KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Missouri Valley Conference chose to honor six athletes with their weekly track & field honors this week with Indiana State athletes garnering three of those selections with their performances last weekend.

Senior Leeann Michl was named the MVC Women's Track Athlete of the Week while senior Greggmar Swift was the co-winner of the MVC Men's Track Athlete of the Week honor and junior Chris Fields was honored as the co-winner of the MVC Men's Field Athlete of the Week.

Illinois States Brittany Smith was named the MVC Women's Field Athlete of the Week while Southern Illinois' Zach Dahleen (track) and Dougie Palacious (field) shared the men's honors.

Michl, a senior on the Sycamore women's team, has the fastest time in the nation and leads the Missouri Valley Conference after winning the 800 meters at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup, a dual meet between Indiana State and Illinois State held Saturday at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Michl dominated the event with a winning time of 2:10.34 on the 200 meter track, defeating Illinois State's Kristen Zillmer by five seconds (2:15:28). She was six seconds better than Sycamore teammate Shelby Higginbottom (2:16.13) who was third.

Michl's converted time of 2:08.85 is the fastest in the nation after this weekend's events and ranks as the top time in the Valley. She also ran the third leg of the winning 4x400 meter relay team that finished first in 3:49.14. Also on that relay were Macey Black, Stacia Weatherford, and Shelby Higginbottom. The converted time of 3:46.14 is the best in the Valley to date and ranks 30th in the nation. Illinois State was second in 3:58.85.

Swift, a senior on the Sycamore men's team, continued his dominance in the 60 meter hurdles as he won for the second straight time during this indoor season with a time of 7.78 in the finals at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup. Swift leads the Valley and ranks fourth in the nation with his season best time. The junior ran past Sycamore freshman Adarius Washington who had a personal best 7.98 in finishing second. Swift's time set a new “Cup” record and a new record for Rose-Hulman's Sports and Recreation Center.

Fields, a junior on the Sycamore men's team, was a double winner at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup as he won the shot put with a distance of 53-feet-9-inches (16.38 meters) and also won the weight throw with a distance of 62-feet-2.25-inches (18.95 meters). Fields ranks fifth in the Valley in the shot put and second in the weight throw. He also ranks 15th nationally in the weight throw and 69th in the shot put.

Also recognized from Indiana State was freshman Kimyanna Rudolph as a notable performance. Indiana Rudolph is continuing a long line of outstanding pole vaulters at Indiana State as she posted her first collegiate victory at the Coughlan-Malloy Cup. Rudolph was the only competitor to clear 12-feet-6.25-inches (3.82 meters) to win the event over Sycamore teammates Richelle Kimble and Lauren Rice, both clearing 12-feet-0.5-inches (3.67 meters) to tie for second. Rudolph leads the Valley with a height of 12-feet-6.75-inches (3.83 meters) she cleared at the Eastern Illinois Early Bird Meet in December. That height also ranks 29th in the nation.

Indiana State is preparing for the annual Edmonds Cup competition, a dual meet between the Sycamores and Purdue Boilermakers, which will be held Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.