Track & Field Visits Purdue for Fred Wilt Open

IMPORTANT LINKS: Heat Sheet | Live Results | Ball State Season/Career Bests (PDF)

MUNCIE, Ind. - - After compiling the most event wins in a single indoor meet since the 2010-11 season, the Ball State track & field team looks to build on that momentum Saturday when it travels to Purdue for the Fred Wilt Open.

While the 10-team meet gets underway Friday with the heptathlon and pentathlon, the Cardinals will not be in action until after 10 a.m. Saturday when competition in the weight throw beings.

Of the 10 teams competing in the two-day meet, six are from the state of Indiana including Ball State, Purdue, Anderson, Bethel, Butler and Valparaiso. The other four teams in the meet are Alabama State, Fontbonne, Northern Kentucky and the University of the Bahamas.

Fans unable to attend the meet can follow the action live with live results at the following link: https://results.flotrack.org/?mid=1337

BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
- Ball State's eight event wins at last Saturday's IWU Invitational were the most for the Cardinals in a single meet since earning 10 wins in the 2011 IWU Invitational.

- Junior sprinter Peyton Stewart became the third Ball State student-athlete to earn an automatic qualifying mark into the MAC Indoor Championships when she won the 60m dash at the IWU Invitational (Jan. 20) with a time of 7.61 … The effort currently ranks fifth in the league.

- Defending MAC indoor 60m hurdles champion Jazmin Smith was the first Ball State student-athlete to lock up her spot at the league championships with a winning time of 8.65 at the season-opening Mastodon Opener (Dec. 2) … Her effort currently ranks fifth in the league … In addition, Smith's career-fast 60m dash time of 7.74 set at last Saturday's IWU Invitational ranks 16th among MAC sprinters.

- Last season's MAC indoor high jump runner-up Regan Lewis was the second Ball State student-athlete to earn a MAC automatic qualifying mark after winning the event at the Mastodon Opener by clearing 1.73m (5-8) … The effort currently ranks second in the MAC and 52nd nationally.

- Sophomore Bryeana Byrdsong had a strong showing at the Kentucky Invitational (Jan. 12), placing 10th in the 60m dash (7.67) and 14th in the 200m dash (25.02) …. Her time of 7.67 in the 60m was just .05 off the MAC Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark and currently ranks seventh in the league, while her 200m time of 25.02 is 16th in the league.

- Byrdsong also ran the second leg for the eighth-place 4x400m relay at the Kentucky Invitational which clocked in at 3:54.52 and is currently ranked eighth in the conference ... She was joined in the race by freshman Dejah Johnson, freshman MaQuila Norman and senior Gabby Sims.

- Ball State's throwers had a field day at the Mastodon Opener, with both results in the shot put and all six results in the weight throw being career-best performances … Leading the way in the shot put was sophomore Kelsey Walters with a throw of 13.57m (44-6.25) which currently ranks 13th in the league … Senior Adrienne Mayfield led Ball State's six entries in the weight throw with a mark of 16.22m (53-2.75) which stands 12th among MAC throwers.

- Freshman thrower Jada Caldwell built upon her opening-meet performance at the Kentucky Invitational, posting a new career-best distance of 12.82m (42-0.75) in the shot put.

- In her first mile race of the season, sophomore Brooke Talhelm clocked in at 5:07.08 at the Kentucky Invitational … The mark currently ranks 16th in the league.

- Three meets into the 2017-18 indoor season, the Cardinals have claimed 13 event victories, 42 top five finishes and 53 career-best performances.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Bryeana Byrdsong

Jada Caldwell

Dejah Johnson

Regan Lewis

Adrienne Mayfield

MaQuila Norman

Gabby Sims

Jazmin Smith

Peyton Stewart

Brooke Talhelm

Kelsey Walters