CHICAGO -- The Illinois State track & field squad won three events at each the DePaul Blue Demon Alumni Classic in Chicago and the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Mich., on Friday.
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Macee Rivers and Nya Browne moved up in the program record books in the 60m hurdles, as Rivers now ranks second with a time of 8.30, and Browne sits in third with a mark of 8.32. Erin Starks wasn't far behind, finishing the race in fifth.
Jaiden Reed and Enyinnaya Nwagwu placed runner-up and third in the men's 60m finals, while Lindsey Miller took bronze in the women's race.
In the 200m dash, Nwagwu (21.40), Zach Paul (21.57) and Reece Curtis (21.67) placed second, fifth and seventh, respectively, with Nwagwu and Curtis each running season-best times. In the women's 200m, Erin Starks, Lindsey Miller and Nya Browne earned fifth, sixth and eighth place.
Chavi Flowers placed ninth in the 400m, running a season-best time of 56:48.Â
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
Will Gelon, Julian Baker and Vivana Sanfilippo represented the Redbirds well in Michigan, each winning their respective 5000m races. Baker's winning time of 14:08.09 moved him into sixth in the ISU record books.
Mattison Plummer won the 3000m race with a personal-record mark of 9:27.60, surging from seventh to fourth in ISU history.
Becca Heitzig took gold in the women's 800, crossing the finish line in 2:06.93 and improving her second-place time in school history. Colleen Zeibert ran a season-best time of 2:11.23 to earn fifth in the same event, while Brook Zeibert posted a personal-record mark of 2:12.84 to take 6th.
Cayde de Waal (1:50.40) and Garrett Slack (1:52.91, SB) both placed in the top eight in the 800m race.
JUMPS/THROWS
Seth Nelson captured his third event win of the year in the pole vault, clearing 5.20m. In the women's pole vault, Joycelyn Crum took second and Isabelle Hemmen tied for bronze, each with clearances of 3.75m.
In the men's long jump, Rex Hallam (6.95m), Aidan Wyzard (6.90m) and Brody Rigdon (6.77m) placed fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.Â
In the women's high jump, Sydney Skarich took fourth with a mark of 1.65m. In his Redbird debut, Jamarion Bardwell took runner-up in the men's high jump with a leap of 2.00m. He also placed fifth in the triple jump.
Cole Stevens threw a season-best mark of 18.30m to place fifth in the weight throw.
EVENT WINNERS
GVSU BIG MEET
Men's 5000m - Will Gelon, 14:36.57
Men's 5000m Invitational - Julian Baker, 14:08.09
Women's 5000m - Vivana Sanfilippo, 17:18.06 (PR)
BLUE DEMON ALUMNI CLASSIC
Men's Pole Vault - Seth Nelson, 5.20m
Women's Mile - Becca Heitzig, 2:06.93
Women's 3000m - Mattison Plummer, 9:27.60 (PR)
UP NEXT
The Birds will send athletes to the Illini Last Chance Meet in Champaign, Ill., on Feb. 20 and compete at the Alex Wilson Invitational hosted by Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 21.
