OXFORD, Miss. – Six student-athletes recorded seven Illinois State top-10 performances on the first day of the Joe Walker Invitational at Ole Miss. Following the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase, the remainder of day one's events were postponed to day two due to inclement weather in the area. An updated schedule will be posted to goredbirds.com.
Redshirt-junior Logan Calvin led the way on day one, notching personal bests in both the shot put and the hammer throw to make improvements on his rankings on the ISU top-10 list in both events. In the hammer throw, Calvin placed third with a throw of 60.94 meters (199-11 ft.) to move up to sixth all-time in school history and also move into the NCAA West Prelims qualifying range with the 29th-best mark in the west region. Still chasing Curt Jensen's 2014 school record of 20.33 meters (66-8.5 ft.), Calvin improved upon his No. 2 throw in Redbird history with a personal-best and winning throw of 18.67 meters (61-3 ft.). Calvin placed third in the hammer throw and won the shot put.
For the second time in two weeks, fifth-year senior Grace Beattie ran the second-fastest time in school history, running a 17-second personal-best time to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase and set a new facility record at the Ole Miss Outdoor Track. Beattie's time of 10:02.73 is No. 1 in the Valley, No. 2 in Illinois State track & field history, No. 5 in the NCAA West Region and No. 7 in the nation. Last week, she ran an NCAA West Preliminary Round qualifying time of 16:06.28 in the 5,000-meter run, which also is the No. 2 time in school history.
In the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Jordan Wood ran the ninth-fastest time in school history, placing 11th with his time of 9:15.45. Currently, Wood's time ranks No. 1 in the Valley and No. 32 in the NCAA West Region.
In addition to Calvin, ISU had three other field event athletes post top-10 marks in school history, including two throwers on the women's side. After moving onto the hammer throw top-10 list for the first time earlier this season, fifth-year senior Tayler Weaver threw another personal-best mark of 56.15 meters (184-3 ft.) to further improve her sixth-ranking mark in Redbird track & field history. Freshman Mye'Joi Williams made the jump from No. 10 to No. 7 in school history in the shot put, launching a huge personal-best throw of 15.55 meters (51-0.25 ft.) to place second overall.
Continuing her stellar 2021 track & field season outdoors, pole vaulter Maddie Wright cleared an all-time personal-best of 3.73 meters (12-2.75 ft.) to tie for third overall and make it on the ISU outdoor top-10 list for the first time.
On day one of the women's heptathlon, Jordyn Bruce recorded personal bests in the 100-meter hurdles (14.12 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (25.71 seconds), holding onto the lead throughout the entirety of the first day of competition. With three events remaining tomorrow, Bruce leads the field with 3,148 points, while freshman Alexa Tarohocker is in eighth with 2,442 points.
In the men's decathlon, freshman Aneel Gillan is competing in his first collegiate decathlon and is ISU's lone student-athlete in the 10-event competition. After recording a personal-best time of 54.48 seconds in the 400-meter dash, which is the final event of the day, Gillan is in second with 2,947 points.
The women's heptathlon will resume tomorrow, April 10 at 9:45 a.m. with the long jump, javelin and 800-meter run remaining, while the men's decathlon will start tomorrow at 10 a.m. with the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run remaining.
ISU TOP-10 PERFORMANCES
2. Grace Beattie – 3,000-meter steeplechase, 10:02.73
2. Logan Calvin – shot put, 18.67 meters (61-3 ft.)
6. Logan Calvin – hammer throw, 60.94 meters (199-11 ft.)
6. Tayler Weaver – hammer throw, 56.15 meters (184-3 ft.)
6. Maddie Wright – pole vault, 3.73 meters (12-2.75 ft.)
7. Mye'Joi Williams – shot put, 15.55 meters (51-0.25 ft.)
9. Jordan Wood – 3,000-meter steeplechase, 9:15.45
DAY 1 PERSONAL-BEST PERFORMANCES
Jordyn Bruce, 100-meter hurdles (hept.), 14.22 seconds
Seven Hicks, 200-meter dash, 24.27 seconds
Mattie Lieb, 200-meter dash, 24.66 seconds
Rebecca Waite, 200-meter dash, 24.84 seconds
Jordyn Bruce, 200-meter dash (hept.), 25.71 seconds
Aneel Gillan, 400-meter dash (dec.), 54.48 seconds
Grace Beattie, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 10:02.73
Maddie Wright, pole vault, 3.73 meters (12-2.75 ft.)
Logan Calvin, shot put, 18.67 meters (61-3 ft.)
Mye'Joi Williams, shot put, 15.55 meters (51-0.25 ft.)
Logan Calvin, hammer throw, 60.94 meters (199-11 ft.)
Tayler Weaver, hammer throw, 56.15 meters (184-3 ft.)
Hannah Johnson, hammer throw, 52.52 meters (172-4 ft.)
Mye'Joi Williams, hammer throw, 48.01 meters (157-6 ft.)
Catie Daily, hammer throw, 44.09 meters (144-8 ft.)
Macy Byer, hammer throw, 38.98 meters (127-11 ft.)
Zach Fiser, javelin, 51.94 meters (170-5 ft.)
Alexa Tarohocker, high jump, 1.62 meters (5-3.75 ft.)
CURRENT REDBIRDS IN THE NCAA WEST REGION TOP-32
5. Grace Beattie, 3,000-meter steeplechase
11. Sydney Laufenberg, discus
13. Logan Calvin, shot put
14. Grace Beattie, 5,000-meter run
21. Julia Bourke, hammer throw
25. Kristin Higgins, high jump
29. Logan Calvin, hammer throw
32. Jordan Wood, 3,000-meter steeplechase
32. Grace Daun, high jump
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