Home sweet home: ISU track teams get NCAA qualifying performances

Home sweet home was never more meaningful to the Indiana State track and fields teams than it was for the ISU Pacesetter Invitational Saturday at Marks Field.

It was easy to tell why.

You could see it in the jubilant face of Kylie Hutson as she shattered the ISU and Marks Field record in the pole vault on the launch pad she’s most familiar with.

You could see it in the sense of accomplishment Anthony Bertoli felt when he met the 400 meter hurdles NCAA qualifying mark … right on the nose.

And you could see it on the happy faces of ISU’s 24 seniors, who were able to be honored for Senior Day on their own home track for the first time in anyone’s memory.

“We’ve never been able to have a real Senior Day ceremony in our home facility, at least not since I’ve been here,” said ISU women’s track and field coach John Gartland, who has been at ISU for 20 years. “It was a good day all-around.”

The meet was not scored for team points, so it was down to performing well in individual events to prepare for the conference and NCAA meets later this month.

Hutson was the star of the day for ISU. She cleared 14 feet, 2 inches on the pole vault, well past her outdoor season-best of 13-11/2 going into the meet. Her vault wiped out two of her own records. She reset the school record by an inch and the Marks Field record by over a foot.

“It was awesome. I haven’t had a real good jump this outdoor season, so it was really good to get back into my old rhythm,” said Hutson, who is the reigning NCAA indoor pole vault champion.

Hutson said her rhythm was on track because she was excited to compete in a home meet. Near perfect weather conditions — unexpected given that rain was forecast — didn’t hurt either.

“I was so excited because it was a home meet, the weather was awesome, my parents were here, my friends were here, all of it really got me rolling,” Hutson said. “Getting to compete on my own surface, it’s just like a practice, it feels comfortable for me.”

Hutson had already posted a NCAA qualifying effort, but for others, the Pacesetter Invitational was one of the last chances many ISU athletes will get to meet the NCAA qualifying standard in their event.

Four Sycamores who hadn’t already qualified for the NCAA Regional did so Saturday.

Bertoli did it with no room to spare, winning the 400 hurdles with a time of 52.51 seconds, the minimum NCAA qualifying time. It could have been faster, but Bertoli had to work his way around a competitor who fell in the neighboring lane.

“It’s pretty exciting. The guy in the lane on the inside of me hit the eighth hurdle and went down, I had to leap over him a little bit, so I’m happy with running that time,” Bertoli said.

ISU’s Josh Williams and Lyle Nolcox finished 1-2 in the hammer throw, with both throws good enough to make the NCAAs. Nolcox has qualified before, but Williams, who won the event with a throw of 191 feet, 9 inches, had not. It was feather in Williams’ cap as he was also honored on his Senior Day.

“I was a little too anxious at the start, I had a couple of bad throws, I needed to relax, but coach [Adam] Judge was there to fix [the throws] at the last second,” Williams said. “He helped me relax and it made me do what I was capable of doing.”

On the women’s side, Jeanne Middleton qualified in the 100, winning with a time of 11.53 seconds. Also honored on Senior Day, Gartland was thrilled to see her get through.

“She’s worked and pushed so hard to get there. I’m really glad to see her do it,” Gartland said.

ISU won 11 men’s events overall and 10 on the women’s side.

Among the highlights was Kelsey Hanley’s winning women’s hammer throw of 184-10, her personal best and beyond her NCAA-qualifying throw she already attained this season. Major Clay, who had also already qualified for the NCAAs in the high jump, set a personal best with a leap of 7 feet, 21/2 inches.

Erica Moore, who has already qualified for the NCAA heptathlon and 400, was rested on Saturday, only running the last leg of the 1,600 relay. Gartland said Moore was rested after she participated in eight events at last week’s Drake Relays.

One other Marks Field record was set as Principia’s Rachael Richards won the women’s steeplechase with a time of 10:50.36.

The Pacesetter Invitational also served as a dry run for the MVC Track and Field Championships, which ISU will host in two weeks. That will be a much bigger undertaking. Among other things, 4th Street — which sits astride the east side of the track — will be closed and temporary bleachers will be set up.

“Everything went the way we had hoped for today. Even the weather was much better than we had thought it would be,” ISU men’s coach John McNichols said.

ISU has one meet remaining before the MVC Championships as it will compete in Indiana’s Billy Hayes Invitational. Rose-Hulman will compete there as well.



ISU Pacesetter Invitational

Men

400 — Sean Wright (ISU) 47.68; Korey Bucher (Manchester) 48.18; Colton Slack (ISU) 49.38; 1,500 — Jeremiah Vaughn (ISU) 3:53.74; Kyle Walsh (ISU) 3:55.08; Michael Disher (ISU) 3:56.02; 110 hurdles — Michael Roberts (ISU) 14.90; Marcus Evans (SIU-Edwardsville) 15.15; Dan Davis (Washington U.) 15.37; 400 relay — Indiana State (Daryl Truitt, Gary Ogburn, Wright, Jeramie Gray) 41.01; PV — Nick Ragusa (Illinois State) 15-9; Eric Mammoser (SIUE) 15-3; Andrew LaMaster (ISU) 15-3; Anthony Bertoli (ISU) 15-3; Jeremy Pratt (ISU) 15-3; Steven Swinford (ISU) 15-3; LJ — Chris Kirtz (ILS) 23-2; Tra Wilson (ISU-unattached) 21-83/4; Jon Lautzenheiser (ISU) 21-8; Triple jump — Ernest Rollins (ISU) 45-113/4; Tyler Knight (ILS) 45-3; Ben Pratt (ILS) 44-41/4; SP — Brandon Pounds (ISU) 56-10*; Drew Traub (ISU-unattached) 51-91/4; George Weed (ISU) 51-21/4; Hammer — Joshua Williams (ISU) 191-9*; Lyle Nolcox (ISU) 186-5*; Jason Robbs (ILS) 185-3; 100 — Gray (ISU) 10.57; Truitt (ISU) 10.76; Chris Littleton (SIUE-UN) 10.85; HJ — Major Clay (ISU) 7-2 1/4*; David Bell (ISU) 6-83/4; John Kimmel (MAN) 6-83/4; Brandon Youngdale (ISU) 6-83/4; 800 — John Neisler (ILS) 1:54.45; Konstantinos Tzirtziris (ISU) 1:54.47; Matthias Haller (Huntington) 1:54.65; 400 hurdles — Anthony Bertoli (ISU) 52.51*; James Twitchell (ISU) 54.20; Carl Azab (ILS) 54.36; D — Julius Smith (ISU) 157-1; Ben Bishop (SIUE) 154-3; Traub (ISU-UN) 153-0; 200 — Ogburn (ISU) 21.68; Littleton (SIUE-UN) 21.74; Kayode Adegoke (ILS) 22.00; 5,000 — Matt Mroczynski (ILS) 14:30.40; Craig Padgett (ISU) 14:56.43; Jon Roberts (ILS) 15:02.80; 1,600 relay — Washington U. (Ben Harmon, Ibaro Umana, Chris Malaya, Tanner Coghill) 3:18.85; 2. Indiana State 3:19.33; Javelin — Keith England (WASH) 195-8; Williams (ISU) 169-5; Stephen Griffy (DEP) 165-1.



Women

400 — Mary Kate Conway (ISU) 56.48; Alia McAfee (ILS) 56.62; Brianna Officer (ILS) 57.48; 1,500 — Heather Stambridge (ISU) 4:29.71; Jess Husted (ILS) 4:40.76; Michelle Brunk (ILS) 4:42.08; 5,000 — Kayla Brown (SIUE) 17:30.50; Allison Bishel (Ball State) 17:34.80; Kayla Alexander (ISU) 17:40.80; 100 hurdles — Amber Williams (BSU) 13.84: Katie Johnson (BSU) 13.97; Shannon Turczyn (Monmouth) 14.46; 5. Sarah Snapp (ISU) 14.79; 400 relay — Indiana State (Jaquelle Spencer, Jeanne Middleton, Lauren Martin, Conway) 46.14; HJ — Albercht (ILS) 5-5; Kailey Honn (MAN) 5-3; Annie Beasley (ISU) 5-3; LJ — Martin (ISU) 19-63/4; Thekla Lorenz (BSU) 18-9; Erica Moore (ISU) 17-8; Lindsay Bangert (BSU) 17-8; SP — Tori Ziegler (ILS) 47-8; Samantha Springer (ILS) 47-8; Felisha Johnson (ISU-unattached) 46-0; 9. Autumn Sowders (ISU) 38-01/4; D — Springer (ILS) 159-10; Kami Klopfenstein (ILS) 145-8; Ziegler (ILS) 144-2, 4. Johnson (ISU-UN) 135-5, 8. Sarah Baker (ISU) 126-9; Hammer — Kelsey Hanley (ISU) 184-10*; Springer (ILS) 176-1; Tyra Schantz (BSU) 151-4; 100 — Jeanne Middleton (ISU) 11.53*; Williams (BSU) 11.73*; Janae Taylor (BSU) 11.92; Triple jump — Martin (ISU) 40-5*; Megan Dennis (SIUE) 37-103/4; Albrecht (ILS) 35-51/4; 800 — Lauren Reich (DePauw) 2:13.95; Adriane Wunderlich (ISU) 2:14.24; Allison Malone (ISU) 2:16.32; 400 hurdles — Danielle Wadlington (WASH) 1:02.07; Jenna Schmitmeyer (BSU) 1:02.71; Lauren Davenport (HUN) 1:03.24; 4. Amanda Jones (ISU) 1:03.56; 200 — Jaquelle Spencer (ISU) 25.20; Chenae White (DEP) 25.20; Christina Whitt (BSU) 25.52; Steeplechase — Rachael Richards (Principia) 10:50.36$; Mary Kate Beyer (MON) 11:01.94#; Alison Case (DEP) 11:23.65; 4. Kelsie Slater (ISU) 11:54.16; PV — Kylie Hutson (ISU)*$% 14-2; Dianna Noonan (GVS) 13-51/2; Kellie Kiernan (GVS) 12-7; Javelin — Leigh Petranoff (ILS) 143-10*; Alli Alberts (WASH) 125-1; Gloria Lehr (MON) 122-2; 8. Autumn Sowders (ISU) 106-0; 1,600 relay — Indiana State (Martin, Conway, Posey, Erica Moore) 3:44.46.

* NCAA regional qualifying standard

$ Marks Field record

# bettered former Marks Field record

% ISU record

Text Only | Photo Reprints