ST. LOUIS – Following extraordinary performances over the weekend in their respective mid-distance events, Illinois State juniors Jack Anstey and Hattie Plumb have swept the Missouri Valley Conference Track Athlete of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday.
The Redbirds have had a constant presence in the MVC weekly voting this season, now having won eight total Athlete of the Week awards over the six-week span. Even more impressive, Illinois State has had at least one student-athlete recognized in five of the six possible weeks and has had multiple award-winners on two separate occasions.
After running a sub-four mile at Saturday's Iowa State Classic, it comes as no surprise that Anstey was named the Valley's Male Track Athlete of the Week for the second time this season and the fourth time of his career. Racing in a loaded field, Anstey utilized the fastest close of anyone in the pack to climb through the group in the final 400 meters, ultimately placing third in a personal-best 3:59.66.
With this time, Anstey joins MVC and Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Famer Christian Goy as the only Redbirds to ever run a sub-four mile. The last time an Illinois State sub-four mile was run, Goy was crowned the 2002 NCAA Indoor Mile Champion with a school-record time of 3:59.43. Anstey's mark not only ranks second all-time in Redbird track & field history, but is currently first in the Valley and 21st in the nation. He also becomes the 68th Australian to achieve this outstanding accomplishment.
Plumb receives the first Female Track Athlete of the Week honor of her career after an outstanding performance in the 800-meter at Vanderbilt's Music City Challenge. On the final day of the meet, Plumb recorded a lifetime personal-best in the event for the second-straight week, climbing Illinois State's all-time top-10 list and advancing up the Valley ranks.
Plumb placed sixth overall among 39 competitors with the second-fastest time in Redbird track & field history (2:08.19). With this time, not only does Plumb sit atop the MVC, but she ranks 44th in all of Division I as well. With Plumb's recognition, the Redbird women have now claimed four of the possible six Track Athlete of the Week accolades.
The Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams will be back in action Friday, when they compete in the Badger Red & White Classic for their final tune-up before the 2019 MVC Indoor Championship.
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