Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Meyo Invitational (Indoor)
Indoor Track & Field Performs Well at Meyo Invitational
February 08, 2009 | Track & Field
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - - The Ball State indoor track and field team claimed five top ten finishes and twelve individual season-bests at the 22nd annual Meyo Invitational hosted by Notre Dame Friday and Saturday.
Fifth-year senior Amber Williams paced the Cardinals with three of their five top ten finishes, all recorded on the second day of the event. Williams sprinted to a fourth-place clocking and season-fast 7.54 in the 60-meter dash and also contributed sixth and eighth-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles (8.50) and 200-meter dash (24.56/season-best), respectively. Junior Ali Bishel's fourth-place time of 17:22.47 in the 5,000m run paced the Cardinals effort on day one of the event. On day two, sophomore Ra'Jae Marable finished just two spots behind Williams in the 60-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 8.68. Also competing with a solid individual performance was freshman Janae Taylor, who turned in two career-best times by placing 11th in the 60-meter dash (7.75/season-best) and 17th in the 200-meter dash (25.17). Senior Lauren McNichols posted a vault of 11-5 3/4 to finish 18th in the pole vault, while junior Brittany Ade and sophomore Thekla Lorenz posted season-best times while placing 34th (mile run/5:06.51) and 24th (400-meter dash/57.81), respectively.
Also placing for the Cardinals on day one were sophomores Lindsay Bangert and Thekla Lorenz. Lorenz recorded a season-long jump of 18-2 1/2 to finish 13th while Bangert placed 14th (18-2 1/4) in the long jump.
McNichols tied her season-best of 5-3 while tying for 21st in the high jump. Junior Jenna Schmitmeyer and freshman Kelsey Stephens tallied 19th (41.36) and 34th (42.41) finishes, respectively in the 300m dash. Sophomore Erin Filak added a 23rd-place clocking of 1:18.76 in the 500m dash. BSU's Season Bests at the Meyo Invitational Brittany Ade ? 400 ? 57.81 Lisa Arrowsmith ? 3,000 ? 10:35.92 Erin Filak ? 800 ? 2:20.68 Thekla Lorenz ? Long Jump ? 18-2 1/2 Thekla Lorenz ? Mile ? 5:06.51 Ra'Jae Marable ? 60-hurdles ? 8.68 Lauren McNichols ? High Jump ? 5-3* Kelsey Stephens ? 400 ? 59.65 Janae Taylor ? 60 ? 7.75 Janae Taylor ? 200 ? 25.17 Amber Williams ? 60 ? 7.54 Amber Williams ? 200 ? 24.56 *tied season-best
MEET PREVIEW
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State indoor track and field team will travel to South Bend, Ind. this weekend to participate in the 22nd annual Meyo Invitational hosted by Notre Dame.
The Cardinals will compete at the Notre Dame Loftus Center on both Friday, Jan. 6, and Saturday, Jan. 7, in one of the nation's premiere collegiate track and field meets. Action will start Friday at 5:00 p.m. with the long jump and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. with the 3,000-meter run.
BSU has been paced by the outstanding performances of senior Amber Williams and junior Ali Bishel. Williams is in the top-six in the Mid-American Conference in three different events, with all three marks being set last Saturday (Jan. 3) at the Indiana Wesleyan Invitational. The 2007 All-American ranks first in the 60-meter hurdles (8.44) and second in the 60-meter dash (7.63) and seventh in the 200-meter dash (25.25).
Bishel, meanwhile, leads the MAC in the 3,000 (9:34.16/Gladstein Invitational) and 5,000 (16:55.46/BGSU Challenge).
Including Williams' three first-place efforts at the IWU Invitational, the Cardinals won nine events. Also scoring individual event wins on the track for the Cardinals were junior Jenna Schmitmeyer (59.71; 400-meter dash) and sophomore Megan Bevans (2:22.01, 800-meter run).
Bishel, along with juniors Brittany Ade, Lisa Arrowsmith, and sophomore Erin Filak combined to win the distance medley relay with a track-record time of 12:16.93. Schmitmeyer teamed up with junior Katie Johnson, sophomore Thekla Lorenz and freshman Kelsey Stephens to clock a 4:01.63 first-place finish in the 4x400.
Bangert, who ranks third in the conference in the long jump (18-11.75/Gladstein Invitational), recorded a mark of 18-09.75 to win the event. Senior Lauren McNichols tied for first-place in the pole vault (11-09.75).
