Ball State University
Stan Lyons Invitational
Track & Field Earns Solid Marks in Outdoor Season Opener
March 19, 2016 | Track & Field
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - - The Ball State track & field team opened the 2016 outdoor season with a solid showing, turning in eight career-best performances and a pair of event victories at the Stan Lyons Invitational hosted by Butler Saturday afternoon.
“I would categorize out outdoor opener today as a success,” first-year head coach Brian Etelman said. “We were able to turn in some great performances, including many PRs, in the middle of a really heavy block of training. We competed very well today and look forward to prepping for the championship season by delivering our best efforts throughout the month of April.”
Leading the way for the Cardinals individually was senior Zenée Gadson (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro) who took home top honors in the triple jump with a distance of 11.30m.
Freshman Regan Lewis (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield-Central) added a second-place showing in the high jump, with a mark of 1.67m, and also placed fifth in the javelin with a throw of 33.18m. Both were career-best marks.
Senior Michaela Hull (Bloomington, Ind./South) also turned in a strong performance in the javelin, with a second-place mark of 36.25m. On the track, sophomore Kassidy Swenson (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso) was Ball State's top individual performer, placing second in the 400m dash with a career-fast time of 1:01.14.
The Cardinals also turned in a first-place showing in the 4x400m relay, with sophomore Gabby Sims (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), senior Becca Kropf (Goshen, Ind./Fairfield), freshman Amber McGee (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and freshman Peyton Stewart (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) leading the way with a combined time of 3:59.91.
Overall, the Cardinals fielded entries in just eight of the meet's 15 events to finish the day with a 2-4 dual record against the six other NCAA Division I programs competing. Ball State defeated Loyola (52-21) and Morehead State (43-27), while falling to Butler (80-36), Eastern Kentucky (55-30), Wright State (59-35) and Xavier (53-41).
The Ball State outdoor track & field team returns to action Thursday, when it travels up I-69 to compete in the Polar Bear Invitational hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.
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 Stan Lyons Invitational
400m Dash
2nd - Kassidy Swenson - 1:01.14*
800m Run
9th - Becca Kropf - 2:22.07*
1500m Run
5th - Jordan Timmons - 4:49.83
14th - Ericka Rinehart - 5:05.97
25th - Mary Momper - 5:46.97*
3000m Run
12th - Jessica Bryzek - 10:37.95*
18th - Kitty Taylor - 10:56.32*
25th - Emma Manchess - 11:25.71*
High Jump
2nd - Regan Lewis - 1.67m*
Triple Jump
1st - Zenée Gadson - 11.30m
4th - Gabrielle Perryman - 10.85m
Javelin
2nd - Michaela Hull - 36.25m
5th - Regan Lewis - 33.18m*
4x400m Relay
1st - Gabby Sims, Becca Kropf, Amber McGee, Peyton Stewart - 3:59.91
2nd - Olivia Ashba, Ariel Hune, Makelle Skelton, Jordan Timmons - 4:06.80
4th - Kassidy Swenson, Anna-Kay West, Jazmin Smith, Ericka Rinehart - 4:14.23
- BallStateSports.com -
Players Mentioned
