NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State track & field program is set to host the Normal Invite this weekend in Normal, Ill., at the Redbird Track & Field Complex. Action is set to begin on Friday, with the hammer throw at 2 p.m.
This year marks the first-ever Normal Invite and the first time since 2022 that Illinois State will host a meet in mid-April. The Redbirds return home to host the Normal Invite following a strong weekend at the Joe Walker Invitational hosted by Ole Miss. Across the weekend, the Illinois State recorded four new top-10 list entries and numerous personal best marks.
Junior Yusuf Baig closed out Friday night, securing the 10th fastest time in Redbird history for the men's 1500m with a time of 3:47.12. Baig also recorded a fifth-place finish on his path to a top-10 mark.
On Saturday, the men's 4x100m relay team of Reed, Nwagwu, Paul, and Curtis ran a time of 40.45 to earn a second-place finish. Their time is now tied for the sixth-fastest in program history.
Moments later, the men's 4x400m relay team of Welch, Nwagwu, Paul, and Watson also recorded a top-10 time of 3:09.35. Their mark is an outdoor season-best for any Illinois State 4x400m team this season and sits seventh in Redbird history.
To close out action from Oxford, Sophomore Garrett Taylor entered the top-10 list in men's shot put with a throw of 17.04m (55-11). Taylor now sits 10th in Illinois State history and holds a top-10 mark in indoor and outdoor.
