indoor track and field season, the Illinois State track and field teams will finally have the opportunity to compete in the familiar settings of their home track when they host the Redbird Invitational Saturday, May 3. The field events are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with running events getting underway at 10:30 a.m. The non-scored meet will include Western Illinois, Beloit College, Florissant Valley C.C., Illinois Central College, Illinois, and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
With the Redbird Invitational being a smaller meet, Illinois State track and field head coach Elvis Forde feels this will be an opportunity to evaluate what student-athletes to take to the conference meet (May 16-18 in Carbondale, Ill.).
"We will be looking at our kids who didn't have a race last weekend," said Forde. "We will be using these next two weekends as a reference point for us to determine who we are going to take to the conference meet. So we will be making our picks on who goes to the conference meet after this weekend."
The Redbirds are coming off a long weekend spent at the 99th Annual Drake Relays. At the Relays, the women sprinters were busy as seniors Kyndra Curtian, Melissa Clarke, Anna Lovell and Devon Williams ran the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays. Then junior Brianna Officer replaced Curtian in the 4x400-meter relay. Williams also competed individually in the 100-meter dash, where she recorded a season-best (11.86 seconds) to gain entrance to the finals and placed eighth overall.
"The kids that ran at Drake will be limited in the number of races that they will run this weekend," said Forde. "For instance, Devon is only running the 100 and 4x100 this weekend and Anna is in the 200 and 4x100. We have to look back and cut down the number or races that they run. We have to do that because Anna and Devon have each competed in 8-10 races over the past two weekends and it is time for them to cut off a little bit and let their bodies get rejuvenated and ready for conference."
Weather permitting, the ISU track and field team would also like gain more NCAA regional qualifying marks. So far, junior Samantha Springer (hammer throw), and seniors Anton Walczak (hammer throw) and Alex Straughn (triple jump) have achieve those marks.
"It is hard to make regional marks when the weather is bad," said Forde. "We are at the mercy of the weather, and we just need to play it by ear. We are going to have some good races this weekend. It is a small meet, but I think that there are quality individuals in each event and that is what makes this a good meet."
Admission to this event is free and fans are encouraged to attend. Due to the threat of inclement weather, check GoRedbirds.com for postponements and cancellations. All meet results will be posted online following the conclusion of the meet Saturday.
