INDIANAPOLIS -- The Illinois State track & field squad crowned three individual champions during day one of the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Sunday.
All-time program-record holder Seth Nelson cleared 5.30m in the men's pole vault to win an individual conference title. He is Illinois State's first champion in the men's pole vault since 2020.
Illinois State swept the indoor 5000m race for the third time in conference championship history and the first time since 1997 (Chris Bailey & Sue Daggett). Julian Baker took home gold on the men's side with a career-record time of 14:09.54, and Mattison Plummer won an MVC title in the women's division with a career-best time of 16:28.42 to move into sixth all-time in school history. Baker is the Redbirds' first title winner in the men's event since 2016, while Plummer is the women's first champion since 2020.Â
SPRINTS/HURDLES
Macee Rivers, Erin Starks and Nya Browne placed third-fifth to qualify for tomorrow's 60m hurdle finals. Rivers improved her career-best time from 8.39 to 8.38 in the first round.
Lindsey Miller ran a 7.42 in the 60m dash to advance to the finals. Miller and Starks also qualified for the 200m finals, with Miller clocking the second-fastest time in program history in 23.86.
In the men's 60m dash, Zach Paul, Reece Curtis, Jaiden Reed and Enyinnaya Nwagwu each placed in the top-eight to qualify for the finals.
Three Redbirds also qualified for finals in the men's 200m. Nwagwu won the prelim with a time of 20.91, breaking the school record that has been held since 1997 (20.97). Curtis finished runner-up in 21.18 to move into third in school history, while Paul's finish in 21.23 moved him into sixth on the all-time performers list.Â
MID-DISTANCE/DISTANCE
Cayde de Waal qualified for tomorrow's finals in the men's mile, while Becca Heitzig, Pauline Schedler and Astrid Van Breedam did the same in the women's mile.
Logan Scott crossed the finish line in 1:51.66 to qualify for tomorrow's 800m finals. Heitzig and Colleen and Brooke Zeibert also qualified for the women's 800m finals, finishing in first, second and fifth, respectively.
The women's distance medley relay team, featuring Maggie Reed, Schedler and Colleen and Brooke Zeibert, took silver with a mark of 11:45.24, which stands as the ninth fastest time in program history.
JUMPS/MULTIS
Heath Hawkins met Nelson on the podium, taking home bronze in the men's pole vault with a clearance of 4.90m. Isabelle Hemmen and Joycelyn Crum tied for fourth in the women's pole vault with clearances of 3.78m.
Ryan Schaefer holds the second-place spot in the men's heptathlon with 3,010 total points through the first four events, tossing a career-best 12.28m in the shot put. Trey Thomas sits in seventh with 2,732 points.
Sophomore Sydney Skarich took fourth in the women's pentathlon with 3,564 points, good for sixth all-time in school history. Skarich also took bronze in the women's high jump event with a mark of 1.69m.
Voldy Makabu earned silver in the men's high jump with a mark of 2.09m. Kaden Stewart took fifth with a jump of 1.98m.
Brody Rigdon placed third in the long jump with a leap of 7.36m, tied for sixth in program history. Rex Hallam finished seventh at 6.98m, and Aidan Wyzard took eighth with a mark of 6.90m. In the women's long jump, Abby Milott took fourth with a career-best mark of 5.87m, moving her into ninth in the school record books.
THROWS
Cole Stevens recorded a mark of 18.81m to place sixth in the weight throw, while Brianna Brodie took fifth on the women's side with a throw of 18.12m.
MVC TITLE WINNERS
Men's Pole Vault - Seth Nelson, 5.30m
Men's 5000m - Julian Baker, 14:09.54
Women's 5000m - Mattison Plummer, 16:28.42
UP NEXT
The Birds will wrap up the MVC Indoor Championships on Monday, with action beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
