Redbirds Set To Compete At NCAA West First Round

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State track & field program is set to compete at the NCAA West First Round on Wednesday, May 28. The four-day event is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday 

Illinois State will have nine athletes represent the Redbirds across the four-day event.

Beginning on Wednesday, Junior Charles Cruse will be the first Redbird to compete in the event, with the men's pole vault set to begin at 5:30 p.m. CST. Cruse qualified for the NCAA West first round after recording a clearance of 5.17m (16-11.5) at the Normal Invite in April. This also marks Cruse's second appearance at the NCAA West First Round for the Redbirds.

To close out day one, Junior Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr. will represent the Redbirds in the 200m dash at 8:45 p.m CST. Nwagwu qualified for the NCAA West first round men's 200m after running a time of 20.82 in a runner-up effort at the 2025 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Nwagwu's time currently sits as the fifth-fastest time in Redbird history.

On Thursday, Senior Corrina Courser and Junior Erin Starks will open day two for the Redbirds in the 100m hurdles, which begin at 6:00 p.m. CST. Courser and Starks qualified for the West First Round after setting their regional marks at the Fighting Illini Twilight in late April. Courser recorded a time of 13.36 to secure a runner-up finish as Starks finished one place behind with a mark of 13.41. Courser's mark was the 29th fastest time in the West region, and Starks tallied the 33rd fastest time.

To close out day two, Sophomore Immaculate Daniel will run in the 100m dash which starts at 7:00 p.m. CST. Daniel secured her spot in the first round after setting the Illinois State school record for the 100m dash at the Normal Invite in April. Daniel claimed the event win with a time of 11.33, which sits as the 31st fastest time in the West.

Freshman Victor Byaundaombe will open up day three on Friday for the Redbirds in the men's triple jump at 2:30 p.m. CST. He recorded his regional qualifying mark in the triple jump at the Senior Spotlight earlier this May. Byaundaombe, the 2025 MVC Outdoor Champion in the men's triple jump, recorded a mark of 15.32m (50-3.25) to secure the event win in the final home meet of the season. Byaundaombe's qualifying mark sits 43rd in the West region.

The men's 4x400m relay team of Zach Paul, Jake Welch, Evan Watson, Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr. will run on Friday at 8:45 p.m. CST. They secured their spot in the NCAA West first round after running a time of 3:06.89 at the 2025 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Their time was enough to secure a runner-up finish and was the second-fastest time in Redbird history. Sophomore Jaiden Reed will serve as the relay team's alternate in Texas as well.

In the running events minus the relays, if any Redbirds advance to the next round, each event in the next round will take place on Friday for the men and Saturday for the women.