CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State track & field teams opened up the 2021 indoor season with the women taking first as a team and the men taking second at the Jack Jennett Open, hosted by Missouri Valley Conference foe, UNI at the UNI Dome.
MAKING THEIR MARK
ISU's throws group recorded several personal bests throughout the day, including three marks that currently rank among the top-30 in the NCAA. After sitting out last season due to injury, senior Logan Calvin had a big return to the ring, throwing a personal-best mark of 19.69 meters (64-07.25 ft.) to win the weight throw and improve his previous best mark by over two meters. Calvin's mark in the weight throw is currently the 26th-best mark in the nation. Despite falling short of a personal-best in the shot put, Calvin still placed second with a best throw of 18.36 meters (60-03.00 ft.). His mark in the shot put is currently No. 14 in the nation. Senior Sydney Laufenberg won the weight throw on the women's side with a best mark of 19.09 meters (62-07.75 ft.) which is the 20th-best throw in the NCAA so far this season.
FAST AND FAR-THROWING FRESHMEN
Sprinter Seven Hicks placed second in the 60-meter dash, clocking in with a time of 7.81 seconds and went on to win the 200-meter dash later in the meet with a time of 25.35 seconds. Mattie Lieb took second behind Hicks in the 200m with a time of 25.44 seconds. Distance runner Charlie Wetzel, who didn't get to compete this fall due to the postponement of cross country, took fourth in the 3,000m with a time of 8:37.23 in his first race in a Redbird uniform. Off the track, Mye'Joi Williams placed second in the shot put with a best throw of 14.50 meters (47-07.00 ft.) and took fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 17.07 meters (56-00 ft.).
1-2 FINISH
The 'Birds finished first and second in six events. Grace Daun and Kristin Higgins took the top two spots in the women's high jump, clearing 1.70 meters (5-07 ft.) and 1.65 meters (5-05 ft.), respectively. The sprinters went 1-2 in two different events starting with Brandon Gage and Cole Maguire in the 400-meter dash, clocking in at 49.39 seconds and 49.92 seconds to place first and second in the event. The freshmen duo of Seven Hicks (25.35 seconds) and Mattie Lieb (25.44 seconds) took the gold and silver in the 200m at their first ever meet as Redbirds. The ISU pole vaulters, who finish first and second often throughout the season, opened the 2021 season in the similar fashion. Eddie Winner and Ryan Ashenbremer took the top two spots, clearing 5.00 meters (16.04.75 ft.) and 4.70 meters (15-05 ft.). Finally, the women's throwers went 1-2-3 in both the shot put and the weight throw with Sydney Laufenberg winning the weight throw at 19.09 meters followed by Julia Bourke (17.99 meters) and Hannah Johnson (17.84 meters) and Bourke (14.55 meters) winning the shot put followed by Mye'Joi Williams (14.50 meters) and Hannah Johnson (14.03 meters).
ISU TOP-10 LIST
- Men's Weight Throw: Logan Calvin passed former Redbird legend Curt Jensen, now ranking sixth all-time on the ISU indoor top-10 list with his mark of 19.69 meters.
- Heptathlon: Freshman Aneel Gillan ranks 10th all-time in ISU history with 4,133 points after placing fourth at the Jack Jennett Open.
- Women's Weight Throw: Julia Bourke improved her No. 10 mark from 17.83 meters to 17.99 meters.
NEW PERSONAL BESTS
11 Redbird student-athletes recorded new personal-best marks or times in their events over the last two days of the Jack Jennett Open.
- Zofia LeHew, Pentathlon, 2,993 points, 2nd
- Parker Francisco, Pentathlon, 2,388 points, 6th
- Cole Maguire, 400m, 49.92 seconds, 2nd
- Rebecca Waite, 60m, 7.84, 3rd
- Emma Smith, pole vault, 3.45 meters (11-03.75 ft.), 3rd *Tied personal-best
- Sydney Apgar, weight throw, 13.50 meters (44-03.5 ft.), 11th
- Julia Bourke, weight throw, 17.99 meters (59-00.25 ft.), 2nd
- Rachel Hickey, 3,000m, 10:05.42, 3rd
- Danielle Taets, triple jump, 10.90 meters (35-09.25 ft.), 2nd
- Hannah Johnson, weight throw, 17.84 meters (58-06.5 ft.), 3rd
- Catie Daily, weight throw, 14.55 meters (47-07.00 ft.), 8th
UP NEXT
The cross country team will travel to Nashville, Tennessee for the Lipscomb Winter Classic on Feb. 6 for their first competition of the year after the fall 2020 season was postponed to the spring, while the track & field team will be back in action on Feb. 12-13 at the Grand Valley State University Big Meet in Allendale, Michigan.
In accordance with state and local guidelines, fans are currently not allowed to be in attendance at home ISU Athletics events. Game dates, opponents, times and locations are subject to change.
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