CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State women's track & field team won its third-straight Missouri Valley Conference indoor title, breaking an MVC record with 190.16 points on day two of the MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships. With this win, the Redbirds have won a Valley leading 12 MVC indoor titles.
On the men's side, the Redbirds tied for second overall with Southern Illinois, combining for 112 points as a team.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbirds added three more individual champions on day two after Charde Golliday (long jump), Ariana Cranston (pole vault), Grace Beattie (5,000m) and the distance medley relay won titles on day one.
Kameesha Smith (high jump), Hattie Plumb (800m) and Rachel Hickey (mile) were the MVC title winners on day two. Plumb's victory in the 800m was her second-straight, while Smith and Hickey each won their first conference indoor titles.
Smith's MVC win completes a perfect indoor campaign, winning the high jump at every meet she competed in. The junior cleared 1.73 meters (5-08), topping teammate Grace Daun, who finished second by one inch.
Hickey's win in the mile (4:52.11) was her second title of the weekend, after helping the distance medley relay to the title on day one. Hickey's performance on the track and in the classroom earned her the Elite 17 Award for the second time after receiving the award during cross country season earlier this year.
Winning her third-straight 800m title across indoor and outdoor, Plumb crossed the finish line in 2:09.80, beating the next closest opponent by a full second. She joins Cranston (pole vault) and Jordan Wilkerson (heptathlon) as the only Redbirds to win back-to-back indoor titles in the same event in 2019 and 2020.
Seniors Jack Anstey and Jordan Wilkerson led the Redbird men on day two with each winning the championship in their respective events. Anstey recorded a time of 1:52.14 to win the 800, while Wilkerson posted a record-setting performance in the heptathlon.
SCHOOL RECORD
Sitting second at the conclusion of day one in the heptathlon, Jordan Wilkerson was hungry to win his second-straight title in the event. Not only did the senior win the heptathlon, he also broke the school record with a personal-best 5,255 points. Across the two-day event, Wilkerson recorded personal bests in the shot put (12.60 meters), high jump (2.02 meters) and pole vault (4.51 meters) to narrowly edge teammate, Caleb Miedema for the title.
Miedema, a sophomore, also broke the previous school record of 5,207, finishing second with a personal-best 5,231 points. He now ranks No. 2 all-time in ISU track & field history.
ALL-VALLEY PERFORMERS
Caleb Miedema, second, heptathlon, 5,231, personal-best, ISU No. 2 all-time
Kimathi Johnson, third, mile, 4:21.30
Brandon Ratliff, third, 60mH, 8.11, personal-best, ISU No. 5 all-time
Tori Ortiz, second, 400m, 55.75, personal-best, ISU No. 7 all-time
Audrey Harrod, third, 800m, 2:12.21, personal-best
Tori Ortiz, third, 200m, 24.80
Kevin Koski, third, 3,000m, 8:30.82
D. White, T. Ortiz, W. Ward, H. Plumb, third, women's 4x400-meter relay, 3:46.14
Tayler Weaver, second, shot put, 15.05 meters (49-04.5)
Grace Daun, second, high jump, 1.70 meters (5-07)
Charde Golliday, third, triple jump, 12.16 meters (39-10.75)
QUOTES FROM DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY, JEFF BOVEE
On winning the women's MVC indoor team title for the third-straight year:
"Each championship that you win you never take for granted because they're all very special for different reasons. This one in particular was special because the women came in as heavy favorites and they really relished in that role and saw the task of trying to break their own points record that they had from previous years and they just really stayed on point this whole weekend. I'm just really proud of how focused they've been this year. I think that's the difference between this year and years past. In years past we had to build up some momentum and try to pull it together all at the last minute. This year's team has been really focused since we really got going back in January. The key move going forward is really just keeping that attention to detail and really trying to go for the outdoor title because that Southern Illinois team is a very good team and some of the other teams could give a run at us as well. We definitely need to keep working at being the best group that we can."
On the strong performances the Redbird men had:
"We had a lot of people repeat (as champions). In Jack's (Anstey) case it was a different event. It takes a lot to win and then regain focus and get back to the grind of training. In Jordan Wilkerson's case, his teammate Caleb (Miedema) gave him such a tight battle and just to see those guys support each other at the end of the day after a long two days of competition. They both wanted that championship in the worst way and they both dug down. When they came off the track after that last race, they both just gave each other a big hug and are brothers. I'm just really proud of all of the athletes, whether they're event winners or All-Valley or point scorers or even those that had a setback. We hold our heads up high on both sides, competing hard and strong. On the guys side, we've had a lot of injuries this season and for them to come out and still get a trophy I'd say very well done to the men as well."
On the improvements and success of Charde Golliday, Kameesha Smith and Tayler Weaver:
"Charde (Golliday) had the biggest weekend of her career. She wins the long jump after she was seeded third or fourth and then bounces back for day two and gets All-Valley in the triple (jump). Meesha (Smith) who hasn't hardly been long jumping the last two years took two jumps and got second in that and comes back and wins the high jump with the most competition coming from her teammates with Grace (Daun), the freshman, finishing as the runner-up and Kristin Higgins being in there as well. She's jumping so consistently well week in and week out and has shown great maturity this year. Tayler (Weaver), she's come so far. I remember once upon a time she was just fighting to make the team at the conference meet and now she's competing for a championship. To see how much she wanted that title and finishing second, I really see this moment making a big impact on what happens for her in the outdoor season."
On the group effort:
"This is a group effort, a team effort. The staff, the support staff, the administration, a lot of people have an influence on our men and women and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to work with them and they make this journey a lot of fun and very special."
UP NEXT
The full Illinois State track & field squad will be back in action on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 at the Redbird Invite hosted at the Illinois State track. Prior to that, a group of distance runners will compete at the Raleigh Relays on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina
