TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Mattison Plummer led the Illinois State track and field team on day one of the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, capturing the conference title in the 3000m steeplechase with a facility-record and personal-best time of 10:07.06. The performance moved Plummer to No. 4 in program history and made her Illinois State's first MVC champion in the event since 2021.
The victory highlighted a strong opening day for the Redbirds, who captured multiple All-MVC finishes and several event final qualifiers. With six of 21 events finalized, the Illinois State women sit in third place with 35 points, while the Redbird men are in second with 42 points.
Will Gelon earned All-MVC honors in the men's 3000m steeplechase with a third-place finish, improving his No. 9 mark in program history from 9:08.71 to 9:08.55. Seth Nelson earned All-MVC honors with a runner-up finish in the men's pole vault after clearing 5.12m, while Isabelle Hemmen added All-MVC honors with a third-place finish in the women's pole vault. Rex Hallam earned All-MVC honors with a third-place finish in the long jump, posting a personal-best mark of 7.50m to move to No. 5 in program history.
Illinois State qualified multiple athletes for Saturday finals action, including Becca Heitzig, Pauline Schedler and Brooke Zeibert in the women's 1500m and Julian Baker and Kane Shields in the men's 1500m. Heitzig and Schedler also secured spots in the women's 800m final.
Macee Rivers advanced to the women's 100m hurdles final with a personal-best time of 13.19, moving to No. 2 in program history.
Lindsey Miller and Kristyn Johnson each advanced to the finals in both the women's 100m and 200m. On the men's side, Reece Curtis, Zach Paul and Enyinnaya Nwagwu Jr. qualified for both the 100m and 200m finals.
The trio also moved up the Illinois State record book in the 200m, led by Curtis' 20.63 performance that ranks fourth in program history. Paul improved his top-10 mark and now ranks sixth at 20.66, while Nwagwu Jr. moved to seventh all-time with a 20.75.
Jake Welch qualified for the men's 400m final after posting a season-best 47.55.
Trey Thomas sits in third place in the decathlon through the first five events after recording marks of 11.54 in the 100m, 52.71 in the 400m, 1.92m in the high jump, 45.81m in the javelin and a personal-best 12.06m in the shot put.
Illinois State had several other point-scorers throughout day one in Terre Haute.
Aidan Wyzard placed fourth in the men's long jump with a leap of 7.30m, while Brody Rigdon finished sixth with a season-best mark of 7.09m. Cole Stevens added a fourth-place finish in the men's hammer throw with a mark of 60.18m, and Isaias Lopez placed sixth with a personal-best throw of 58.29m.
Carmyn Huston scored in the women's javelin with a personal-best throw of 37.48m to place sixth, while Adi Scott finished seventh in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 54.81m. Abby Milott also added points for the Redbirds with a sixth-place finish in the women's long jump at 5.63m.
In distance action, Nora Brady added five points with a fourth-place finish in the women's 10,000m in 36:08.69, while Blake Oleson scored four points with a fifth-place finish in the men's 10,000m in 30:41.06.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will continue their quest for an MVC title tomorrow at the Gibson Track and Field Complex at Indiana State University. The second and final day of competition is set to begin on the track at 8:30 a.m. CT and in the field at 9 a.m. CT. It will be streamed on ESPN+.
