Feb. 14, 2009
Results
AMES, Iowa -
All indicators from the Iowa State Class held in Ames, Iowa inside the Lied Recreation Center Saturday, show that Illinois State track and field senior Kim Smudde got her stride back. Smudde set an individual personal-best while also lifting her two relay teams to top-season performances.
"Kim Smudde has really found herself again," said head coach Elvis Forde. "The performance she had in the 800 running a 2:13 really makes me feel like she has gotten back and I think that she will be running even faster. Watching her run in her races today it looks like she is really finding her legs and is really starting to run. She had a season-best effort and ran a good leg on the 4x4. It really makes you feel like she is finding her way."
Smudde, a native of Geneva, Ill., finished in fourth place with a season-best time of 2:13.77 in the non-seeded 800-meter run. She then helped her 4x400-meter really team of Alia McAfee, Tia Harvey and Brianna Officer posted a season-best time of 3:48.56 (17th place). In Friday's events Smudde's speed in the distance medley relay helped her team to a season-best finish (11:45.93).
Harvey (7.60) and Meaka Brents (7.64) each set blistering new marks in the in the 60-meter dash, finishing eighth and 10th, respectively. In the 400-meter dash, McAfee clocked in with a personal-best time of 56.38 to finish in 16th place in a field of 49 competitors.
In the 5,000-meter run Kirsten Lang clocked in with a personal-best time of 17:32.99 to finish 23rd.
In the field events, Amanda Albrecht cleared a personal-best, 5 feet, 7.25 inches to finish in ninth place. Tori Ziegler threw the shot put 47-10 for a 10th-place finish.
On the men's side, Steve Regan continued to impress as he finished in 16th place with a personal-best time of 4:14.88 in the mile. Regan has consistently improved upon his performances every time he has competed.
"Steve Regan continues to do well and dropped his PR down a couple of seconds," said Forde. "He had a personal-best in tough competition which will help to build his confidence."
Scott Krapf and Mike Richardson both crossed the finish line in the 5,000-meter run with personal-best times of 14:30.77 and 14:40.01, respectively. The duo took 12th and 17th place finishes.
John Neisler set a new pace for himself in the 800-meter run with a personal-best time of 1:53.21 finishing in third place in the non-seeded 800-meter run.
Nick Ragusa rounded out the men's performances, clearing for the third time this season, his personal-best height of 16-00.75 to place 12th in the pole vault.
The Redbirds will be back in action next weekend in their final tune up before the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships as they take to the Eastern Illinois Twilight held in Charleston, Ill., Friday, Feb. 20.
