Valley teams took to competition this past weekend at 6 different meets across the nation. Valley teams were spotted at the SIU Don DeNoon Invite, ISU OPEN, 2024 Alex Wilson Invitational, Arkansas Qualifier, Redbird TuneUp, and Iowa Open. The Valley holds 14 national top 50 spots this season, with 5 top 35 performances, and 2 top 15 performances. The Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship is February 25th and 26th, Valley student-athletes look to pull out the stops in the final opportunities to qualify for the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, March 8th and 9th, 2024.
Men's Regional Rankings - Week 4
Indiana State leads The Valley men at a statement 6th place ranking in the Great Lakes Region. Northern Iowa ranks 9th in the Midwest followed by Drake at 13th, Illinois State in 16th, Belmont in 24th, and Valparaiso 17th in their respective regions. Bradley in the 21st in the midwest followed by Evansville's 24th ranking in the Great Lakes. Southern Illinois, and UIC round out the regional rankings for the conference in the Midwest Region.
Women's Regional Rankings - Week 4
Indiana State sets the highest in the rankings in the MVC at 14th in the Great Lakes Murray State in the Southeast at 17th and Belmont in 16th in the South Region. In the Midwest is led by Bradley in 16th and Southern Illinois at 17th, followed by Drake in 23rd, Northern Iowa in 24th, Illinois State 25th, and UNI in 30th.
TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK HONORS
Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Xavier Preston, Sophomore, SIU, Akron, Ohio - Xavier put together his best performance of the indoor season in the men's 60-meter dash Saturday at the Don DeNoon Invitational. After placing third in the qualifying round, Xavier won the 60-meter dash finals with a time of 6.77, his second win of the indoor season.
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Rachel Mehringer, Hurdles, Fr., Indiana State [Schnellville, Ind.] - Mehringer shattered Indiana State’s facility record in the 60m hurdles on her way to a first-place finish at the ISU Open. She ran a prelims time of 8.39, the fastest in the Valley this season, to break the facility record that she set just one month prior. Mehringer finished off the day by placing first in the finals with a time of 8.50. She ranks first in the MVC and 10th in the Great Lakes region in the 60m hurdles this season.
Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Adam Phillips, Junior, Ferndown, England - Adam Phillips won the Iowa Open on Friday and set a meet record with his weight throw of 21.69m/70’ 10”, his second best weight throw outing. Phillips ranks first in the MVC in weight throw, eighth in the Midwest region and 27th in the NCAA.
Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Grace Quinlan, High Jump/Multi, Sr., Indiana State [Dillsboro, Ind.] - Quinlan had a career-best day in the high jump on her way to a first-place finish in the event at the ISU Open. She cleared 1.77m (5-09.75) on her third attempt after clearing marks of 1.62m (5-03.75), 1.67m (5-05.75) and 1.72m (5-07.75) all on her first attempt. Quinlan’s mark moved her to a tie for fourth in program history in the event. She moved up to first in the MVC in the high jump, with her mark also ranking fifth in the Great Lakes region and 50th in the nation.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
WOMEN - TRACK
- Kyra Koontz, Bradley
- 60M Hurdles in 8.61 (#4 in MVC/School Record/.27 time cut)
- Nicole Prauchner, Evansville
- Prauchner earned the Aces their only 1st place finish of the weekend at the Indiana State Open on Saturday. In the 800-meter race, Prauchner ran in 2:13.51.
- Trinity Cleaver, So., SIU
- Trinity won her first collegiate event at the Don DeNoon Invite on Saturday. She posted a time of 25.10 in the 200-meter dash and was one of four Saluki finishers in the top five.
WOMEN-FIELD
- Centaine Noom-Duckworth, Jr., Drake
- Noom-Duckworth bettered her women’s weight throw school record with a throw 19.26m/63’ 2.25” to finish sixth at the Tyson Invitational.
- Bayta Butler, Sr., Illinois State
- Senior Bayta Butler won the women's shot put with her new personal-best throw of 15.22m (49-11.25), Butler currently sits in 3rd place in the Missouri Valley.
- Alivia Silvestri, UNI
- Alivia Silvestri won the women’s pole vault premier with a personal-best vault of 3.86 meters, tying the third-highest mark in UNI program history at the Iowa Open this past weekend.
nOTABLE PERFORMANCES
MEN- TRACK
- Quincy Armstrong, Sr., Indiana State
- Armstrong ran his second-fastest 60m hurdles time of the season at the ISU Open on his way to a first-place finish in the event. He advanced to the finals with the second-fastest time in the field at 8.25 and followed that with a time of 8.08 in the finals. He ranks sixth in the MVC and 14th in the Great Lakes region in the event.
- Jayden Dickson, Fr., UNI
- UNI mid-distance runner, Jayden Dickson finished in second place running a career-best time of 1:19.78 in the men’s 600-meter run premier at the Iowa Open this past weekend.
MEN - FIELD
- Jack Sumners, UNI
- In the men’s long jump premier at the Iowa Open this past weekend, Jack Sumners leaped 7.17 meters for a new season-best mark to finish in second place for the Panthers.
- Joe Boyer, Illinois State
- Senior Joe Boyer won the men's shot put on Friday with his season-best throw of 17.34m (56-10.75), Boyer currently sits in 6th place in the Missouri Valley.
- Noah Bolt, Indiana State
- His weight throw mark of 20.65m (67-09.00) was a career-best mark and moved him up to fourth in program history in the event. Bolt finished the meet with a pair of throws better than 20 meters. He also placed fourth in the shot put with a top mark of 17.03m (55-10.50),