Ball State University Athletics
Track & Field Opens MAC Championships Today
February 26, 2010 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. - - After months of training, the Ball State women's indoor track & field team will compete in its biggest meet of the season this weekend (Feb. 26-27), when it travels to Mount Pleasant, Mich., for the 2010 Mid-American Conference Championships at CMU's Jack Skoog Indoor Track.
Last season, the Cardinals tied for third at the 12-team meet by scoring 73 points and five event victories, the most event wins of any team at the meet. This year's squad will need several new performers to step up in order to accomplish the same, due to the loss of three-event winner Amber Williams to graduation and two-event champion senior Ali Bishel (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) to injury.
"We relied on Amber and Ali for a majority of our points last season, but that will not be the case heading into this year's meet," said Ball State head coach Randy Heisler. "In order for us to score this season, we will need to have several different athletes step up and compete at the next level. As a team, we have worked really hard preparing for this opportunity, and if our performances over the last three meets are any indication, we are beginning to peak at the right time."
One event the Cardinals look poised to defend their championship in from a year ago is the 60m hurdles, with junior Ra'Jae Marable (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer H.S.) ranking second in the MAC with a time of 8.55 and senior Katie Johnson (Evansville, Ind./Harrison H.S.) ranking third at 8.56. Last season, Johnson placed third (8.53) in the 60m hurdles at the MAC Championships, while Marable crossed the finish line in sixth (8.79).
Also looking to make an impact at the meet is junior Thekla Lorenz (Hamburg, Germany) who enters the week ranked second in the league in the long jump (6.01m), seventh in the pentathlon (3,614 pts.) and 15th in the high jump (1.65m). Last season, Lorenz placed second in the pentathlon (3,758 pts.) after winning the event at the 2008 MAC Indoor Championships (3,797 pts.).
Other returning point winners from last season's MAC Championships include redshirt junior Brittany Ade (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger H.S.), who placed sixth in the 800m run (2:13.99) and sophomore Janae Taylor (Richmond, Ind./Richmond H.S.), who placed eighth in both the 60m dash (7.76) and 200m dash (25.03).
Senior Vanessa Gilbert (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont H.S.), who redshirted last indoor season, will look to recapture Bishel's success in the distance events, as she enters the week ranked 13th in the 5,000m run (17:52.50) and 14th in the mile (5:00.69).
In the throwing events, the Cardinals have a pair of student-athletes climbing their way up the league rankings, with senior Tyra Schantz (Bloomfield, Ind./White River Valley H.S.) ranking 14th in the weight throw (16.10m) and freshman Melissa Dodaro (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg H.S.) ranking 18th in the shot put (12.74m).
Action in the two-day 2010 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships gets underway Friday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. with competition in the pentathlon events. Field events will start at 2 p.m. with the women's long jump, while track events get underway at 3:10 p.m. with prelims of the women's 60m hurdles.
Ball State Student-Athletes Ranked In The Top 20 In The MAC
60m Dash
12th. Janae Taylor - 7.69
19th. Ra'Jae Marable - 7.82
60m Hurdles
2nd. Ra'Jae Marable - 8.55
3rd. Katie Johnson - 8.56
200m Dash
12th. Janae Taylor - 25.08
400m Dash
13th. Jenna Schmitmeyer - 57.33
17th. Renyae Owsley - 57.55
18th. Judah Smith - 57.62
800m Run
15th. Christine Talhelm - 2:14.87
Mile Run
14th. Vanessa Gilbert - 5:00.69
5,000m Run
13th. Vanessa Gilbert - 17:52.50
4x400 Meter Relay
8th. 3:53.33
Distance Medley Relay
10th. 12:22.81
High Jump
15th. Thekla Lorenz - 1.65m
Long Jump
2nd. Thekla Lorenz - 6.01m
Shot Put
18th. Melissa Dodaro - 12.74m
Weight Throw
14th. Tyra Schantz - 16.10m
Pentathlon
7th - Thekla Lorenz - 3614
