KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Competing in their first heptathlon and decathlon competitions of the 2019 outdoor season, the Redbird multi-event squad got off to a strong start at Thursday's Tennessee Relays, hosted by Tennessee.
Jordyn Bruce and Olivia Rossman were the first Redbirds to compete, representing Illinois State in the heptathlon. After big performances in the high jump and shot put, Bruce put herself in great position heading into day two. She notched an outdoor personal-best in the shot put with a throw of 10.27m (33-08.50), a distance which was good for eighth. Just as impressive, Bruce's high jump clearance of 1.56m (5-01.25) was nearly a personal-best and was good for 13th place. Through day one, Bruce sits in 11th place in the overall heptathlon standings with 2,899 points.
Rossman's best events of the day were also the high jump (1.59m/5-02.50) and shot put (10.14m/33-03.25), where she captured a pair of 11th place finishes. After four events, she is currently in 17th with 2,581 points.
On the men's side, Jordan Wilkerson and Caleb Miedema competed hard in the decathlon. Through the first day of action, the pair sits in 12th and 13th, respectively, in the overall standings. Wilkerson, who currently has 3,498 points, placed eighth in the 400-meter (52.57) and ninth in the high jump (1.89m/6-02.25). He also notched a season-best in the shot put with a throw of 11.72m (38-05.50), placing 12th.
Miedema, who has 3,483 points through the first five events, also captured a pair of top-10 finishes in the high jump and 400-meter. Miedema placed sixth in the high jump with a clearance of 1.95m (6-04.75) and 10th in the 400-meter in 53.15. Perhaps Miedema's best showing was in the long jump, where he leaped an outdoor personal-best 6.75m (22-01.75) to place eighth.
The decathlon (1 p.m. CT) and heptathlon (2 p.m. CT) will both resume tomorrow afternoon. The rest of the Illinois State men's and women's track and field teams will also be in action at the Tennessee Relays tomorrow, with field events beginning at 10 a.m. CT and running events following at 1:45 p.m. CT.
For fans who wish to follow along, live results will be available and a live stream will be broadcast on the SEC Network+. Access to both of these links can be found on GoRedbirds.com and on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC.
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