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 2021 Indoor Track and Field Pre-Championship Poll.
MVC Men's Pre-Championship Poll Results -
Northern Iowa, the reigning MVC Indoor Champions, were selected to finish first in the men’s pre-championship poll after receiving five first-place votes and a total of 75 points. Going into the Championship, Tayshaun Cooper currently holds the second fastest time in the Valley for the 60m and sits alongside teammates Isaiah Trousil (1
st) and Eli Hicks (2
nd) on the 200m leaderboard. Expect big things from Parker Kiewiet, Kyler Yodts, Thai Thompson and Darius King in their respective field events. Parker Kiewiet currently holds the top spot in the Valley for the long jump and is ranked 51
st nationally. Kyler Yodts currently ranks second in the weight throw for the Valley and 45
th nationally, and Thai Thompson holds the top spot in the Valley in the Heptathlon and ranks 63
rd nationally. UNI currently holds four of the top five spots in the shot put for the Valley with Darius King sitting atop the leaderboard ranking first in the MVC and seventh nationally.
Indiana State was picked to finish second in the pre-championship poll with 73 total points and three first-place votes. The Sycamores currently have four of the top five fastest times in the 60m dash with MVC Most Outstanding Male Track Athlete, JaVaughn Moore on top of the Valley leaderboard with his time of 6.76. Matthew Lewis-Banks looks for another gold medal in the 60m hurdles; his current time of 8.05 is second in the Valley this season and is ranked nationally. Distance Medley Relay squad (Hopf, Wilson, Russell, Kilian) sit first on the Valley leaderboard and 37
th nationally with a time of 10:34.54. In the field, high jump teammates Kevin Krutsch and Nick Schultz share the top spot in the Valley and are ranked 30
th in the nation with their mark of 2.11m (6’11”). Sophomore Emmanuel Odubanjo has the furthest mark in the Valley for the triple jump alongside teammate Dearis Harron who currently holds the second-best mark in both the long jump and the triple jump. Indiana State is looking for their fifth MVC Indoor Title this weekend with their last being 2015.
Illinois State came in third with 67 total points and one first place vote. On the track, Brandon Gage (400m) and Riley Wells (800m) both hold the fastest times in the Valley for their respective events. All-Conference Senior Kevin Koski goes into the championship ranked first in the Valley and 32
nd nationally in the 5000m with his time of 14:00.40 and teammate Brandon Ratliff is currently ranked first in the Valley and 47
th nationally in the 60m hurdles with his time of 7.99. In the field events, Eddie Winner looks for back-to-back gold medals in the pole vault ranking first in the Valley with his mark of 5.00m (16’4.75) alongside teammates Max Schweitzer (2
nd) and Ryan Ashenbremer (4
th). Logan Calvin will lead the way for the Redbirds in the shot put and weight throw. Calvin is currently ranked 27
th nationally in the weight throw with his mark of 20.83m (68’4.25) and 28
th nationally in the shot put with his mark of 18.51m (60’8.75).
Securing fourth with 49 points is
Southern Illinois. Willie Johnson currently sits with the second-best time of 49.11 in the 400m for the Valley this season. Kyle Lind, ranked third in the 60m hurdles, is one of three Salukis sitting in the top-10 for this event. The Salukis will look to Kyle Zeinemann, Caleb Vogel and Dawson Plab in the field events. Zeinemann is ranked second in the Valley with his mark of 4.72m (15’5.75”) in the pole vault, while teammates Dawson Plab and Caleb Vogel sit tied for fourth in the high jump for the MVC with their mark of 2.02m (6’7.5”).
Drake came in fifth with 42 points. The Bulldogs currently have three of the top 10 times in the Valley this season in the mile with Adam Fogg leading the way with a sub-four-minute mile time of 3:59.03 ranking him 22
nd in the nation. Alongside Fogg on the track are Isaac Basten who currently has the second fastest 5000m time in the Valley this season, Ryan Schweizer who ranks fifth in the 800m and Max Fridrich who always leaves his mark when competing. Cloud Masibhera and Joey Harkins will shine in the field events. Masibhera currently ranks fifth in the MVC for the long jump and Joey Harkins owns the third best mark in the Valley for the weight throw which also ranks nationally.
Bradley was picked sixth with 36 points in the pre-championship poll. The Braves currently have seven of the top ten times in the Valley this season for the 3000m with Charlie Parrish (1
st), Matt Aho (2
nd) and Evan Mitchell (3
rd) leading the pack. The Braves distance medley relay team of Aidan Donohue, Mason Jones, Alex Klinkner and Noah Costa currently rank second best in the Valley and 43
rd in the nation.
Coming in seventh with 34 points is
Loyola. The Ramblers currently have 11 runners ranked in the top-20 for the 5000m with Blake Buysse leading the pack ranked fourth in the Valley. Demetri Panici currently ranks fifth in the mile and sixth in the 800m. The Ramblers will look to teammates Tobi Alabi and Kevin Szczepaniec in the triple jump, as they are ranked third and fourth in the Valley this season.
Valparaiso was picked eighth with 19 points. On the track, Dominic Paoletti holds the fourth best time in the 3000m and the fifth best time in the 5000m for the Valley. TJ Weinzimmer currently ranks fifth in the triple jump with his mark of 13.58m (44’6.75”) and teammates Eddie Juszczak and Alek Trafton both rank within the top twenty for the Valley in the weight throw.
Evansville received 10 points in the pre-championship poll. Trey Riggs (triple jump, long jump, 60m hurdles), Ian Alberts (pole vault), Brendon Smith (triple jump), Zach Dove (weight throw), Michael Boots (shot put, weight throw), Geordan Blades (60m) and Steven Burkhart (60m hurdles) all rank within the top twenty on the Valley performance list in their respective events.
MVC Women's Pre-Championship Poll Results -
Illinois State was selected to finish first in the pre-championship poll receiving 10 first-place votes and a perfect score of 100 points. On the track, Mya Robinson holds the top spot on the Valley leaderboard in the 60m hurdles with her time of 8.69. Jaclyn Greci currently sits with the second fastest time in the 400m alongside three other Redbirds who all rank within the top-20 for this event. Elite 17 Award Winner Rachel Hickey has the third fastest time in the mile this season for the Valley. The Illinois State 4x400 relay team (Greci, Oakley, White, Lieb) look for the gold at this weekends championship as they currently have the fastest relay time in the Valley (3:51.84). In the field, Kameesha Smith is ranked sixth best in the nation for the high jump also ranking first on the MVC Leaderboard with her mark of 1.82m (5’11.5”). Teammates Grace Daun and Kristin Higgins also rank within the top-five in the high jump for the Valley and are both nationally ranked. Nicole Bagwell will look to take the gold in the pole vault; she currently ranks first in the Valley with her mark of 3.90m (12’9.5”). Myejoi Williams (shot put), Sydney Laufenberg (weight throw) and Zofia LeHew (pentathlon) all rank within the top-five on the MVC Leaderboard in their respective events. The Redbirds have won 12 MVC Indoor Championships and are looking for their fourth-consecutive Indoor Championship Title this weekend.
Indiana State places second in the pre-championship poll with 87 points. On the track, Jocelyn Quiles currently ranks within the top-10 on the Valley leaderboard in the 300m (2
nd), the 800m (6
th) and the mile (6
th). Mirlege Castor currently holds the second fastest 60m time in the Valley and is ranked within the top-10 for the 200m. Zoe Sullivan currently sits third on the Valley leaderboard this season in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.86 and will look for a spot on the podium this weekend. The Sycamores will look to Mia Mackenzie in the pentathlon as she currently ranks first in the Valley this season heading into the championship. Ryann Porter sits first for the Valley for the triple jump with her mark of 11.91m (39’1”). In the pole vault, Selene Weaver is best of four Sycamores to rank within the top-10 for the Valley this season. Others to watch out for include Kelsey Bowlds (high jump), Kaitlyn Davis (long jump) and Jayla Bynum (shot put) who all rank within the top-five in their respective events on the Valley performance list.
Northern Iowa was voted third in the pre-championship poll with 76 points. The Panthers will look to McKayla Cole and Kate Crawford both ranked within the top-20 on the Valley leaderboard in the 5000m and 3000m. Libby Wedewer holds the third fastest time in the Valley for the 200m and ranks within the top-10 in the 60m. Sophia Jungling currently ranks third in the 800m alongside three other Panthers all ranked 12th in the Valley or higher for this event. Others to watch out for on the track include Jill Bennett who holds the third fastest time in the 400m, Paige Holub who ranks fifth in the mile and Aleenah Marcucci who holds the fourth best 60m time. Marcucci will also shine in the field as she currently holds the top spot in the Valley this season for the long jump with her mark of 5.67m (18’7.25”). Cierra Laux and Isabelle Holzen currently rank within the top-ten for the Valley this season in the pole vault, and teammate Rylie Todd ranks within the top-10 for the Valley in the high jump. The Panthers have three of the top six times in the Valley this season for the Pentathlon with Erica Loussaert ranked third.
Tabbed fourth in the coach’s pre-championship poll with 74 points is
Southern Illinois. On the track, Iaunia Pointer ranks second in the 200m and third in the 60m for the Valley. Savannah Long currently holds the second best 60m hurdles time and is ranked within the top-twenty for the Valley in the 400m. Kayla Schiera holds the fourth best time for the 3000m and is ranked within the top-twenty for the Valley in the mile going into this weekend. The Salukis hold five of the top six best marks in the Valley this season for the weight throw with Shauniece O’Neal, Elisia Lancaster, Emily Kern, Kaitlyn Burson and Bri’Yanna Robinson all ranked nationally. A’veun Moore-Jones ranks first in the Valley and 12
th nationally in the shot put alongside teammate Kayleigh Conlon who is ranked second in the Valley and 48
th nationally going into this weekend. Erin Diemer (pole vault) and Trinity Daniels (triple jump) are both ranked within the top-five for the Valley in their respective events.
Voted fifth with 59 points is
Missouri State. On the track, Madison Meredith, Calandra Henry and Nakaja Weaver all rank top-20 in the Valley for both the 60m and the 200m. Meredith’s current time of 7:44 in the 60m also ranks her 45
th nationally. Edna Dar currently leads Missouri State in both the 800m and the mile. The Bears Distance Medley Relay squad of Williams, Holtz, Dar and Rolewicz currently rank first in the Valley and 39
th in the nation this season. In the field, Jessica Haney currently sits second in the Valley and 16
th in the nation this season for the high jump with her mark of 1.78m (5’10”) and teammate Brooke Jenkins currently holds the furthest long jump mark and second best triple jump mark in the Valley this season.
Loyola was picked sixth in the pre-championship poll with 46 points. On the track, the Ramblers will look to 2019 Women’s XC Athlete of the Year, Anneka Murrin, who is ranked first in the Valley and 43
rd nationally in the mile this season. Alongside Murrin on the track are Kathleen Simms and Claire Hengesbaugh who currently rank first and third in the Valley for the 3000m and Mimi Reimers who holds the top time in the Valley for the 5000m this season. In the field, Lovie Annafi currently sits on the Valley leaderboard in both the long jump and the triple jump.
Bradley was chosen seventh in the poll with 44 points. The Braves will shine on the track at this years Indoor Championship. Sisters Wilma and Julia Nielsen currently hold the top two times in the Valley this season for the 800m and are both nationally ranked in this event. Wilma also holds the second fastest mile time in the Valley this season alongside five other Braves who are ranked within the top twenty.
Drake took eighth in the poll with 33 points. Yinka Mary Ajayi currently ranks first in the Valley and is ranked 62
nd nationally in the 400m alongside teammates Busiwa Asinga and Briandrias Rhodes who are both ranked within the top-ten for the Valley in this same event. Other track competitors to watch this weekend include Brooke Mullins, Elizabeth Aho, Ashlee Siegle and Millie Bretl. In the field, Chandler Haight currently holds the seventh best mark in the Valley this year in the shot put.
Evansville was selected ninth in the poll with 16 points. On the track, Anna Lowry currently holds the fourth fastest mile time in the Valley this season. In the field, Kylee Peck (high jump), Caitlin Kehler (pole vault), McKenna Sapp (pole vault) and Taiza Alexander (long jump) are all ranked within the top twenty of their respective events for the Valley.
Rounding out the poll with 15 points is
Valparaiso. Peyton Weber (triple jump), Michelle Pierce (weight throw) and Lauran Mikolajczak (weight throw) all rank within the top-20 on the Valley’s performance list this season.
Northern Iowa will host the 2021 Missouri Valley Conference Championship February 26
th – February 29
th in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Check out the Valley’s championship central page
HERE for more championship details.
MVC Cross Country Championship -
On Wednesday, March 3
rd, the University of Evansville will host the 2020-21 Missouri Valley Cross Country Championship. Below are some highlights from the 2019 championship as we gear up for the event -
Men’s Team Scores:
- Bradley (17 points)
- Drake (74 points)
- Northern Iowa (94 points)
- Loyola (98 points)
- Valparaiso (134 points)
- Illinois State (136 points)
- Southern Illinois (170 points)
- Indiana State (220 points)
- Evansville (279 points
Women’s Team Scores:
- Loyola (17 points)
- Bradley (64 points)
- Indiana State (92 points)
- Illinois State (133 points)
- Missouri State (146 points)
- Northern Iowa (163 points)
- Southern Illinois (168 points)
- Drake (215 points)
- Valparaiso (234 points)
- Evansville (249 points)
2019 Specialty Award Winners:
Men’s Athlete of the Year- Jake Hoffert, Bradley
Men’s Elite 17- Jack Franklin, Bradley
Men’s Freshman of the Year- Matt Richtman, Bradley
Women’s Athlete of the Year- Anneka Murrin, Loyola
Women’s Elite 17- Rachel Hickey, Illinois State
Women’s Freshman of the Year- Sophia McDonnell, Bradley
2019 MVC All-Conference Men -
Jake Hoffert, Bradley
Luke Hoffert, Bradley
Matt Richtman, Bradley
Ben Potrykus, Bradley
Wal Khat, Northern Iowa
CJ May, Northern Iowa
Jack Franklin, Bradley
Alexander Bruno, Valparaiso
Kyle Brandt, Drake
Riley Demeulenaere, Loyola
2019 MVC All-Conference Women -
Anneka Murrin, Loyola
Mimi Reimers, Loyola
Tarynn Cullings, Loyola
Kathleen Simms, Loyola
Anna Lowry, Evansville
Brooke Moore, Indiana State
Sophia Noto, Loyola
Rachel Hickey, Illinois State
Mckenzie Altmayer, Bradley
Tyler Schwartz, Bradley
For more information about the MVC Cross Country Championship in Evansville, Indiana – Click
HERE