TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – On the first day of the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Indiana State, redshirt senior Kyle Mattes accomplished something that he had never done before: win an MVC individual title.
Competing in his last Valley Championship in a Redbird uniform, Mattes came out on a mission in the 10,000-meter run on Friday, determined to add an MVC title to his already-decorated cross country and track and field resume. Mattes filled that void on Friday, leading from wire-to-wire in the race and crossing the finish line first in 30:00.40 to claim the Valley crown.
Considering that Mattes was at least eight seconds ahead of the entire field for the majority of the race, it comes as no surprise that Mattes' mark also set a new Gibson Track & Field Complex facility record. Mattes' time surpassed the previous facility record of 30:15.82 that was set by fellow-Redbird Ryan Rutherford when he won the MVC title in 2016.
"Wins in the Valley in the distance events are extremely hard to come by, and I'm extremely proud of Kyle and what he accomplished today," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "Kyle has paid his dues in terms of how many times he has been All-Valley before making it to the top of the podium, and I couldn't be happier for him. This win is very well-deserved."
ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS
In addition to Mattes, three Redbirds earned All-Conference honors on the opening day of championship meet. Ashlee Stieler and Jordan Wilkerson shined in the women's and men's javelin, each earning All-MVC distinction in their respective events. Stieler finished second in the women's competition with a heave of 41.72m (136-10), while Wilkerson finished third in the men's field with a toss of 53.70m (176-02). Even more impressive, Wilkerson's throw was a two-meter personal-best and ranks 10th all-time in ISU history.
Luke Nelson notched an All-MVC performance of his own in the men's pole vault, finishing second with a clearance of 4.97m (16-03.50). Nelson's second-place Valley finish is his highest to date.
TEAM SCORES THRU DAY ONE
After the first day of competition, the Redbird men (45 points) lead the field by the narrowest of margins, as Indiana State (44 points) trails by just one point. UNI rounds out the top-three with 26 points.
Additional key performances that contributed to ISU's point total include Kevin Koski's fourth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run (30:36.63) and Kellen Kravik's fourth-place finish in the pole vault (4.97m/16-03.50), among others.
With just three events scored, the Redbird women (19 points) find themselves in third place behind UNI (28 points) and Loyola (25 points). The women's hammer throw duo of Sydney Laufenberg (56.34m/179-04) and Julia Bourke (55.34m/181-07) accounted for nine of those points after placing fourth and fifth, respectively.
MULTI-EVENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY ONE
After the first day of competition, the Redbirds are in prime position to place well tomorrow. In the heptathlon, Jordyn Bruce had a great showing on Friday, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles (14.73), high jump (1.61m/5-03.25), and shot put (11.02m/36-02.00). With personal-best performances in the high jump and shot put, Bruce was able to wrack-up 2,990 points. She finds herself sitting in second place overall heading into tomorrow.
In the decathlon, Jordan Wilkerson (3,549 points) and James Brandenburg (3,528 points) sit in second and third, respectively, after day one. Wilkerson captured season-bests in the 100-meter (11.05), long jump (6.73m/22-01.00), and 400-meter (51.50), while Brandenburg notched season-bests in the 100-meter (11.19) and shot put (11.58m/38-00.00).
PRELIMINARY ROUND RESULTS
The following Redbird student-athletes qualified for finals in their respective events:
Men's 1,500-meter
Jack Anstey (4:00.11)
Women's 1,500-meter
Annie Moore (4:40.50)
Maddi Exline (4:41.12), personal-best
Kennidi Knoblock (4:41.27)
Women's 200-meter
Tori Ortiz (24.84)
UP NEXT
The 2019 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will resume tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. CT with the heptathlon. The decathlon will follow at 10:30 a.m. CT. Field events are slated to start at 2 p.m. CT. Running events will begin at 4 p.m. CT.
Redbird fans can follow along with all the championship action on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC. Full coverage will be available on GoRedbirds.com following the conclusion of each day of the meet.
For all the latest on Redbird Track and Field and Cross Country, visit GoRedbirds.com and follow the 'Birds on Twitter (@Redbird_TrackXC), Instagram (@redbird_trackxc), and Facebook (@redbirdsTF).
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