Feb. 6, 2010
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -
After a solid start to the weekend, the Illinois State track and field teams wrapped up a long weekend of competition at the Meyo Invitational Saturday at the Loftus Sports Center.
Yosef Tewolde and Kris Mizel were among a group of competitors who set new personal-best efforts on the second day of competition against some of the best teams from around the Midwest and the country. Head coach Elvis Forde believes this weekend's performances were just another stepping stone for his team as they prepare for the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships.
"We had a fairly good day on the track today," Forde said. "We were a bit up and down all weekend, but there were some positives to build on as we continue on with the indoor season. We still have a ways to go in some areas, but this was just another learning experience for our younger athletes, and we like where things are headed."
Tewolde set a new personal-best in the men's 800-meter with a time of 1:53.61 to finish in 33rd behind teammate Mat Smoody in 25th place with a time of 1:53.08. Mizel was part of trio of Redbird jumpers that competed well in the triple jump. Mizel's leap of 46'01.25" set a new personal best and earned him 14th place overall. Tyler Knight placed 10th with a distance of 47'04.25" and Ben Pratt was right behind in 12th place with a jump of 46'03.50".
In other action on the men's side, Kayode Adegoke placed 17th in the men's 200-meter dash and then joined Smoody, Tewolde and John Neisler to form the 4x400 meter relay team that finished in 17th place with a time of 3:20.14. The duo of Matt Mroczynksi (8:20.83) and Jon Roberts (8:34.58) both ran solid races in the 3,000 meter run to finish in 20th and 28th places, respectively. In the field, Patrick Trofimuk was 15th in the weight throw (54'04.75") and 22nd in the shot put (47'05.25") and teammate Colin Fane was 20th in the shot put with a heave of 48'05.25".
"I was impressed with several of our performances on the men's side," Forde said. "Tewolde is really starting to hit his groove in the 800 and set a new PR today. He keeps getting better each time he takes the track, and he is in a good rhythm right now. Mroczynksi continues to run well in the distance events, while Mizel continues to get better in the jumps. So, there is a lot to be excited about as we continue to go forward."
On the women's side, Meaka Brents continues to lead the way for the Redbirds with strong performances. She finished eighth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.60 seconds and then came back to team up with Alia McAfee, Tia Harvey and Sade Sealy in the 4x400 meter relay that posted a season-best time of 3:45.64 to place eighth overall.
Sealy also competed in the 800-meter run for the first time in her collegiate career and ran to an 18th place finish with a time of 2:12.19. Rounding out the action on the day was the trio of Tori Ziegler, Brittany Smith and Martha Shepard in the shot put. Ziegler led the way with a throw of 47'09.25" to finish in ninth place, with Smith right behind in 15th place with a distance of 45'08.00". Shepard rounded out the trio with a heave of 40'11.50".
"It was great to see Sade come out and perform that well in her first collegiate 800 meter," Forde said. "Brents also continues to impress after finishing well in the 60-meter and then coming back to help the relay team post a season-best time. It was an outstanding race for those four, and I look forward to seeing what kind of time they can post when they are fully healthy."
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