NORMAL, Ill. – Coming off of successful indoor track & field and spring cross country seasons, Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, Jeff Bovee, and the Illinois State track & field program have finalized the schedule for the 2021 outdoor season which will begin on March 26.
Two student-athletes will compete at the upcoming NCAA Indoor Championships and the NCAA Cross Country Championships before the outdoor season can officially begin for the Redbirds. Senior high jumper Kameesha Smith will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in her career on Friday, March 12, while senior distance runner Kevin Koski will race in the men's 10K at his first NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, March 15.
Following both NCAA Championships, Illinois State will split up to begin the outdoor season. Part of the squad will open the season at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi on March 26 and 27, while another group will compete at the Billiken Invite on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Redbirds will then return home to host the Redbird Invite on April 2, which is the first of two home meets this year.
A smaller group of student-athletes will make the trip back to Oxford, Mississippi for the Joe Walker Invite on April 9 and 10, while the rest the team will return to action the following weekend at the Gibson Invite on April 16 and 17 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The 'Birds will split up again during the fourth weekend in April with part of the team traveling to Des Moines, Iowa for the Drake Relays from April 21 to 24 and the rest of the squad set to compete at the Lenny Lyles-Clark Wood Invite in Louisville, Kentucky on April 23 and 24.
Illinois State will honor the seniors of the track & field and cross country teams when they host the ISU Invite on April 30 and May 1 at the Redbird Outdoor Track. After the final home meet of the season, the Redbirds will have one final tune-up before the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships at the Pacesetter Invite on May 7 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Championship season will begin at the MVC Outdoor Championships from May 14 to 16 in Carbondale, Illinois where the Illinois State women's team will look to win their third-straight Valley outdoor title and the men's team will go for their first outdoor title since 1999.
Student-athletes who are among the top-32 in the NCAA West Region will compete at the NCAA West Preliminary Round from May 27 to 29 in College Station, Texas where they will try to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon from June 9-12.
In accordance with state and local guidelines, fans are currently not allowed to attend home ISU Athletics events.
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