CHICAGO – The Illinois State track & field program competed in the final meet of 2021 calendar year, capturing eight wins at the Blue Demon Holiday Invite on Friday. In addition, four Redbirds notched program top-10 marks in their respective events.
"It was highly beneficial for us to compete at this venue to best prep for the MVC Indoor Championship meet that will be held at Gately in two months," Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "This team competed hard, and we had some very solid performances across the team, both on the track and in the field. We will continue to prepare over the holidays and build off our first two competitions."
Starting off the day on a high note, three Redbirds finished in the top-5 of the women's high jump. Junior Grace Daun won the event with a clearance of 1.69m, capturing her second win in the high jump on the season. Senior Kameesha Smith made her season debut, finishing in third, while sophomore Carly Tucker matched her personal best to finish fourth.
On the track, senior Destiny White won the women's 400m dash in a time of 57.38. The time ranks 32nd in the NCAA. White also ran a leg of the women's 4x400m relay that finished second at the meet. Sophomore San'Toria Harris finished as the runner-up in the 400m in a time of 57.46.
In the men's 400m dash, sophomore Cecil Brownridge III notched a program top-10 mark with his win. His time of 48.35 ranks tenth in school history and 14th in the NCAA.
Senior Mya Robinson (8.66) and sophomore Seven Hicks (7.54) each finished as the runner-up in the 60m hurdles and 60m dash, respectively.
In the men's 600m run, senior Nick Swartzendruber finished in a time of 1:19.51 to finish second. Swartzendruber's time ranks fourth in program history in the event.
In her first collegiate 200m race, freshman Arianna Walker won in a time of 24.54 to break into the program record book. Walker now ranks ninth in school history, holds the No. 1 time in the Valley and No. 5 in the NCAA. Fellow teammates Seven Hicks and Mattie Lieb finished in second and third to complete the Redbird sweep.
Continuing his dominant start to the 2021-22 indoor campaign, senior Logan Calvin won both event he competed in on the day, the shot put and weight throw. In the weight throw, Calvin notched a season best with a mark of 19.38m, which currently ranks 11th in the nation.
On the women's side, sophomore Mye'Joi Williams netted her second win in the shot put on the year with a throw of 15.37m.
In the women's pole vault, sophomore Amni Austin and senior Maddie Wright tied for fourth with clearances of 3.65m. With the jump, Austin is tied for seventh in school history in the event.
In the distance circuit, senior Matt Blanco win the men's 3000m race in a time of 8:39.77, a 13-second personal best in his first 3K race on the season.
EVENT WINNERS
Men's Winners
Women's Winners
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will have a month-long break before returning to competition in January. Illinois State will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup on Saturday, Jan. 15.
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