17 Illinois State men's and women's track & field student-athletes are prepped to compete in the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Preliminary Round in Sacramento, California, Thursday through Saturday.
California State University, Sacramento will serve as the host of the three-day competition, which will take place at Hornet Stadium. Student-athletes with the top-12 times/marks, and the best 12 relay teams at both the East and West Preliminary Round sites, will move on to the NCAA Championships held June 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
Redbird track & field fans can watch a live stream of the NCAA West Preliminary Round as FloTrack subscribers. With subscription, viewers will receive access to all FloTrack live broadcasts, video on-demand from all events, and more. Coverage of the preliminary competition will be available Thursday through Saturday at www.FloTrack.com.
Live stats will also be made available over the course of the three-day meet. For live updates, follow the Redbird track & field Twitter account @Redbird_TrackXC. Full coverage will be available on GoRedbirds.com following the conclusion of each day of competition.
MEN'S BIOGRAPHIES
The Illinois State men have a total of five meet entries, with their 1,500-meter and pole vault entries being Valley-highs.
Jack Anstey, Jr., Newtown Toowoomba, Australia (Toowoomba State HS) – 1,500-meter (Thursday 8:30 p.m. CST)
- Anstey most recently won the men's 800-meter run with a time of 1:49.82 at the MVC Championships. He now has an indoor mile, outdoor 800-meter and outdoor 1,500-meter championship on his resume.
- His 1500-meter personal-best time of 3:42.83 was captured at the Bryan Clay Invite in Azusa, California, and ranks 13th on the NCAA West qualifying list. This is his third appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary Round and his second competing in the 1500-meter run.
- This mark is second in Redbird track & field history, only to MVC Hall-of-Famer and NCAA All-American Christian Goy.
Logan Calvin, So., Bloomington, Ind. (Bloomington HS North) – Shot Put (Saturday 4:45 p.m. CST)
- Calvin punched his ticket to the NCAA West Preliminary Round at the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite, heaving a personal-best 18.21m (59-09.00).
- Calvin earned All-MVC honors by placing third at the MVC Outdoor Championships this season.
- He is seeded 33rd in the NCAA West region and is tied for third all-time in the Illinois State men's shot put top-10 list.
Kimathi Johnson, Jr., Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest HS) – 800-meter (Thursday 10:35 p.m. CST)
- Johnson's 800-meter personal-best time of 1:50.38 was posted May 3 at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic.
- He earned one of the final qualifying spots, as his time ranks 46th in the NCAA West region.
- Johnson received All-Conference Honorable Mention accolades at the MVC Cross Country Championship in 2018.
Kellen Kravik, Jr., Bangor, Wis., (Bangor HS) – Pole Vault (Thursday 6:30 p.m. CST)
- Kravik's qualifying mark of 5.10m (16-8.75) is the highest-recorded mark in the MVC this season.
- He set this mark at the Pacesetter Sports Invite on April 20, and he currently ranks sixth all-time in Redbird track & field history.
- He earned one of the final qualifying spots, as his height is seeded 46th going into the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Kyle Mattes, R-Sr., Elmhurst, Ill. (York HS) – 10,000-meter (Thursday 11:40 p.m. CST)
- Mattes crossed the finish line first in the 10,000-meter run at the MVC Outdoor Championships, to win his first MVC individual title.
- His personal-best 10K time of 29:06.89 was posted at the Stanford Invitational on March 30, and ranks 23rd in the NCAA West region.
- This is Mattes' second appearance at the NCAA West Prelims. He is also the only ISU cross country men's student-athlete to qualify individually for the NCAA DI Cross Country Championship in back-to-back years.
WOMEN'S BIOGRAPHIES
The Illinois State women have a total of 12 meet entries, with their 100m hurdles, 800-meter run, 3,000-meter steeplechase, pole vault, long jump, high jump, and discus throw entries all being Valley-highs.
Demetria Anderson, Sr., St. Louis, Mo. (McCluer North HS) – 100m Hurdles (Friday 6:30 p.m. CST)
- Anderson recently won the 100-meter hurdles at the 2019 MVC Outdoor Championship, repeating her title from 2018 to become a back-to-back outdoor champion.
- Her season-best time in the 100m hurdles was earned at the Pacesetter Sports Invite on April 20 and she ranks 33rd in the NCAA West region. This is Anderson's third career appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
- Anderson holds the school record in the 100-meter hurdles and the 60-meter hurdles, having set both during the 2018 season.
Grace Beattie, Jr., Woodstock, Ill. (Woodstock HS) – 3,000-meter Steeplechase (Friday 10:20 CST)
- Beattie was most recently crowned the 2019 MVC 3,000-meter steeplechase champion.
- Her qualifying time of 10:21.17 was set at the MVC Outdoor Championships and she is seeded 31st in the NCAA West region.
- This is Beattie's second trip to the NCAA West Preliminary Round, having finished 37th last year in the same event with a time of 10:28.22.
Julia Bourke, So., Melbourne, Australia (Baccus Marsh Grammar) – Hammer Throw (Thursday 6 p.m. CST) and Shot Put (Saturday 7:15 p.m. CST)
- Bourke is the only Redbird to compete in two events at the NCAA West Preliminary Round this year, qualifying in both hammer throw and shot put.
- In shot put, she heaved a personal-best 15.58m (51-01.50) throw to qualify on May 3 at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic. With that mark, she is ranked 33rd in the NCAA West region.
- In hammer throw, Bourke posted a personal-best 62.96m (206-07) mark to qualify at the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite on April 26. She is currently seeded 14th going into the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She joins her three teammates who have qualified for the women's shot put event as well.
Ariana Cranston, Jr., Angola, Ind. (Angola HS) – Pole Vault (Friday 7 p.m. CST)
- Cranston's qualifying mark of 4.04m (13-03.00) is the highest-recorded mark in the MVC this season.
- She set this mark at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic on May 3, and she currently ranks second all-time in Redbird track & field pole vaulting history. Cranston is ranked 44th in the NCAA West region.
- Cranston is the reigning MVC pole vaulting champion, winning big at both the Indoor and Outdoor Championships this year.
Charde Golliday, Jr., Mount Vernon, Ill. (Mt. Vernon HS) – Long Jump (8:45 p.m. CST)
- Golliday's qualifying mark was a personal-best 6.30m (20-08.00) jump at the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite on April 26.
- That mark shattered the Illinois State women's long jump school record, that had previously been set by Angie Taylor back in 1987.
- She enters the 2019 NCAA West Preliminary Round ranked 15th with this mark.
Kristin Higgins, So., Geneva, Ill. (Geneva HS) – High Jump (Thursday 5:30 p.m. CST)
- Higgins posted a 1.73m (5-08.00) jump to place second at the 2019 MVC Outdoor Championships and qualify for the NCAA West region. This mark is ranked ninth all-time in ISU history.
- She earned the last qualifying spot, heading into the NCAA West Preliminary Round seeded 48th.
- Higgins is the reigning MVC indoor high jump champion.
Kassie Hoyme, Sr., Decorah, Iowa (Decorah HS) – Shot Put (Saturday 7:15 p.m. CST)
- Hoyme paved her way to the NCAA West Preliminary Round on April 26, heaving a 15.30m (50-02.50) mark at the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite.
- She currently sits at No. 8 on the Illinois State top-10 list for shot put.
- Going into the competition, Hoyme is ranked 44th in the NCAA West region. She joins three teammates who have qualified for the shot put event as well.
Sydney Laufenberg, Jr., Clinton, Iowa (Clinton HS) – Discus (Friday 2 p.m. CST)
- On March 30, Laufenberg tossed for 56.99m (187-00) in discus at the Ole Miss Classic, not only securing her a spot in the NCAA West Preliminary Round, but breaking the school record as well.
- The Illinois State women's discus record had previously stood for 21 years, set in 1998 by Angie Joy.
- Heading into competition, Laufenberg is seeded seventh in the NCAA West region. This will be Laufenberg's third career appearance at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Hattie Plumb, Jr., Green Bay, Wis. (Bay Port HS) – 800-meter (Thursday 10:10 p.m. CST)
- Plumb ran a personal-best 2:07.69 in the 800-meter at the Wisconsin Alumni Classic on May 3 to qualify for the NCAA West region.
- She is the reigning MVC Indoor and Outdoor 800-meter champion and currently sits at No. 5 on the top-ten list
- She earned one of the final qualifying spots, as her time is seeded 46th going into the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
Kameesha Smith, So., South Holland, Ill. (Thornwood HS) – High Jump (Thursday 5:30 p.m. CST)
- Smith's 1.78m (5-10.00) qualifying mark in high jump was posted at the Pacesetter Sports Invite on April 20.
- Most recently, Smith was the big winner at the MVC Outdoor Championships, clearing 1.76m (5-09.25) in the high jump event to win the first MVC title of her career.
- Smith's mark is ranked 18th in the NCAA West region.
Brandy Thomas, Sr., Ludington Mich. (Bay City HS) – Shot Put (Saturday 7:15 p.m. CST)
- Thomas heaved a season-best 15.43m (50-07.50) shot put mark at the Tennessee Relays to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
- Her personal-best mark of 16.00m (52-06.00) is ranked fourth all-time in the Illinois State record books.
- Thomas is seeded 39th heading into her third-time competing at the NCAA West Preliminary Round. She joins three teammates who have qualified for the shot put event as well.
Tayler Weaver, Jr., Mattoon, Ill. (Mattoon HS) – Shot Put (Saturday 7:15 p.m. CST)
- Weaver punched her ticket to the NCAA West Preliminary Round when posted a personal-best 15.41m (50-06.75) mark at the MVC Outdoor Championships to finish second.
- Her qualifying mark also sits at No. 7 on Illinois State's women's shot put top-10 list.
- Weaver is ranked 40th in the NCAA West region. She joins three teammates who have also qualified in shot put.
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