ISU Men and Women Tabbed as MVC Favorites in Pre-Championship Polls

ST. LOUIS – With the 2018 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships only a week away, the Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams both sit atop the pre-championship polls, announced the league office Friday.

"We are pleased to see the pre-championship poll placement, but to be honest, championships are not won on paper," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "We will need to have our best meet at the Valley to come home with trophies. This is a very strong conference, and for our team to be successful, we will need contributions from student-athletes in all of the event disciplines." 

The Redbird men, who were initially picked to finish second in the MVC according to the pre-season polls, now dominate the first-place voting, receiving six first place votes and 76 points. The 'Birds sit ahead of Northern Iowa and Indiana State, who tied for second with 65 points, by 11 points.

The pre-season favorite, Southern Illinois, was selected as a close-fourth, tallying two first place votes for a total of 64 points. The final first-place vote went to Northern Iowa.

The women's championship will be a full-out battle, with both the Redbirds and Sycamores of Indiana State tying for first with 95 points. Both teams received five first place votes, so the race to the MVC title will be neck-and-neck. The 'Birds, who were also picked as the MVC pre-season favorite, are ready for the challenge.

"We are looking forward to another great Valley meet and soaking up the championship environment," said Bovee.

The 2018 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships will take place next weekend, Feb. 24-25, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Before then, the Redbirds will compete in Saturday's Orange & Blue Open, hosted by Illinois. Field events are slated to start at 10:30 a.m., with running events following at 12 p.m.

To view the MVC pre-championship polls, click here.

GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.