January 20, 2007

Track & Field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SYCAMORES COMPETE AT INDIANA TEAM CLASSIC

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana State University track and field teams competed at the Indiana Team Classic on Saturday, a meet that was conducted by Indiana University in Bloomington but no team scores were kept.  The Sycamores were competing against Wright State, Big 10 teams Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State, and SEC teams Alabama and Florida.

"The competition was really stepped up," ISU women's head coach John Gartland said. "We weren't really ready for the kind of competition we faced. But, we now know what we have to work on to be ready for these kinds of meets."

ISU men's coach John McNichols echoed Gartland's sentiments.

"The competition was very good," McNichols said. "This level of competition really gives us something to build on."

The lone winner for Indiana State was senior Jordan Fife (Seymour, Ind.) who captured the one mile run in 4:07.66. Fife was in fourth place as the race entered the final lap but picked up the pace and ran past the competition in the final 200 meters to pick up the win. Fife just missed setting a new school record with the effort. David Birke holds the ISU mark of 4:07.27 set in 1998.

Steve Daniel, a senior from Decatur, Ill., became ISU's second provisional qualifier of the indoor season, placing second in the triple jump with a leap of 50-feet-11-inches. Kyle Jenkins of Indiana won the event with a leap of 52-feet. ISU's Paladin Jordan was third (48-feet-7 inches) while the Sycamores Corey Dowden was fourth (47-feet-4 inches)

Sean Wright was second in a tight finish of the 400 meters in 49.07, finishing just behind Indiana's Doug Dayhoff (48.63). Kurt Heimann was second in the 800 meters (1:56.65) which was won by Alabama's Emmanuel Bor (1:55.43). ISU's James Twitchell was third in 1:56.78.

Jeramie Gray finished third in the 60 meters (6.96) and 10th in the 200 meters (22.76) for Indiana State with Andrew Geller fourth in the 600 meters (1:20.92).  Justin Kunz finished fourth in the 300 meters (8:39.49) with Scott Kennedy fifth (8:39.61) for the Sycamores. Paladin Jordan placed fourth in the 60 meter hurdles (8.38) while the 4x400 relay team of Andrew Geller, Clayton Wilson, Logan Edwards and Sean Wright was third in 3:17.08.

Corey Downey was fourth in the long jump (22-feet-3-inches), Curt Sunderland third in the high jump (6-feet-6 inches, Brandon Youngdale fourth in the high jump (6-feet-6), Jeremy Gillingham second in the shot put (52-feet-6 inches) and fourth in the weight throw (56-feet-11), Matt Holbrook fourth in the shot put (51-feet-6), and Jake Conn third in the pole vault (16-feet).

On the women's side, Erica Moore paced the Lady Sycamores with a third place finish in the 600 meters (1:34.00) while Kylie Hutson was third in the pole vault (12-feet-7).  Janae Bridges finished fourth in the long jump (18-feet-1)

The Sycamores will be back in action next Saturday competing in the Purdue Triangular (Gene Edmonds Cup).