St. Louis – The Sycamores of Indiana State and Redbirds of Illinois State are tabbed to take home the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships in Chicago. The Sycamores claim the top title for the Men from the Coach’s Pre-championship poll pulling away from the crowd with 93 points, and 6 first place predictions from competing coaches. The Redbirds claim their spot at the top for the women with 142 points and 10 of 12 first place predictions. Competition for the Championship will be held Sunday February 26^th through Monday February 27^th at the Dr. Conrad Worrill Track & Field Center at Gately Park in Chicago Illinois.  

WOMEN
 
The Illinois State Redbird women strive for their fourteenth women’s indoor team title in program history, after earning runner-up honors in the indoor 2022 season.  After tabbing a near perfect score of 142 out of 144 points, the Redbirds took eleven out of twelve first place votes. The Redbirds hold 40 top 10 Valley positions and 5 number one spots across all events. In the 60meter-dash Seven Hicks holds the top Valley time of 7.39 seconds. In the field the Redbirds are led by 3 - second place standings in the long jump, Melissa Parrell set a mark of 5.99m at the 2023 Hooiser Hills Meet, in the triple jump Madison Saunders marked a distance of 12.21m at the 2023 Meyo Invitational, and in the shot put Myejoi Williams set a season best of 16.10m at the 2023 PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational Indoor. The Redbirds currently sit #12 in the Midwest Region with event squads in the pentathlon, 60-meter dash, and shot-put ranking in the top 25 in the nation according to the USTFCCCA.

Indiana State tabbed at 127 points in the Pre-championship Coach’s Poll, after winning the MVC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2022, Indiana State looks to defend its title with another strong showing. Ryann Porter leads the way for the Sycamores with top-three marks in the triple jump (1st, 12.59m/41-03.75) and 60m hurdles (8.66), while the Trees also have two of the top three pole vaulters in Brooklyn Giertz (second, 3.97m/13-00.25) and Selene Weaver (3.96m/12-11.75). Zoe Sullivan enters as the top-ranked Sycamore in a track event, with her 60m hurdles time of 8.42 sitting second in the MVC. Brittney Walker owns top-three marks in both the long jump (5.86m/19-02.75) and triple jump (12.06m/39-06.75), while Kelsey Bowlds and Eva Grace Quinlan have both cleared 1.73m (5-08.00) in the high jump. The Sycamore women sit #11 in the Great Lakes Region with pole vault event squad ranking in the top 15 in the nation.
 
Murray State tabs third in their first Missouri Valley Conference Track and Field Championship with 112 points. The Racers show with 4 top spots in the Valley and 25 top ten spots. The Racers are lead in the field events with Jenna Pauly in the Pentathlon where she scored 3760 points at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Rachel Hagans also holds a top spot for the Racers in the Long Jump with a height of 6.18m, and Meghan Fletcher holds the top Valley high jump mark at 1.75m. On the track the Racers utilize Kayla Bell in the 400m spot at 54.57 set earlier this month, Bell also holds a top 5 spot in the 800 meter-dash with a time of 2:08.17. The Racers Pentathlon squad holds a top 20 spot in the USTFCCA rankings alongside a #17 rank in the Southeast region.

The Bradley Braves tab fourth with 108-point momentum coming off their 2022 MVC Cross Country Champion Title. The Braves holds three top Valley spots in the 3000 meter run, 800 meter run, and the Mile. The Braves hold spots one through three in the 3000-meter run and 800-meter run. Led by MVC individual Cross Country Champion Nicola Jansen, Bradley holds the top spot in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9:13.61 and the runner-up spot in the mile at 4:45.96. Wilma Nielsen also holds the Bradley record in the 800-meter-run with a time of 2:02.91. Nielsen sits 10^th in the nation with this time. Tiana LoStacco leads the Braves and Valley in the Mile with a time of 4:39.00. Bradley’s 3000- meter and 800-meter event squads hold a #34 and #17 rank, respectively, in the nation. The Braves also hold a #13 rank in the Midwest Region.

Southern Illinois is voted fifth in the Coach’s Poll with a point total of 89. After placing third at last year’s championship, the Saluki’s hold two number one spots in the Valley in the weight throw and the 200-meter-dash. Shauniece O’Neal, set the Valley record last year at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships with a mark of 23.11m. O’Neal currently leads the Valley with a mark of 22.40m placing her 10^th in the nation. Iaunia Pointer holds the top spot in the 200-meter-dash with a time of 23.81 set at the Indiana University Relays. Pointer also leads the Salukis in the 400-meter dash and the 60-meter-dash. Rachel Anderson three top ten spots for the Salukis in the mile, 3000m run, and 5000m run. Anderson set a personal best in the 5000m run with a time of 16:34.30 to move to second in the Valley.

Northern Iowa earns 86 votes to grasp sixth in the Coach’s Poll. Katie Fare holds the Panther’s top spot in the Valley in the shot put with a personal best mark of 16.68m set at the SDSU Indoor Classic. The Panther field events show great depth with 11 top ten Valley marks including 2022 MVC Outdoor Champion Rylie Todd with a standing mark of 1.70m in the High Jump. Senior Mari Shavers also set a new Panther record in the weight throw moving her to third in the Valley with a 20.03m mark. On the Track Rylan Santi holds a third-place spot in the 60-meter-dash with a school record time of 7.43 seconds set earlier this month. In the 60-Hurdles sophomore Paige Kisley holds a time of 8.72 seconds, sitting her fourth in the Valley. The Panthers hold a #19 rank in the Midwest Region and three top 20 event squad rankings, with the women’s shot put leading the Valley on the women’s side at #12 in the nation.

Belmont Bruins tabbed at seventh with 72 points with Coach Jeff Langdon’s statement about this season and upcoming Championship: “Moving to the Missouri Valley has certainly been a wake-up call for our program. I am really pleased with the attitude and effort of our team and the improvements we have made this indoor season, but we have a long way to go to become relevant in this conference. There are no weak events in this conference, and we will be hard pressed to score significant points in any event.  But the ladies are motivated to step up, and I think we are ready to get in there and compete.  Individually, Tyra Finkeldey has a chance to perform really well for us in the pole vault.  We also hope to get some big points from Rebekah Stucker in the throws and Kaitlyn Vanderkolk in the distance events. Emma Garcia Palencia has performed well for us in the multis and has a chance to score well for us.” The Bruins are ranked 26^th in the South region, with 11 top ten performances including top spots in the 5000 meter run and Pole Vault in the Valley this season.

Missouri State earns 63 points from the Coach’s for eighth place. The Lady Bears tab 9 top 10 Valley spots with Brooke Jenkins hold two fifth place spots in the long jump and triple jump. Jenkins marked a 5.77m in the long jump and 11.68m in the triple jump. Henry Calandra holds a time of 24.31 seconds in the 200 meter-dash alongside 7.49 seconds in the 60-meter-dash. Missouri State enters the championship with a second-best Valley time in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:47.89 by Obazughanmwen, Henry, Dar, and Rhode. The Lady Bears mark 27^th in the Midwest regional rankings.

Drake slated a close 62 points for 9^th place. The Bulldogs are led by Brooke Mullins’ performance in the Mile with a time of 4:46.01 set at the Cyclone Open. The Bulldogs hold six top 10 places in the Valley including the Distance Medley of Shannon, Behunin, Meyer, and Vrhovac that clocked a time of 11:51.82 at the SDSU Indoor Classic. Chandler Haight ranks seventh in the women’s shot put after breaking her own school record (48-0.75 at the Graduate Classic). Emilie Meyer sits ninth in the MVC 800m this season with a time of 2:12.53. Centaine Noom-Duckworth has the ninth-farthest weight throw in the MVC to this point (57-4.25). Busiwa Asinga (55.25) and Briandrias Rhodes (55.46) finished first and second respectively in the 400m final at the 2022 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The Bulldogs rank 23rd in the Midwest regional rankings.

Entering the Valley for their first season UIC gains 34 points in the polls. UIC finished 7^th at the Horizon League Championships in 2021-22. The Flames bring junior Bailey Moran to the Valley after her third-place finish in the 2021 Horizon League Championship 400-meter run with a time of 56.52. Teresa Mejia also brings competition to the Valley after her fourth-place finishes in the 3000- and 5000-meter runs, clocking times of 10:08.35 and 17:28.13 respectively. The Flames distance medley relay aims to battle for the top spot with a time of 12:04.58 set at the 2023 Meyo Invitational earlier this season.

Projected for eleventh and twelfth, Valparaiso tabs 27 points in the polls for eleventh and Evansville tabs 14 for twelfth. The Beacons are set to return a roster with experience in the Valley after graduating three from their previous indoor roster. The Aces welcome grad transfer Melanie Helder from Michigan State in long distance after coming off an MVC all-conference honor in the 2022 Cross Country Championship. Helder qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 1,500-meter run to finish 34^th in the East Region in 2022. Helder clocked a time of 10:02.82 in the 3000-meter-run at the Boston University Sharon Colyear Danville Season Opener. 
 

 
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Indiana State slates the top 93 points for the champions spot with seven first place votes. Three-time 60m champion JaVaughn Moore is back and leads the conference in the 60m (6.62) and 200m (21.08), with his 60m time currently among the top 20 nationally. Including Moore, Indiana State has four of the top five in the 60m. Kevin Krutsch owns a top-30 national mark in the high jump at 2.15m (7-00.50), while Shomari Rogers-Walton leads the conference in both the long jump (7.65m/25-01.25) and the triple jump (15.56m/51-00.75). The Sycamores also have the top pole vaulter in the conference in William Staggs (5.23m/17-01.75). Indiana State returns all of its event winners from last season’s MVC Championship in Moore (60m), Rogers-Walton (triple jump), Staggs (pole vault), Mitch Conard (long jump) and Lawrence Mitchell (high jump). The Sycamores held a top 5 Great Lakes regional ranking throughout the Indoor season and grasp 5 top 25 event squads in the nation across the field and 60-meter-dash.

Illinois State Redbirds slated at runner-up place with 89 points in the polls. The Redbird men currently hold 32 top ten spots in the Valley standings including Riley Wells in the 800 meters with a time of 1:48.81, Brandon Ratliff in the 60 Hurdles with a time of 7.85 seconds, Amiri Buchanan in the shot put with a mark of 18.59m, and the 4x400m relay clocking a time of 3:12.53. The Redbirds hold two top event rankings in the nation with shot put squad at 6^th (the highest event squad in the Valley) and the 60 hurdles squad tying the Panthers at a 21^st place rank. The men shoot for their twelfth men’s indoor team title in program history after their last title earned back in 2019. Illinois State is ranked at 15 in the Midwest Regional USTFCCCA rankings.

Northern Iowa gathered 75 points for third place in the polls. The Panthers are led by 19th nationally ranked Carter Morton in the Heptathlon. Morton holds a first-place spot in the Valley with a point total of 5698 set at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite. Morton also holds 3^rd place spots in the high jump and triple jump, and a fifth-place spot in the pole vault. Parker Kiewiet also returns for the Panthers after coming off an impressive outdoor campaign, scoring 40 points after winning the long jump, 200m, 400m, and 4x400. Kiewiet holds the number one spot in the 400-meter-dash with a time of 46.26 seconds, holds a second place spot in the long jump with a jump of 7.59m, and enters a time in the 60-meter-dash. 60m hurdler Drew Bartels holds a time of 7.98 seconds for second spot in the Valley alongside Brendan Safely in the Pole Vault’s second place spot height of 4.80m. The Panthers rank at number 11 in the Midwest, with three event squads gaining national attention, the long jump at 11, heptathlon at 10, and the 60 hurdles tied with the Redbirds at 21. The Panthers look to regain their title after winning back-to-back indoor championships in 2020 and 2021, going for their program’s 15^th title.

Bradley receives the fourth-place tab with a point total of 62 out of 100. The Braves look to lean on the leadership of the senior class, after clinching the 2022 MVC Cross Country team title this last fall. George Waston holds top spots for the Braves in the Mile and 3000-meter run with times of 4:04.51 and 8:02.53. Matt Aho also leads the Valley in the 5000-meter run with a time of 14:06.86 alongside a fifth place slate in the 3000 meter run. The Braves look to gain 23 points in the 3000 meters with current standing times and spots in the Valley with 5 top 8 spots. The Braves sit 28^th in the Midwest region.

Drake back by a 1 point difference in the polls tabs fifth with 61 total points. The Bulldogs led by Isaac Basten who currently owns the fastest mile time in MVC men’s indoor track history (3:54.89 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston). Adam Phillips owns the top weight throw thus far this season in the MVC 20.69m (67-10.75 at the Iowa Open). That weight throw by Phillips ranks second in Drake indoor track & field history, bettering his teammate Anthony Barmes from the week before at 20.55m (67-5.25) who is right behind him in second in the MVC this year. Adams and Barmes sit 42^nd and 44^th in the nation with these marks. Enzo Marie has logged the third fastest 3000m time so far in the MVC this season (8:09.31 at the Cyclone Open). Sprinter Caleb Lerus competed in the French U20 Championships this past summer in the 200m. The Bulldogs rank 17^th in the Midwest and hold a sixth-place national event squad ranking in the weight throw.

Southern Illinois earn 59 points the polls to hold the fourth place sixth place spot. The Salukis uphold 19 top ten Valley spots with Dawson Plab’s high jump height of 2.16m reaching the top of the Valley in this event. Plab currently holds a tie at 21^st in the nation alongside four other competitors around the NCAA. Xavier Preston also leads the Salukis in the 60 meter dash and 200 meter dash were he upholds 2 top 2 Valley spots, with times of 6.71 seconds and 21.23 seconds, respectively. The Salukis also hold seven other top five spots in the shot put, weight throw, 200 meter dash, 3000 meter run,  5000 meter run, and 4x400 meter relay. The Salukis mark a number 18 rank in the Midwest region.  

Head Coach of Belmont, Jeff Landon, released this statement regarding the past indoor season and MVC Championship. “Moving to the Missouri Valley has certainly been a wake-up call for our program. I am really pleased with the attitude and effort of our team and the improvements we have made this indoor season, but we have a long way to go to become relevant in this conference.  There are no weak events in this conference, and we will be hard pressed to score significant points in any event.  But the guys are motivated to step up, and I think we are ready to get in there and compete.  Individually, Ethan Hammer has had a really good season in both the 3K and 5K, Kevin Vanderkolk is just now getting into a groove and has put down some good times in the mile.  In the field events, Noah Grimm set a school record in the high jump, and Payton Culp and Knox Perry have had excellent seasons in the pole vault.” Belmont received 45 points in the Coach’s Poll earning the seventh place spot going into Championship weekend. The Bruins hold a 28^th place rank in the South Region.

UIC makes their debut in the Valley Championships with 30 points after finishing 7^th at the Horizon League Championships in 2021-22. The Flames earn 32 points in the polls with an eighth-place mark in the Valley pre-championship. The team looks to earn points from a younger squad with their 4x400 relay earned the Flames third place with a time of 3:18.41, alongside their distance medley relay where they finished second with a time of 10:15.87 in the Horizon League. The Flames hold four top ten Valley spots including Mile with Dathan Maton at a time of 4:09.32 and Georgios Siomos in the Triple Jump at a distance of 13.39m. The Flames sit 32^nd in the Midwest region.

In ninth Valparaiso earns 24 points in the polls with Ignacio Veloz Bonilla returning for a final year, the senior sits ninth in the 3000-meter run with a time of 8:15. 19. Tristan Malatlian also holds the fourth-place valley spot in the Pole Vault with a height of 4.78m set at the 2023 Meyo Invitational. Freshman Micah Mullings also pulls the Beacons into scoring position in the Triple Jump with an eighth place standing at 13.81-meters distance.
 
With 10 points in the polls Evansville is slated for tenth place in the Valley.  Senior thrower Zach Dove returns with his own broken school record in the indoor weight throw with 17.68 meters slated at 13^th in the Valley. In the Triple Jump, Denzel Lasam sits eleventh with 13.38m set at the Commonwealth College Opener. The Aces look to gain points in the field with hopeful Adam Oulgout on the track in the 800 meter run with his time of 1:55.59 set at the ISU Open. Oulgout broke UE’s 1,000-meter record earlier this year, and has been close to both the program’s 800-meter and indoor mile records throughout the season.