Track & Field Enters Winter Break with Some of MAC’s Top Marks

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Track & Field Enters Winter Break with Some of MAC’s Top Marks

December 21, 2016 | Track & Field

Ball State track & field enters winter break holding the top spots in the high jump and 60m hurdles on the 2016-17 Mid-American Conference performance list. In addition, the Cardinals have three MAC Indoor Championship automatic qualifiers and 15 total top 10 marks among all MAC student-athletes. Below is a breakdown of the top Ball State performances so far this season.

HIGH JUMP
- Sophomore Regan Lewis currently ranks first in the Mid-American Conference and 10th nationally in the high jump after clearing a career-best mark of 1.75m at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 3).
- Lewis had three chances to clear 1.80m, which would have been a school record, but fell just shy and ended the day with the fourth-best individual effort in program history. It was Ball State's first MAC automatic qualifying mark of the year.

60M HURDLES
- Freshman Jasmine Harris currently leads the MAC and ranks 20th nationally in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.61 set in the preliminary round at the Mastodon Opener … The effort was the fastest for a Ball State hurdler since the 2010 season.
- Sophomore Jazmin Smith went on to win the 60m hurdle race at the Mastodon Opener with a finals time of 8.71, edging out Harris who finished the final race in 8.72 … Smith's effort currently ranks third in the MAC and 39th nationally.
- The times by Jasmine Harris and Jazmin Smith were MAC automatic qualifying marks.

60m Dash
- Sophomore Peyton Stewart picked up where she left off last season, winning the 60m dash at the Mastodon Opener with a time of 7.66 which currently ranks fourth in the MAC … The effort is just .10 shy of her career-best indoor mark of 7.56 set at the 2016 MAC Indoor Championships.
- Freshman Bryeana Byrdsong made a solid collegiate debut in the 60m dash at the Mastodon Opener, clocking in at 7.71 for the sixth-best time in the MAC so far this season … It was also the second-fastest debut for a Ball State freshman dating back to at least the 2006-07 season, with only Peyton Stewart running faster at 7.65 in her first career race last season.

Mile Run
- Freshmen Lauren Whitehouse and Emma Maddelein rank fourth (5:21.93) and sixth (5:31.47), respectively, in the MAC in the mile run after strong showings in their first collegiate track meet.

3000m Run
- The Cardinals boast five of the top 10 MAC marks in the 3000m run so far this season … Freshman Maritza Rodriguez leads the squad and ranks sixth in the MAC at 10:48.57 … Redshirt freshman Stephanie McElhaney is currently seventh in the MAC at 10:48.57, followed by junior Jordan Timmons (8th at 10:56.52), senior Ericka Rinehart (9th at 10:59.31) and senior Emma Manchess (10th at 11:15.13).
- Rodriguez, McElhaney and Timmons all turned in career-best times in the 3000m run at the Mastodon Opener to lead the Cardinals' to the finish line in the event.

Shot Put
- Freshman Kelsey Walters started her career with a distance of 12.84m in the shot put, which currently ranks 10th in the MAC.

Weight Throw
- Adrienne Mayfield opened her junior campaign with a career-best toss of 15.60m in the weight throw at the Mastodon Opener which currently ranks 10th in the MAC. It marks the first time in her career Mayfield has thrown further than 14.67m.

- BallStateSports.com -