CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Illinois State women's track & field team won their seventh-straight Missouri Valley Conference title overall and third-straight outdoor title in dominating fashion, breaking the Valley record with 232 points.
The 'Birds, who finished with five MVC Champions in six events on the women's side, led the entire weekend ultimately beating second-place Southern Illinois by 89 points.
Fifth-year senior Jordyn Bruce led the way for the women's squad all weekend, combining for 26 points across three events. The MVC Women's Most Valuable Athlete won the heptathlon and the 400-meter hurdles and took third to earn All-Valley honors in the 100-meter hurdles, recording personal bests in all three. Bruce's 5,439 points in the heptathlon and time of 58.80 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles are No. 2 all-time in school history, while her time of 13.75 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles is No. 4 all-time.
In the throws, Sydney Laufenberg and Mye'Joi Williams wrapped up a successful weekend for the throws squad in the discus on day three. Laufenberg won her third MVC discus title with a season-best throw of 56.68 meters (185-11 ft.), just missing the Valley meet record. Teammate Mye'Joi Williams popped off with a seven-meter personal-best throw of 50.11 meters (164-5 ft.) to place second overall and earn her second All-Valley honors of the weekend. Her mark is the seventh-best time in school history.
The women's 4x400-meter relay squad of Destiny White, Audrey Harrod, Whitney Ward and Jaclyn Greci capped off the weekend with a win, running their fastest time of the season and the 10th-fastest time in school history at 3:41.91.
Other All-Valley performers on the women's side included Grace Beattie and Maddi Exline in the 1,500-meter run, Seven Hicks in the 100-meter dash, Jaclyn Greci and Destiny White in the 400-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay.
Beattie and Exline went 2-3 in the 1,500m, running 4:25.11 and 4:25.42, respectively. This marked Exline's first All-Valley honor of her career with her personal-best time ranking No. 6 all-time in school history. Beattie's silver was her second medal of the weekend after winning and breaking the meet record in the steeplechase yesterday.
The trio of sprinters had a stellar day with each earning their second All-Valley honors in an individual event this season. Greci and White finished second and third in the 400-meter dash for the second MVC meet this year, clocking in at 54.59 and 54.71 seconds. White's time was a personal best that moved her into the No. 10 spot on the ISU top-10 list.
Freshman Seven Hicks took second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.72 seconds and anchored the third place finishing 4x100-meter relay team that clocked in at 45.52 seconds, which is the sixth-fastest time in school history. Joining Hicks on the 4x100-meter relay was Mattie Lieb, Destiny White and Jaclyn Greci.
ISU's men's team took home the second-place trophy after entering the meet projected to take third in the MVC pre-championship poll. The men's 800-meter squad highlighted the final day for the guys with Jack Anstey and Riley Wells going 1-2 in the event. The 1-2 finish is ISU's second of the year, while Anstey's win is his second-straight and the Redbirds' fifth-straight conference win in the event. The duo were the only two to run sub-1:50 in the race with Anstey clocking in at a season-best 1:49.49 and Wells finishing in a career-best 1:49.54, which is the seventh-fastest time in school history. Anstey also picked up All-Valley honors in the 1,500-meter run, taking second with a time of 3:51.31.
Senior Kevin Koski took silver for the second time this weekend, earning All-Valley honors in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:26.68.
In the sprint events, Brandon Ratliff and Brandon Gage made their way to the podium with a pair of third place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter dash. After a rough prelims round, Ratliff ran his second-fastest time of the season at 14.11 seconds to earn his third career All-Valley honors. Gage clocked his first ever sub-48 second 400m at 47.11 seconds for the No. 8 time in school history and the third-fastest time in the Valley.
SPECIALTY AWARDS
MVC Women's Track & Field Most Valuable Athlete - Jordyn Bruce
MVC Women's Track Most Outstanding Performer - Grace Beattie
MVC Elite 17 Award - Maddi Exline
MVC Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year - Jeff Bovee
ISU TOP-10 PERFORMANCES AT THE MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
2. Jordyn Bruce, heptathlon, 5,439
2. Jordyn Bruce, 400m hurdles, 58.80
4. Jordyn Bruce, 100m hurdles, 13.75
4. Whitney Ward, 400m hurdles, 59.63
4. Tayler Weaver, hammer throw, 61.71 meters (202-5.5 ft.)
5. Sydney Laufenberg, hammer throw, 58.32 meters (191-4.25 ft.)
5. Amiri Buchanan, shot put, 18.17 meters (59-7.5 ft.)
6. Women's 4x100-meter relay team (Lieb, White, Greci, Hicks), 45.52
6. Maddi Exline, 1,500m, 4:25.42
7. Riley Wells, 800m, 1:49.54
7. Mye'Joi Williams, discus, 50.11 meters (164-5 ft.)
8. Kevin Koski, 10,000m, 29:33.19
8. Seven Hicks, 200m, 24.01
8. Brandon Gage, 400m, 47.11
8. Audrey Harrod, 800m, 2:08.91
10. Jalen Hunter, long jump, 7.13 meters (23-4.75 ft.)
10. Destiny White, 400m, 54.71
10. Women's 4x400-meter relay team (White, Harrod, Ward, Greci), 3:41.91
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