ST. LOUIS -- The league coaches have tabbed Northern Iowa’s men’s program and Illinois State’s women’s program as the favorite in the 2020 Indoor Track and Field Pre-Championship Poll.

Northern Iowa was selected to finish first in the men’s pre-championship poll after receiving seven first-place votes and a total of 77 points. On the track, Tayshaun Cooper and Isaiah Trousil are tied for second on the MVC leaderboard in the 60m with a time of 6.82 and currently hold the first and second place spot for the Valley in the 200m. Northern Iowa’s 4x400m relay team is ranked first in the Valley with a time of 3:13.98 and will look to win the gold in this event again this weekend. The Panthers are currently dominating the leaderboard in the shot put with five of the six top scores in the Valley. Darius King holds the top spot in this event and is ranked 12th nationally.

Illinois State, the reigning MVC Indoor Champions, were picked to finish second with 75 total points and three first-place votes. On the track, Jack Anstey holds top times for Illinois State in the mile (1st) and 3000m (3rd). Ansty took the gold at last years Indoor Championship in the mile and is currently ranked 30th nationally with his time of 3:59.93. Kevin Koski (5000m) and Kimathi Johnson (800m) both hold the fastest times in their respective events. Eddie Winner sits atop the Valley rankings in the Pole Vault with a mark of 5.15m (16’10.75) alongside teammate Kellen Kravik who holds the second highest mark. Austin Rauch holds the second highest mark in the high jump and Caleb Miedema holds the top spot in the Heptathlon for the Valley, ranking 56th nationally.

Indiana State came in third with 62 total points. JaVaughn Moore’s time of 6.78 in the 60m dash places him in first on the MVC leaderboard. Matthew Lewis-Banks time in the 60m hurdles ranks him first in the Valley and 53rd nationally alongside teammate Stephen Griffith who sits 4th in the Valley in the same event. On the field, Nick Schultz (high jump), Emmanuel Odubanjo (triple jump) and Bryan Keubeng (long jump) rank fourth in the Valley for their respective events.

Securing fourth with 51 points is Southern Illinois. Willie Rodgers currently holds the top spot in the Valley for both the High Jump and the triple jump, earning national rankings in the top 100 for both events. Clint Meyer currently sits with the second furthest mark in the shot put ranking him 28th nationally while teammate Ricky Hurley holds the number one spot in the Valley for the weight throw, ranking him 58th nationally.

Loyola came in fifth with 44 points. On the track, Eran Siboni holds top times for the Ramblers in both the 400m (1st) and the 200m (7th). Kevin White (800m) and Riley DeMeulenaere (300m) hold first place spots in the Valley for their respective events. The Distance Medley Relay squad consisting of Kevin White, Ayoub El-Ashmawi, Patrick Leonard and Derek Rink hold the number one spot in the MVC and rank 60th nationally. Leading in the field events include Gift Chinda who holds the second highest mark in the Valley for the Triple Jump and Eric Burns who took gold in the long jump at the MVC Indoor Championship a year ago and currently holds the highest mark in the long jump for the Valley this season. Burns current mark in the long jump ranks him 19th nationally.

Tied for one of the sixth-place spots in the pre-championship poll with 32 points is Bradley. On the track, brothers Jake and Luke Hoffert will leave their mark in addition to teammates Alec Danner, Matt Richtman and Scott Seymour. Luke Hoffert and Matt Richtman currently rank third and fourth in the Valley for the 5000m. Teammates Scott Seymour (800m), Jake Hoffert (Mile) and Alec Danner (3000m) earn top scores in their respective events for the Braves.

Tied for the other sixth-place spot in the pre-championship poll with 32 points is Drake. On the track, Adam Fogg leads the Bulldogs in the mile run, ranking 2nd in the Valley and 46th nationally. Teammates Isaac Basten (3000m) and Maximilian Fridrich (5000m) currently hold the number two spot in their respective events for the Valley. Drake’s distance medley squad consisting of Adam Fogg, Andrew Berndt, Xavier Lechleitner and Isaac Basten hold the second fastest relay time in the Valley after a second-place finish at the 2020 Graduate Classic back in January.

Valparaiso was picked eighth with 24 points. Alexander Bruno currently holds the 3rd fastest mile time in the Valley, the fourth fastest 8000m time in the Valley, and the fifth fastest 3000m time in the Valley. The Distance Medley team consisting of Jack Worman, Benjamin Sekuloski, Joey Black & Eric Carothers place third in the Valley after a second-place finish at the John Gartland Invitational back in January.

Evansville received 10 points in the pre-championship poll. Ian Alberts (Pole Vault), Trey Riggs (60m Hurdles), Stanley Chepchieng (Triple Jump), Michael Boots (Shot Put & Weight Throw) & Joey Rucinski (Heptathlon) rank at the top of each event for Evansville.

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Illinois State was picked to finish first in the pre-championship poll receiving 10 first-place votes and a perfect score of 100 points. On the track, Grace Beattie (3000m), Rachel Hickey (Mile) and Hattie Plumb (800m) all rank first in the Valley for their respective events with Plumb’s 800m time ranking her 64th nationally. Tori Ortiz currently sits atop the leaderboard for the Redbirds in three events; she holds the second-highest time in the 400m, third-highest time in the 60m and fifth highest time in the 200m for the Valley. On the field, Kameesha Smith (High Jump) Ariana Cranston (Pole Vault) and Jordyn Bruce (Pentathlon) rank first in their respective events for the Valley and all rank within the top 100 nationally. Tayler Weaver (Shot Put) and Sydney Laufenberg (Weight Throw) are both ranked second in the Valley for their respective events.

Tabbed second in the coach’s pre-championship poll with 85 points is Southern Illinois. On the track, Ty’Juana Eason currently holds top times for the Salukis in the 60m (1st) and the 200m (4th). SIU’s 4x400m Relay team of Ty’Juana Eason, Genesis Ewell, Madison Meyer and Savannah Long place first in the Valley this season after competing at the Music City Challenge earlier this month. Madison Meyer (Long Jump), A’veun Moore-Jones (Shot Put) and Alexis Roberson (Weight Throw) all sit at the top of the Valley standings in their respective events with both Moore-Jones (27) and Roberson (14) placing within the top 30 Nationally.

Indiana State was voted third in the pre-championship poll with 80 points. On the track, Allana Ince holds the number one spot in the Valley for the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.46 alongside teammate Tajaa Fair who is ranked 4th in the Valley in this same event. The Sycamores 4x400m relay squad including Iyanla Hunter, Rebecca Odusola, Jezel Martin & Imani Davis rank third in the Valley after placing second at the John Gartland Invitational earlier this season. On the field, Kelsey Bowlds ranks second in the Valley and 75th nationally in the High Jump.

Coming in fourth in the pre-championship poll is Northern Iowa with 75 points. On the track, UNI will look to Taylor Raines (200m) and Mckayla Cole (5000m) who are both ranked second in the MVC in their respective events. Distance Medley Relay team consisting of Josie Kriener, Brittany Davis, Jenna Lederman & Maddie Block rank third in the Valley after taking the gold at the Liz Wuertz Indoor Invitational earlier this season. Alanna Nietert will represent UNI in the field events. Nietert currently sits third in the Valley and 56th nationally in the Weight Throw with her mark earned this past weekend at the Minnesota Cold Classic.

Voted fifth in the pre-championship poll with 58 points is Loyola. The Ramblers will look to Tarynn Cullings whocurrently sits with the fastest time in the Valley in the 5000m run alongside teammates Rita Maurais (Mile) and Claire Hengesbaugh (3000m, 5000m) both placing third in the Valley for their respective events. Loyola currently holds the number one spot in the Distance Medley after a strong showing at the GVSU Big Meet earlier this month. Oyinlola Akinlosotu currently ranks first in the Valley for the Triple Jump alongside teammate Sarah Olojo who currently holds the second highest mark in the Valley in this same event.

Tabbed sixth with 52 points is Missouri State. The Bears have had a strong showing on the track this indoor season. Malia Watkins currently sits with the fastest time in the Valley for the 200m run and the second fastest time in the Valley for the 60m. Edna Dar has the third fastest time in the Valley this season in the 800m and the fourth fastest mile time in the Valley this season. The Distance Medley Relay team consisting of Edna Dar, India McNeill, Grace Breiten and Adyson Delaney currently hold the second-place spot after a strong finish at the Gorilla Classic earlier this month.

Drake was picked seventh in the pre-championship poll with 36 points. The Bulldogs will look to Yinka Mary Ajayi on the track as she holds the fastest time in the Valley and is ranked 49th nationally this season for the 400m. Ajayi also holds the third fastest time in the Valley this season for the 200m. Freshman Maja Gebauer will look to place in the Pole Vault this weekend as she currently sits with the second highest mark in the Valley (3.98 / 13’0.75).

Bradley took eighth in the poll with 30 points. The Braves own top-ten times in the 3000m (McKenzie Altmayer, Gabby Juarez), the 5000m (Gabby Juarez) and the 4x400m Relay (Hannah Ivy, Amelia Lesher, Emma Makowski & Laura Staurt).

Evansville was chosen ninth in the pre-championship poll with 19 points. Anna Lowry will be the key to the Ace’s success as she currently holds three top-15 finishes on the Valley Performance List, her highest being the 5000m run where she currently holds the fourth fastest time in the Valley.

Valparaiso rounds out the poll with 15 points. Sierra Fischer, Katherine Germann, Anne Mou and Lauren Mikolajczak all rank within the top-15 on the Valley’s performance list this season. Sierra Fischer currently ranks highest for the squad on the performance list with a fourth-place spot in the 400m.

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Northern Iowa will host the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Championship February 29 - March 1 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Cleck out the Valley's championship central page HERE for more championship details.