KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. - The Indiana State track & field team will be time zones apart this weekend as most of the team will travel to Allendale, Mich., for the Grand Valley State Big Meet Invitational while a select few have been invited to compete in the Don Kirby Collegiate Elite meet hosted by the University of New Mexico.
Six members of the Indiana State team will be competing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday including Greggmar Swift in the 60 meter hurdles, Major Clay and Jonathan Christensen in the men's high jump, Brandon Pounds in the men's weight throw, and Felisha Johnson and Mary Theisen in the women's shot put and weight throw.
"We were contacted by the New Mexico coach who asked us to send some of our good athletes out there," John McNichols, Indiana State men's track & field coach, said. "This is a chance to compete against a strong field and could be a prelude to their participation in the NCAA Championships."
The rest of the Sycamores will travel to Allendale, Mich., on Friday for the Grand Valley State Big Meet Invitational. The competition is split into two events with the regular meet held on Friday and an invitational meet on Saturday.
"Last year was a very good, competitive meet and I expect this year to be the same," Angela Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. "This is a chance for us to tweak our people as we begin final preparations for the conference championships and the last chance for some to improve their performances to make the MVC travel team."
The Don Kirby Collegiate Elite meet will be held on the same venue that will host the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships which will be held the same weekend as the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
Clay and Christensen will compete at 5 p.m. (ET) in the men's high jump with Pounds going at the same time in the men's weight throw. Johnson and Theisen begin the women's weight throw at 7 p.m. (ET) and will go in the women's shot put at 11 p.m. (ET). Swift will run at 60 meter hurdle preliminaries at 7:30 p.m. The top eight from the preliminaries run in the finals at 9:15 p.m. (ET).
Clay and Johnson have automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships with Christensen, Theisen, Swift, and Pounds looking to improve their performances to move up on national list and avoid being on the bubble for selection to the NCAA Championships.
Competition in Allendale, Mich., begins at 11:00 a.m. (ET) Friday when Robert Webb begins his first heptathlon of the season. Webb will compete in the 60 meters, long jump, shot put and high jump on Friday, and wrap up the multi-event on Saturday with the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000 meters starting at 10 a.m. (ET).
The regular meet begins at 1:35 p.m. (ET) when Taylor Head, Gabe Ocasio, and Tristan Selby run in the men's 5,000 meters. Nicole Lucas, Valerie Burns, and Jessica Zangmeister compete in the women's 5,000 meters at 2:20 p.m. (ET). Field events start at 3 p.m. with the meet concluding at 8:40 p.m. with the running of the men's 4x400 meter relay.
"Our team is starting to fall into place," Martin said. "This is the last chance for many of our athletes to secure a spot on the conference championship travel squad and I expect to see some great performances this weekend."
The 2012 Indoor Season is quickly coming to a close with Indiana State competing at the EIU Friday Night Special on Feb. 17 in their final tune-up before the MVC Indoor Championships Feb. 25-26 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
