KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

DES MOINES, IOWA – Indiana State senior Nichole Hope missed the 2012 MVC Outdoor Championships due to an injury but reclaimed the crown she first earned in 2011 on Friday at the 2013 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, winning her second MVC outdoor title in women's pole vault in impressive fashion.

She was not the only winner for Indiana State on the day as freshman John Mascari dominated the men's 10,000 meters to become the Sycamore's second MVC champion on the opening day of the conference outdoor championships. It was the second time in two weeks that Mascari has won on the Jim Duncan Track at Drake University after winning the event at the Drake Relays.

Hope, who also won an indoor title, needed just two jumps to reclaim the championship and was the only competitor to clear 13'-2½” (4.03m). Indiana State teammate Richelle Kimble, who was second to Hope in 2011 and tied for second a year, finished second again this year by clearing 12'-10¾” (3.93m).

With three events scored, Southern Illinois leads the men's competition with 35 points followed by Wichita State (22), Indiana State (20), Illinois State (18), Drake (14), Northern Iowa (6), and Bradley (2). With four events scored on the women's side, Wichita State leads with 45 points followed by Southern Illinois (33), Indiana State (26.5), Illinois State (24), Northern Iowa (19.5), Bradley (6), and Drake (2).

Mascari and Sycamore teammate Tristan Selby ran step-for-step through much of the first half of the race before Mascari pulled away and never looked back, finishing in 30:00.50 with Ryan Rutherford of Illinois State second in 30:07.51. Selby finished 11th with a time of 31:57.13.

Kimyanna Rudolph also scored points for Indiana State in the women's pole vault as she tied for fifth by clearing 12'-2¾” (3.73m). Hannah McKnight placed 10th at 11'-9” (3.48m). Alyssa Markiewicz and Lauren Rice each cleared 11'-3” (3.43m) with Markiewicz judged in a tie for 11th and Rice 14th.

Brandon Pounds placed second and Justin Applegate eighth in the men's hammer throw while Felisha Johnson was fourth in the women's hammer throw. Jordan Colanese also placed eighth in the men's javelin throw.

Pounds was the defending MVC champion in the men's hammer but finished second this year with a throw of 212'-10” (64.87m). The senior ranks 12th in the nation with a school record throw of 215'-2” and lost his title to the fifth ranked thrower in the nation as Southern Illinois' James Lambert won the MVC title with a distance of 220'-6” (67.22m).

Applegate scored a point for the Sycamores by finishing eighth with a distance of 185'-7” (56.56m). Chris Fields finished 10th at 178'-5” (54.39m), Sean Dennis posted his collegiate best 158'-6” (48.32m) to place 17th, and Derek Bunch went 143'-2” (43.63m) to place 18th.

Felisha Johnson opened her final Missouri Valley Conference championship by placing fourth in the women's hammer throw with a season best distance of 195'-4” (59.53m). The Sycamore senior was fifth a year ago. Illinois State's Brittany Smith won the MVC title with a season best 218'-10”. Southern Illinois took the next two spots with DeAnna Price second (213'-10”) and Kim Fortney third (204'-7”).

Colanese posted his collegiate best distance of 186'-8” (56.90m) in finishing eighth in the men's javelin throw. That distance ranks him sixth on Indiana State's all-time list. Illinois State's Tim Glover won the event with a distance of 257'-0” (78.33m).

Rachael Johnson and Steffen competed in their fifth event of the day and joined Sycamore India Williams in the women's javelin competition. Williams threw her collegiate best of 104'-11” (31.99) to place 13th while Steffen went 101'-1” (30.82m) for 14th, and Johnson 87'-10” (26.78m) for 15th. Northern Iowa's Paige Knodle won the event with a distance of 151'-7” (46.20m).

Nicole Lucas competed in the women's 10,000 meters and was 12th with a time of 37:55.63. Wichita State's Aliphina Tuliamuk-Bolton set an MVC Championship record with a winning time of 34:44.01 breaking own mark set last year.

Prior to the start of the 10,000 meter runs, the Missouri Valley Conference honored graduating seniors from each member school. Among those honored from Indiana State were Justin Baxtron, Dustin Betz, Jordan Colanese, Corey Hahn, Jamal Hampton, Drew LaMaster, Brian Martin, Brandon Pounds, Shaun Smith, Robert Webb, Macey Black, Kalli Dalton, Nicole Hope, Richelle Kimble, Leeann Michl, Shalesa Smith, and Stacia Weatherford.

MULTI-EVENTS

Just as she did at the 2013 Drake Relays, Indiana State junior Rachael Johnson posted four collegiate best efforts on the opening day of the heptathlon and currently sits in fourth heading into Day 2 of the event at the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship.  Johnson has 2,150 points through the first four events with junior Kelly Steffen is close behind with 2,110 points.

Robert Webb also had a good day on the opening day of the men's decathlon and stands in fifth place with 3,687 points.

Rachael Johnson opened the Heptathlon with a collegiate best time of 15.45 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles to finish eighth overall and followed that up with a second place finish in the high jump by clearing a collegiate best 5'-6½” (1.69m). She set another collegiate best in the shot put with a distance of 32'-7” (9.93m) which was seventh best in the event and finished off her first day of the competition with her fourth personal best as she ran 26.46 in the 200 meters which was eighth fastest overall.

Steffen opened the Heptathlon with a season best time of 14.67 in the 100 meter hurdles to finish fifth overall. The junior cleared a season best 5'-3” (1.60m) to tie for third in high jump. Steffen had a throw of 30'-9” (9.37m) in the shot put which was eighth best in the event and closed out the first day of the competition with a collegiate best time of 26.24 in the 200 meters which was sixth overall.

Tanya Friesen of Wichita State is the first day leader with 2,456 points followed by Nikki Larch-Miller of Wichita State (2,235), and Paige Knodel of Northern Iowa (2,188). The heptathlon wraps up on Saturday starting with the long jump at 11:30 a.m. (ET). The javelin throw will follow with the final event of the multi-event being the 800 meter run.

Webb opened the Decathlon by running his collegiate best of 11.07 in the 100 meters to finish third and followed that up with a fourth place finish in the long jump with a distance of 22'-5¼” (6.84m). The senior had a throw of 34'-10¼” (10.62m) in the shot put (seventh in the event) and tied for third in the high jump by clearing 6'-5” (1.96m) before finishing the day with his second collegiate best of the competition as he ran 50.84 to finish fourth in the 400 meters.

Wichita State's Austin Bahner leads the decathlon with 3,986 points followed by Northern Iowa's Daniel Gooris (3,792), Northern Iowa's Brandon Mortensen (3,781), and Wichita State's Mac Griffith (3,731). The decathlon wraps up on Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. (ET) with the 110 meter hurdles. That will be followed by the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500 meter run.

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE

Saturday's field events begin at 4 p.m. (ET) with the women's shot put, men's high jump, and women's long jump (4:30 p.m.). The men's shot put and women's high jump will start at 6:30 p.m. (ET) with the men's long jump wrapping up competition in the field events at 7 p.m. (ET).

Events on the track will feature preliminaries in the 100 meter hurdles and 110 meter hurdles starting at 6 p.m. (ET). They will be followed by preliminaries in the 400 meters, 100 meter, 800 meters, 400 meter hurdles, and 200 meters. Saturdays' track events will conclude with the 3,000 meter steeplechase starting at 8 p.m. (ET).