Lewis & Stewart Claim Individual Titles on Final Day of MAC Championships

LINKS: Complete Results | Lewis Interview | Stewart Interview

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - - For the first time since the 2009 season, the Ball State track & field team ended the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships with a pair of individual champions as sophomores Peyton Stewart and Regan Lewis captured event titles Saturday afternoon at Western Michigan's Kanley Track & Field Complex.

Stewart became Ball State's first outdoor individual champion since the 2012 season when she crossed the finish line of the 100m dash in a career-fast time of 11.55. After posting the third-fastest time in Friday's preliminaries, Stewart led all competitors to the finish line Saturday afternoon to become Ball State's first 100m dash champion since Amber Williams in 2009.

Stewart's winning time of 11.55, which gave Ball State its 10th all-time title in the 100m dash at the MAC Outdoor Championships, is the fourth-best individual effort in program history. The effort also currently ranks 48th on the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifying List and puts Stewart in position to qualify for the meet, as the top 48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition.

One Ball State student-athlete who is a lock for the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round is Lewis who won the Cardinals' second MAC individual championship Saturday with a career-best mark of 1.82m in the high jump. Lewis, who took home the bronze medal in the high jump at the MAC Outdoor Championships last season, improved to seventh on the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round Qualifying list with the effort.

Lewis becomes just the fourth MAC high jump champion in program history, and the first since Rebecca Lomax in 2011. In addition, her effort of 1.82m is the second-best mark in program history trailing only the mark of 1.84m set by Bonita Harrington in 1984.

Prior to the pair of gold medalists, the Cardinals opened the final day of track events at the MAC meet on a solid note as the 4x400m relay scored Ball State's first two points with a seventh-place time of 46.22. Stewart ran the first leg of the relay to give her a hand in 12 of Ball State's 25 points in the meet, and was followed by freshman Bryeana Byrdsong, freshman Amber Jones and junior Anna-Kay West.

Ball State's first individual point of the meet came next, as freshman Brooke Talhelm placed eighth in the 1500m run with a time of 4:35.45.

In addition to Stewart's first-place effort, Byrdsong earned her first career individual points at the MAC Outdoor Championships with a seventh-place time of 12.01 in the 100m dash. With two points in the 4x100m relay and two points in the 100m dash, Byrdsong finished the day helping secure four points for the Cardinals.

Overall, Akron won the 12-team meet with 128 points, while Eastern Michigan finished second at 124. Ball State placed 11th with its 25 points.

Next up for the Ball State outdoor track & field team will be the 2017 NCAA Division East Preliminary round which runs May 25-27 at the University of Kentucky Outdoor Track and Field Facility. Lewis is a lock for the event, while Stewart will find out if she officially qualifies next week.

For the most up-to-date news on Ball State cross country and track & field, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.

Ball State's Results in Saturday's Events at the MAC Outdoor Championships

Discus
20th - Adrienne Mayfield - 37.12m

4x100m Relay
7th - Peyton Stewart, Bryeana Byrdsong, Amber Jones, Anna-Kay West - 46.22 (2 points)

High Jump
1st - Regan Lewis - 1.82m* (10 points)

1500m Run Finals
8th - Brooke Talhelm - 4:35.45 (1 point)

100m Dash Finals
1st - Peyton Stewart - 11.55* (10 points)
7th - Bryeana Byrdsong - 12.01 (2 points)

800m Run Finals
10th - Danielle Dahl - 2:15.63

4x400m Relay
10th - Olivia Ashba, Bryeana Byrdsong, Amber Jones, Danielle Dahl - 3:50.76

Ball State's Results in Friday's Events at the MAC Outdoor Championships

1500m Run
11th - Brooke Talhelm - 4:34.17* - Qualified for Finals
19th - Peyton Kneadler - 4:46.71

100m Hurdles
12th - Jazmin Smith - 14.02*
15th - Anna-Kay West - 14.45

400m Dash
19th - Gabby Sims - 58.32

100m Dash
3rd - Peyton Stewart - 11.90 - Qualified for Finals
8th - Bryeana Byrdsong - 12.02 - Qualified for Finals
16th - Anna-Kay West - 12.28

Shot Put
14th - Kelsey Walters - 13.35m

800m Run
7th - Danielle Dahl - 2:12.06 - Qualified for Finals
11th - Emily Tromp - 2:13.15*
19th - Peyton Kneadler - 2:18.54

400m Hurdles
13th - Olivia Ashba - 1:02.10
19th - Kassidy Swenson - 1:03.83

200m Dash
9th - Bryeana Byrdsong - 24.41*
19th - Amber Jones - 25.06*

3000m Steeplechase
19th - Ericka Rinehart - 11:51.72

Ball State's Results in Thursday's Events at the MAC Outdoor Championships

10000m Run
23rd - Maritza Rodriguez – 38:03.30*
24th - Stephanie McElhaney – 38:59.33*

* Denotes career-best performance

- BallStateSports.com –

Lewis & Stewart Claim Individual Titles on Final Day of MAC Championships

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Olivia Ashba

Bryeana Byrdsong

Danielle Dahl

Amber Jones

Peyton Kneadler

Regan Lewis

Adrienne Mayfield

Stephanie McElhaney

Ericka Rinehart

Maritza Rodriguez

Gabby Sims

Jazmin Smith

Peyton Stewart

Kassidy Swenson

Brooke Talhelm

Emily Tromp

Kelsey Walters

Anna-Kay West