NORMAL, Ill. – For the fifth straight season and tenth time in program history, the Illinois State women were crowned MVC Outdoor Champions after totaling 205 points in the team score, topping Murray State's 128 points. The Illinois State men finished third with 138 points.
Illinois State outdoor women's track & field now becomes the first program in MVC outdoor championship history to capture five straight team titles, as there been four previous instances of a program winning four straight titles (Southern Illinois from 1986-1989; Indiana State from 1991-1994; Wichita State from 2004-2007; Wichita State from 2014-2017).
SIX INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS CROWNED ON DAY THREE
For the second time during the 2023 MVC Outdoor Championships, junior Mye'Joi Williams would claim the title of "Champion," this time in the women's discus. Coming into the conference weekend, Williams sat seventh overall in the event. After throwing for a mark of 46.44m (152-04) to claim a spot in the finals, Williams' first throw would go nearly four meter further, as her event winning mark of 50.38m (165-03) came right in ahead of UNI's Makenna Wilson's mark of 50.04m (164-02).
To wrap up her first MVC Outdoor Championships with the Redbirds, senior Hassy Fashina-Bombata would compete in a variety of events on Championship Sunday, including the women's 100m hurdles. The Nanaimo, B.C., Canada native would claim the event win with a time of 13.41, becoming the first Redbird women's outdoor 100m champion since 2018 when D'Jenne Egharevba won in a time of 11.43.
Junior Raydoffa Braziel came into this weekend as the fastest in the men's 400m, and it was on full display come Sunday. The Flint, Michigan native would be one of four Redbirds in the men's 400m finals, as he clocked an event-winning time of 46.73. Braziel becomes the first Redbird to win the men's outdoor 400m title since 2015 when Anderson Devonish clocked a winning time of 46.68.
For the second straight outdoor season, Riley Wells is the men's 800m event winner, as he came in with a time of 1:50.67 on Sunday. This marks the fourth straight season for a Redbird to claim the outdoor 800m title, as Wells joins Jack Anstey as back-to-back champions.
Then, the men's and women's 400m hurdles would be all Redbirds on top as the men's version saw freshman Jaylin Holmes race to a time of 51.91, making it back-to-back event titles for ISU after Cole Maguire snagged the outdoor title in 2022 (51.09). Then, in the women's 400m hurdles, senior Kayla Perry showed why she was the fastest in the event coming into the weekend, clocking a winning time of 59.20.
ALL-VALLEY
It would be a new Redbird T&F Complex record being set in the women's 4x100m relay as the team of Lindsey Miller, Hassy Fashina-Bombata, Madison Saunders, and Arianna Walker clocked a time of 44.65, tying their own school record, to win the event. With the win, the relay squad becomes the first ISU women's outdoor 4x100m relay champion since 2010 (45.54).
A few events later, freshman Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr. clocked a time of 47.76 to take second in the men's 400m.
In the women's triple jump, a pair of Redbirds gathered All-Valley honors after coming in second and third for the event, respectively. Madison Saunders saw her fourth jump of the day go for a mark of 12.15m (39-10.50) to capture silver overall. Then, coming in right behind Saunders, Danielle Taets came into the weekend as the second-best event competitor in the MVC. She would see a jump of 12.13m (39-09.75) on her fourth attempt to collect a bronze medal.
The men's 4x100m squad of Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., Jaylin Holmes, Devin Turner, and Sean Hopkins were the first ones to take the track on Sunday. The quartet of 'Birds would race to a time of 39.99, the third fastest time in school history, and sufficient for a second-place finish and silver medal.
Junior San'Toria Harris was in action for the women's 400m as the Byram, Miss. native came in with a time of 54.64 to claim second, a silver medal, and 8 points for the 'Birds.
Running in the 1500m finals, senior Rachel Hickey turned in a time of 4:29.11 to place second in the event and capture a silver medal in the process. Hickey would follow that up with another silver medal, this time in the women's 800m, as she clocked a time of 2:07.69.
After winning the women's 100m hurdles earlier in the day, Hassy Fashina-Bombata would be back in action for the women's 200m. The senior finished second to garner All-Valley honors with a time of 23.99.
The men's 800m also saw Joe Morrison capture All-Valley honors once more, as he finished third with a time of 1:51.51 on Sunday.
The men's 4x400m team of Jaylin Holmes, Junias Holmes Jr., Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., and Raydoffa Braziel closed out the night for the men's side of events. The Redbirds would capture the event win in a time of 3:12.65, nearly six seconds faster than second-place Indiana State (3:18.14).
Finally, to end all three days of competition, it was the Redbird women's 4x400m squad of Destiny White, San'Toria Harris, Kayla Perry, and Hassy Fashina-Bombata winning the event with their time of 3:42.40.
SPECIALTY AWARDS
- Women's Coach of the Year:Â Jeff Bovee; 5th straight MVC Women's Outdoor Coach of the Year honor
- Freshman of the Year:Â Lindsey Miller; back-to-back winners for ISU after Arianna Walker was named 2022 Outdoor Freshman of the Year.
OTHER MVC POINT SCORERS
3rd- Dewayne Johnson, 110mH, 14.06
4th- Leslie Fisher, triple jump, 14.49m (47-06.50)
4th- Lindsey Miller, 100m, 11.71
4th- Raydoffa Braziel, 200m, 21.27
4th – Taylor Kesner, discus, 48.76m (159-11)
4th- Mathis Chavand, 1500m, 3:58.47
4th- Emelia Ness, 100mH, 14.07
4th- Lindsey Miller, 200m, 24.32
4th- Charles Cruse, pole vault, 4.75m (15-07.00)
5th- Mattison Plummer, 1500m, 4:34.81
5th- Jaden Johnson, 110mH, 14.39
5th- Junias Holmes Jr., 400m, 48.38
5th- Destiny White, 400m, 55.81
5th- Nnenna Okpara, 200m, 24.67
6th- Brandon Ratliff, 110mH, 14.53
6th – Macy Byer, discus, 47.35m (155-04)
6th- Evan Pickard, pole vault, 4.60m (15-01.00)
6th- Isaiah Chatman, 400mH, 56.29
7th – Batya Butler, discus, 46.63m (153-00)
7th- Arianna Walker, 100m, 11.86
7th- Maddi Exline, 800m, 2:15.92
7th- Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr., 200m, 21.65
7th- Nnenna Okpara, 400m, 56.76
8th- Sean Hopkins, 100m, 10.63
8th- Edward Watkins, 400m, 49.17
8th- Arianna Walker, 200m, 24.82
UP NEXT
Student-athletes who qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships – those who rank in the top-48 in the region in their respective events – will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas for competition from May 24-27.
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