ST. LOUIS – Following an impressive performance in the mile run at Saturday's Jimmy Grant Invitational, hosted by Iowa, Illinois State junior Grace Beattie has been named the MVC Female Track Athlete of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. This is the first weekly accolade of the young 2018-19 season for the Redbirds, and the second of Beattie's career.
In her first race back after red-shirting the 2018 cross country season, Beattie came out with a vengeance, darting to the front of the pack of the women's mile run at the sound of the gun. Beattie ran with confidence as the race progressed, continuing to lead the field despite an Iowa State runner remaining right on her heels. With 200-meters to go, Beattie left the Iowa State runner in the dust, making her final move to win the race by three seconds over the final lap.
Beattie clocked in at 4:53.11, a time which currently ranks eighth in the nation and leads the Valley by over five seconds, to claim the MVC's first weekly track and field honor of the season.
The Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019, when they travel to Terre Haute, Indiana, to compete in the annual Double Dual against Indiana State.
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