TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams tallied a total of 13 event titles at the Terre Haute Double Dual on Friday. ISU dominated the track events by earning 12 event titles on the track. One field event title came from Morgan Keller, as she tied first place in the shot put with a mark of 14.70m (48-02.75).
"We controlled the meet on the track," Illinois State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "We won every track event minus the hurdles and the women's 60-meter. We had 13 event titles, which is the most we had in many years. On the women's side, Morgan winning the shot put was a highlight for us in the field events. We were weak in the field events, which we knew coming into the meet that we would be. We are very young in the field, but our athletes went out and competed hard. As the season goes on we need to develop our young talent in the field event, which will be a focus point."
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JD LaFayette earned two first-place victories and is leading the Valley in both the 800-meter and the mile run. In the 800-meter he posted a time of 1:54.67. LaFayette beat the Valley defending champion in the 1,500-meter, Dave Timlin and Ryan Rutherford to capture a first-place victory in the mile with a time 4:11.76. Kelly McShea also picked up two event titles. She earned first-place victories in the mile run with a time of 4:55.11 and a time of 10:15.81 in the 3,000-meter. McShea is leading the conference in both the mile and the 3,000-meter run.
"I am incredibly proud of Kelly McShea," Bovee said. "She had a tremendous double today. It's impressive in college to win any event but to come out and win two in one day is very impressive. Sarah Mussallem had a strong performance in the 400-meter, and then had a great close in the women's 4x400 relay by holding off Indiana State in a tight finish."
Sarah Mussallem along with DeAsia Garrett, Amanda McClain, and Ashleigh Wilson captured a first-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:50.50 beating Indiana State's time of 3:50.53. Mussallem claimed another first-place victory in the 400-meter as she posted a time of 57.15. She is currently leading the Valley in the women's 400-meter.
Jackie Mink placed first in the 800-meter with a time of 2:17.49, followed by Kimi Sanden with a time of 2:19.47. Mink is ranked No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Conference in the 800-meter run.
Other event titles came from freshman Kaitlyn Pearson and Dion Hooker. Pearson posted a first-place victory in the 200-meter with a time of 25.62, while Hooker earned first place in the 60-meter with a time of 6.91.
In the men's 400-meter, Anderson Devonish posted a first place finish with a time of 49.51. Devonish was joined in the 4x400-meter relay by Jalen Lewis, Ben Montgomery, and Antonio Farley as the foursome captured the title with a time of 3:21.36.
From today's meet, ISU adds an addition six conference leaders to the Missouri Valley performance list. Illinois State has a total of nine conference leaders in the Missouri Valley performance list.
Illinois State is back in action on Jan. 23 as the travel to Lincoln, Nebraska.
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