NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State track & field returns to the University of Notre Dame for the two-day Meyo Invite on Feb. 7-8, inside the Loftus Sports Center. The Meyo Invite is the second of three meets in South Bend for the Redbirds this season with day one's events kicking off at 4 p.m. with the women's long jump and weight throw.
AT THE TOP
Six Redbirds competing at the Meyo Invite currently have the top time/mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. Sprinter Tori Ortiz (400m) and pole vaulters Eddie Winner and Ariana Cranston will look to improve upon their current season-bests and hold on to the top spot in their respective events. Seniors Grace Beattie and Jack Anstey and junior Kevin Koski all race in events where they currently do not hold the top time. Koski, who's time is second only to Anstey in the Valley, and Beattie (third) will both race in the 3,000-meter run. Competing in the prestigious Meyo Mile, Anstey will look to make a significant improvement on his current best mile time from the 2019-20 season and get closer to the sub-four minute time he accomplished a season ago.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE
Sophomore Tori Ortiz and senior Hattie Plumb are the only two Redbirds doubling up on individual events this weekend. Ortiz will compete in the 200m and the 400m, while Plumb will race in the 600m and the 800m. While Ortiz and Plumb are the only duo doubling up in individual events, other Redbird student-athletes will compete in more than one event because of the 4x400-meter relay and the distance medley relay.
FLYING HIGH
The top four pole vaulters for Illinois State will join Charde Golliday (long jump) as the only field event athletes competing this weekend. On the men's side Eddie Winner and Kellen Kravik have remained consistent throughout the first several meets with the duo finishing 1-2 in three out of the four. Winner currently leads the MVC, while Kravik is in second. The pair of Redbirds are the only two Valley pole vaulters to have cleared at least 5.00 meters this season. Ariana Cranston, who ranks No. 1 on the women's side, will look to maintain that spot with another season-best clearance. Despite winning the opening two meets, Cranston has not cleared a season-best height since the first meet of the season. With 21 pole vaulters from nine different schools, Cranston will have a lot of good competition to compete against.
RAKING IN THE AWARDS
Over the last three weeks the Redbirds have seen four student-athletes earn MVC Athlete of the Week honors and six throughout the entire indoor season. Most recently, senior Grace Beattie earned her fourth career Valley weekly award with an impressive win in the mile, leading from start to finish at the adidas Classic. Juniors Kameesha Smith and Kristin Higgins (high jump) and sophomore Caleb Miedema (multis) are the only three Redbirds to earn MVC Field Athlete of the Week honors, while Beattie joined senior Jack Anstey and sophomore Tori Ortiz as the three ISU student-athletes to earn MVC Track Athlete of the Week honors.
MEET SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 7
Field Events
4 p.m. Women's Long Jump
Women's Weight Throw
To Follow Men's Weight Throw
5 p.m. Men's Pole Vault
6 p.m. Women's High Jump
7 p.m. Men's Triple Jump
Running Events
4:30 p.m. Women's 60mH Prelims
4:50 p.m. Men's 60mH Prelims
5:05 p.m. Women's 60m Prelims
5:25 p.m. Men's 60m Prelims
5:45 p.m. Women's 5,000m
6:25 p.m. Men's 5,000m
7:05 p.m. Women's Distance Medley Relay
7:20 p.m. Men's Distance Medley Relay
7:35 p.m. Women's 200m
8:05 p.m. Men's 200m
8:30 p.m. Women's 600m
8:50 p.m. Men's 600m
Saturday, Feb. 8
Field Events
10:30 a.m. Women's Triple Jump
Women's Shot Put
To Follow Men's Shot Put
12 p.m. Women's Pole Vault
1 p.m. Men's High Jump
1:30 p.m. Men's Long Jump
Running Events
9:45 a.m. Women's 60mH Semis
9:55 a.m. Men's 60mH Semis
10:05 a.m. Women's 60m Semis
10:10 a.m. Men's 60m Semis
10:15 a.m. Women's 3,000m
10:45 a.m. Men's 3,000m
11:15 a.m. Women's Mile Run
11:40 a.m. Men's Mile Run
12:05 p.m. Women's 400m
12:25 p.m. Men's 400m
12:45 p.m. Women's 800m
1:05 p.m. Men's 800m
2:05 p.m. Women's 60mH Final
2:10 p.m. Men's 60mH Final
2:15 p.m. Women's 60m Final
Men's 60m Final
2:20 p.m. Women's 400m
2:25 p.m. Men's 400m
2:30 p.m. Women's Mile
2:40 p.m. Men's Meyo Mile
2:50 p.m. Women's 800m
3 p.m. Men's 800m
3:10 p.m. Women's 3,000m
3:30 p.m. Men's Ryan Shay 3000m
3:45 p.m. Women's 4x400m
4:05 p.m. Men's 4x400m
HOW TO FOLLOW
Fans can watch Saturday's events beginning at 1 p.m. here. Live results will be available here or by following @redbird_trackxc on Twitter.
