NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State track & field lifted the Coughlan-Malloy Cup trophy for the third-straight year, topping Indiana State, 186-138, on Friday night inside Horton Field House.
The Coughlan-Malloy Cup is unique in that the men's and women's team scores are combined into an overall score and the team with the highest combined total wins the traveling trophy. The Redbirds' victory marks the fourth time in the 16-year history that Illinois State has taken home the title and the first time that win has come inside Horton Field House.
"We're just so excited to be at home," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "It's the first time in seven years (that Illinois State has hosted an indoor meet) and to host this meet for the first time in the history of this traveling trophy [is awesome]. We wanted to be able to come in here and focus on competing well at home and defending the home turf and we did that."
HOW IT HAPPENED
On the women's side nine Redbirds won 12 individual events and the relay team of Tori Ortiz, Jacki Greci, Audrey Harrod and Hattie Plumb cushioned the victory with a first-place finish in the 4x400-meter relay. Senior Tayler Weaver and sophomores Rachel Hickey and Ortiz won two individual events each to lead the way for the women's squad.
The men's team had six individuals win seven events in addition to a victory in the 4x400-meter relay that featured Brandon Gage, Cole Maguire, Nick Swartzendruber and Devon Kelly. Senior Jack Anstey led the men's team with victories in both the 600-meter run and the mile.
MEET RECORDS
Four Redbirds took down Coughlan-Malloy Cup meet records, including two track athletes and two field athletes.
Junior Kristin Higgins' clearance of 1.73 meters (5-08) in the high jump broke a record that had been in place since the dual meet began back in 2005. Since 2005, the previous record of 5-07.75 that was held by an Indiana State student-athlete had only been tied once in 2007 by another Sycamore.
Newcomer Eddie Winner broke a six-year meet record in the men's pole vault, clearing 5.06 meters (16-07.25) to win the event and remove yet another Indiana State record.
On the track, Anstey and Plumb both broke the 600m meet records that were set just last year by Redbird student-athletes Swartzendruber and Hickey.
MOVING UP THE TOP-10 LISTS
Redbird student-athletes began moving up the ISU top-10 list from the very first event. Weaver, who won the weight throw and the shot put, threw a personal-best mark of 18.45 meters (60-06.50) in the weight throw to move up to sixth all-time in ISU history.
In the hurdles, the freshman duo of JT Lowder and Brandon Ratliff moved up the ranks. Lowder, who first appeared on the 60-meter hurdles top-10 list after his performance at the EIU Early Bird, moved up one spot to eighth all-time after finishing second with a personal-best time of 8.27 seconds. Ratliff, who finished third in the event, posted a personal-best time of 8.30 seconds in the prelims to move ranks, sitting at 10th in ISU history.
Winner's clearance of 5.06 meters moved him up one spot on pole vault all-time list. He is now fifth all-time.
Joining the multiple newcomers that have earned spots on the top-10 lists is freshman thrower Amiri Buchanan. Buchanan won the shot put with a mark of 17.14 meters (56-03), ranking him seventh all-time in the event in Illinois State track & field history.
EVENT WINNERS
Women's winners
- Tayler Weaver, weight throw
- Tayler Weaver, shot put
- Ariana Cranston, pole vault
- Vicky Gruszka, triple jump
- Kristin Higgins, high jump
- Tori Ortiz, 60-meter dash
- Tori Ortiz, 200-meter dash
- Jacki Greci, 400-meter dash
- Hattie Plumb, 600-meter run
- Rachel Hickey, 800-meter run
- Rachel Hickey, mile-run
- Grace Beattie, 3000-meter run
- Ortiz, Greci, Harrod, Plumb, 4x400-meter relay
Men's winners
- Amiri Buchanan, shot put
- Eddie Winner, pole vault
- Brandon Gage, 400-meter dash
- Jack Anstey, 600-meter run
- Riley Wells, 800-meter run
- Jack Anstey, mile-run
- Kevin Koski, 3,000-meter run
- Gage, Maguire, Swartzendruber, Kelly, 4x400-meter relay
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will split up next weekend with the multi-event athletes traveling to UNI for the Jack Jennett Open from Jan. 23-24, while the rest of the team will compete at the Notre Dame Invite on Jan. 25.
For all the latest news on Redbird track & field and cross country, follow @redbird_trackxc on Twitter and Instagram and visit GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
