ST. LOUIS – For the third-straight year, the Illinois State Redbirds have been named the Missouri Valley Conference Track & Field/Cross Country Program of the Year.
Scoring is based on the teams finish at each Missouri Valley Conference Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e., 1st=1 point, 2nd=2 points....10th=10 points) with the lowest total score for all six championships (3 men's and 3 women's) combined determining the award winner.
The 'Birds finished with a conference low 12 points after winning three MVC titles this year in men's cross country, women's indoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field. ISU's men's track & field team took second outdoors and finished third indoors, while the women's cross country team placed fourth.
Each of ISU's three MVC championship winning teams made history with their wins. The women's indoor track & field team became the first Valley women's program to win four-straight MVC indoor titles in conference history, while at the MVC Outdoor Championships, the women's team won with a conference record 232 points. The Redbirds now hold the points record for both the MVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships after setting the indoor record of 190.16 points at the 2020 MVC Indoor Championships.
In cross country, the men's team won ISU's first MVC Cross Country Championship in 19 years with the last championship title coming in 2002. Additionally, Kevin Koski was the first Redbird to be crowned MVC champion since 2009 and earned the auto-bid to the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Across the six sports, ISU had three individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships. Joining Koski in qualifying for the biggest stage in college athletics was high jumper Kameesha Smith indoors and discus thrower Sydney Laufenberg outdoors.
Illinois State combined for 16 MVC Champions throughout the six sports during the 2020-21 seasons.
UP NEXT
Sydney Laufenberg will compete at the NCAA Track & Field Championships on Saturday, June 12 at 2:35 p.m. Pacific Time and then at the U.S. Olympic Trials on Friday, June 18 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Both events will be held at the historic and newly renovated Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
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