Track & Field Splits Squad for Pair of Saturday Meets

April 29, 2016 | Track & Field

By: Ball State Athletics

LIVE RESULTS: Georgia Invitational | RedHawk Invitational

MUNCIE, Ind. - - With the 2016 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships quickly approaching, Ball State's student-athletes will look for fast times and long marks Saturday when the squad splits to compete in both the Georgia Invitational and RedHawks Invitational.

The biggest flock of Cardinals will be competing in the Georgia Invitational this weekend, as 12 members of the program flew down to Athens for the meet which begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with the women's 5000m run. Action in field events starts at 10 a.m. with the women's hammer throw.

All four of Ball State's MAC automatic qualifiers will be in action at the Georgia Invitational, starting with senior Marie Lumpkin in the hammer throw. Lumpkin enters the week ranked seventh in the league in the event with a toss of 55.40m (181'-9”), which ranks her second in program history.

The Cardinals also have a trio of freshmen who have already turned in MAC auto marks and will be competing at the meet in Georgia. Jazmin Smith will start off in the 100m hurdles at 12:20 p.m., an event she currently ranks 13th on the MAC performance list in at 14.12.

Regan Lewis is the Cardinals latest MAC auto qualifier and will look to improve her standing in the high jump at 12:45, as she enters the meet ranked 10th in the conference at 1.68m (5'-6”). Peyton Stewart follows in the 100m dash at around 1:10 p.m., an event she currently ranks seventh on the MAC performance list with a time of 11.80.

Other top Ball State performers entered in the Georgia Invitational are senior Becca Kropf who ranks ninth in the 400m hurdles (1:02.04) and senior Michaela Hull who ranks ninth in the javelin (38.01m / 124'-8”) and 11th in the discus (44.94m / 147'-5”).

Saturday will also see eight members of the Ball State squad make a return visit to Oxford, Ohio, for the RedHawk Invitational. Action for the Cardinals is slated to begin at 10:55 a.m. with sophomore Jessica Bryzek competing in the 5000m run.

Junior Gabrielle Perryman is Ball State's highest-ranked athlete competing at the Miami Invitational, as she enters the competition 14th on the MAC performance list in the triple jump at 11.58m (38'-0”).