ST. LOUIS – After posting impressive performances in their respective events over the weekend, junior Kameesha Smith and sophomore Caleb Miedema earned MVC Field Athlete of the Week honors, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.
In her junior season debut at the Notre Dame Invite, Smith not only won the high jump, but also recorded an indoor personal-best clearance of 1.77 meters (5-09.75 ft.). Her clearance of 1.77 meters ranks No. 1 in the Valley, with the next closest MVC high jumper clearing 1.73 meters (5-08 ft.).
A native of South Holland, Illinois, Smith is tied for No. 18 in the NCAA this season and is now in sole possession of the No. 5 spot on the ISU indoor top-10 list.
In the first multi-event competition for the Redbirds of the season, Miedema recorded multiple event personal-bests in route to a victory in the heptathlon with a personal-best 5,007 points. At the two-day Jack Jennett Open, Miedema posted personal-bests in the 60-meter dash (7.33 seconds), the shot put (12.86 meters), the high jump (2.00 meters) and tied his personal-best in the pole vault (4.15 meters).
Miedema won three of the seven events in the heptathlon competition and his 5,007 points (5,031 points converted) mark the first time in his career that he has totaled over 5,000 points. He is the only Valley heptathlete to total 5,000 points or more this season and currently ranks No. 1 in the MVC, No. 20 in the NCAA and No. 4 all-time on ISU's indoor top-10 list.
The weekly award is the second of Smith's career and the first for Miedema. Illinois State has now swept either the track weekly awards or the field weekly awards twice this season. Jack Anstey and Tori Ortiz swept the track awards during week one of the 2019-2020 indoor campaign.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska next weekend for the adidas Classic on Saturday, Feb. 1. The meet is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m.
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