CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After posting seven ISU all-time top-10 performances yesterday, the Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams closed out the Virginia Challenge, hosted by Virginia, Saturday with eight more top-10 marks.
Of these performances, James Brandenburg accounted for three, capturing a trio of memorable marks in the decathlon. Brandenburg finished the decathlon competition in third place with a personal-best 6,940 points. His mark currently ranks first in the Valley and fifth all-time in ISU history.
Over the course of the two-day decathlon competition, Brandenburg recorded personal-bests in six of the ten events. His best marks came in the 110-meter hurdles and the javelin. Brandenburg won the 110-meter hurdles in a personal-record 14.58, improving to seventh on the Redbirds' top-10 list. In the javelin, he threw a personal-best 52.59m (172-06.00), a mark which ranks 10th in Illinois State history.
Competing in the heptathlon for the first time in a Redbird uniform, Ashlee Stieler tallied 4,918 points to finish fifth overall. The freshman sits second in the MVC and eighth on ISU's top-10 list. Stieler used personal-best marks in the shot put (11.49m/37-08.50), long jump (5.23m/17-02.00), and javelin (39.64m/130-01.00) to post this solid score.
In the field, Brandy Thomas and Julia Bourke shined in the invitational section of the women's shot put. Thomas continues to dominate in the event, finishing first for the fourth time this season. Her personal-best distance of 16.00m (52-06.00) not only sits her atop the Valley, but also ranks fourth on ISU's top-10 list.
Bourke also recorded a personal-best throw of 14.97m (49-01.50) to finish fifth. She is now third in the MVC and seventh all-time in Redbird track and field history.
On the track, Kyle Mattes capitalized in the 5,000-meter run, clocking in at a personal-best 14:14.72. His mark currently ranks first in the Valley and seventh all-time in Illinois State history.
The men's 4x400-meter relay team of Anderson Devonish, Brandon Gage, Avery Lyons, and Ben Montgomery captured an ISU top-10 performance of their own. The squad crossed the finish line in 3:10.96 to win their heat and finish fifth overall. They now sit ninth on the 'Birds top-10 list.
"We had a great finish to the weekend, with Kyle winning the 5,000-meter with a big personal-best," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "Our relays also excelled, as we posted our best marks of the outdoor season. Amongst this all, the biggest performance was definitely Brandy and Julia in the shot put. It was awesome to see Brandy take the next big step in her throwing career."
Other Notable Performances
10,000-meters
15th - Cody Baele (30:27.39), personal-best
110-meter Hurdles
1st - Jaylan McConico (14.07)
Decathlon
5th - Jordan Wilkerson (6,428)
Women's 200-meter
7th - D'Jenne Egharevba (24.29)
9th - Kelsie Prear (24.34), personal-best
Women's 100-meter Hurdles
6th - Demetria Anderson (13.64), season-best, MVC #1
14th - Mya Robinson (14.31)
Women's 400-meter Hurdles
15th - Jordyn Bruce (1:01.78)
18th - Demetria Anderson (1:02.36)
Women's High Jump
2nd - Kameesha Smith (1.61m / 5-03.25)
The Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams will return to the track next weekend when they travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to compete in the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invitational, hosted by Louisville, on April 27-28, 2018.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
