Ball State University Athletics
Lumpkin Opens Kentucky Invite With 23rd-Place Effort in Weight Throw
January 14, 2016 | Track & Field
Live Results | Heat Sheets | Meet Schedule
FRIDAY RESULTS:
LEXINGTON, Ky. - - Ball State senior thrower Marie Lumpkin (Losantville, Ind./Union) opened competition in the Kentucky Invitational Friday by placing 23rd in the weight throw with a distance of 16.41m (53'-10.25").
The remainder of the Ball State squad will pick up where Lumpkin left off Saturday, with action in the field events beginning at 9 a.m. and competition in the running events starting at noon.
MEET PREVIEW
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State indoor track & field team returns to action Friday, when it opens competition in the two-day Kentucky Invitational (Jan. 15-16) with senior Marie Lumpkin (Losantville, Ind./Union) battling for the event title in the weight throw inside Nutter Field House starting at 4 p.m.
The remainder of the Ball State squad will pick up where Lumpkin left off Saturday, with action in the field events beginning at 9 a.m. and competition in the running events starting at noon.
Currently, 20 teams are slated to join the Cardinals and the eighth-ranked host Kentucky Wildcats in the two-day meet including; Arkansas State, Bellarmine, Berea, Central Arkansas, UCF, Cincinnati, Dayton, EKU, IUPUI, James Madison, Kentucky State, Lindsey Wilson, Louisville, Marshall, Miami, Ole Miss, NKU, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Southern Illinois.
The Cardinals are coming off another strong showing at the Bowling Green Opener (Jan. 9), which saw freshman sprinter Peyton Stewart (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) become the second Ball State student-athlete to post a Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark this season when she placed second in the 60m dash with a career-fast time of 7.61.
As a team, the Cardinals placed third among the five teams at the Bowling Green Opener by collecting a pair of event wins, 14 top-five finishes and 12 career-best performances. Through the first two meets of the 2015-16 indoor season, Ball State's student-athletes have collected nine individual victories, one relay win and 27 career-best performances.
NEWS & NOTES:
- Senior thrower Marie Lumpkin enters the week ranked first in the Mid-American Conference and 23rd in the nation with a career-best and school-record weight throw of 18.55m (60'-10.5”) at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 5) … The effort is also a Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark … At the Kentucky Invitational, Lumpkin will compete against five athletes ahead of her in the NCAA rankings, including current NCAA Division I leader Beckie Famurewa (21.19m / 69'-6.25”) of Kentucky.
- Freshman sprinter Peyton Stewart became the second Ball State student-athlete to earn a Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark when she crossed the finish line of the 60m dash in 7.61 at the Bowling Green Opener … Stewart's time is the fastest for a Ball State sprinter since Amber Williams won the 60m dash at the 2009 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships with a time of 7.44.
- Four Cardinals enter the week ranked in the top five in their respective events on the Mid-American Conference indoor performance list, including Marie Lumpkin who currently leads the league in the weight throw at 18.55m (60'-10.5”) … Peyton Stewart enters the week ranked third in the MAC in the 60m dash (7.61), freshman Amber McGee is fifth in the 400m dash (57.68 – converted from 58.44) and freshman Regan Lewis is fifth in the high jump (1.68m / 5'-6”).
- Ball State freshman Jazmin Smith is two-for-two in the 60m hurdles this season, winning the event at both the Mastodon Opener (8.92) and the Bowling Green Opener (8.82) … She enters the week ranked seventh in the league in the event at 8.82, and is 0.08 shy of the MAC Indoor Championship automatic qualifying mark of 8.74.
- Senior Danielle Dahl is also two-for-two this season in the 600m run, winning the event at both the Mastodon Opener (1:35.42) and the Bowling Green Opener (1:34.38) … This weekend, Dahl is set to compete in her main event, the 800m run, in which she placed seventh at the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships (2:18.54) and fourth at the 2015 MAC Outdoor Championships (2:11.81).
Visit BallStateSports.com Saturday evening for complete results from the Kentucky Invitational. In addition, fans can get the most up-to-date news on Ball State track & field by following the team on Twitter: @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.
- BallStateSports.com -
