Ball State University
Ball State Tune-Up
Track & Field Wins Seven Events at Ball State Tune-Up
February 20, 2016 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State indoor track & field team closed the 2016 regular season on a strong note, winning seven events and turning in a pair of Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship automatic qualifying marks at the Ball State Tune-Up held in the Field Sports Building Friday evening.
Next up for the Cardinals is the 2016 MAC Indoor Championships which will be hosted by Akron next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 27-28). After today, Ball State has four student-athletes with automatic qualifying marks into the event, with several others poised to get in based on their results so far this season.
“This was great meet for us,” first-year head coach Brian Etelman said. “Every time we challenge our team and tell them there are things we have to accomplish and goals to reach, they deliver. I could not be happier with where we are entering the MAC Championships next week. I feel really good about what the potential for our program is next week.”
Overall, the Cardinals finished their annual home meet with a 2-1 head-to-head record in what was scored as a triple dual for each team. Ball State earned wins over Wright State (98-85) and IPFW (101-53), while falling to Western Michigan (107-80).
Ball State started the meet by dominating the four field events in which it fielded entries. Senior Marie Lumpkin (Losantville, Ind./Union) opened the competition with a monstrous third effort in the weight throw, posting her second-best effort of the season to win the event with a distance of 17.91m (58'-9.25”).
Freshman Regan Lewis (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield-Central) carried the momentum into the high jump, taking the top spot by clearing the bar at a height of 1.59m (5'-2.5”). Senior Michaela Hull (Bloomington, Ind./South) followed with a career-best throw of 14.34m (47'-0.75”) to win the shot put, while classmate Zenée Gadson (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro) won the triple jump with a career-best distance of 12.10m (39'-8.5”) to become the third Ball State student-athlete to earn a MAC automatic qualifying mark this season. Gadson's triple jump currently ranks fifth in the league.
Ball State also started the running events with a bang, as freshman Jazmin Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/North College Hill) opened the first heat of the 60m hurdles with a career-fast time of 8.68 to give the Cardinals back-to-back MAC automatic qualifying marks. The effort currently ranks fourth on the MAC's indoor performance list.
Sophomore Gabby Sims (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) gave Ball State its sixth event victory, taking home top billing in the 400m dash with a career-best time of 57.60, while senior Danielle Dahl (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) just missed a MAC automatic qualifying mark by winning the 800m run in 2:14.05. When converted for Ball State's track size, Dahl's time in the event is 2:12.53, which is just shy of the league automatic mark of 2:12.51, but still currently ranks eighth in the conference.
In addition to the seven event wins and two MAC automatic qualifying marks, Ball State's student-athletes turned in 11 career-best performances on the day.
“Today's meet shows our team believes in themselves,” Etelman said. “There was a good level of belief early on in the year, but athletes want to run fast, throw far and jump well before they truly believe. Our effort today proves we are way better then maybe most people think we are. We just have to keep pushing.”
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.
Ball State Individual Results at Ball State Tune-Up
60m Dash
4th - Anna-Kay West - 7.80 - Career Best
60m Hurdles
1st - Jazmin Smith - 8.68 - Career Best (MAC Auto Mark)
3rd - Anna-Kay West - 8.85 - Career Best
5th - Kassidy Swenson - 9.08 - Career Best
200m Dash
3rd - Amber McGee - 25.85
6th - Jazmin Smith - 26.09
400m Dash
1st - Gabby Sims - 57.60 - Career Best
2nd - Amber McGee - 57.82 - Career Best
4th - Olivia Ashba - 59.20
9th - Kassidy Swenson - 1:00.90 - Career Best
10th - Ariel Hune - 1:01.73
800m Run
1st - Danielle Dahl - 2:14.05
6th - Becca Kropf - 2:21.15
Mile Run
4th - Jordan Timmons - 5:14.24 - Career Best
13th - Kitty Taylor - 5:47.96 - Career Best
15th - Mary Momper - 6:16.74
3000m Run
2nd - Jessica Bryzek - 10:55.25
3rd - Ericka Rinehart - 10:56.11
5th - Emma Manchess - 11:05.50
4 x 400m Relay
2nd - Gabby Sims, Olivia Ashba, Jordan Timmons, Ariel Hune - 4:08.90
High Jump
1st - Regan Lewis - 1.59m / 5'-2.5”
Triple Jump
1st - Zenée Gadson - 12.10m / 39'-8.5” - Career Best (MAC Auto Mark)
4th - Gabrielle Perryman - 11.28m / 37'-0.25”
Shot Put
1st - Michaela Hull - 14.34m / 47'-0.75” - Career Best
4th - Adrienne Mayfield - 10.80m / 35'-5.25”
Weight Throw
1st - Marie Lumpkin - 17.91m / 58'-9.25
- BallStateSports.com -
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