Track & Field Finishes Strong at Music City Challenge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - The Ball State indoor track & field team turn in another strong performance Saturday at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility, scoring three top 10 finishes and a pair of career-best performances to close competition in the Music City Challenge.

Leading the way for the Cardinals was junior Jazmin Smith who continued to impress in the 60m hurdles by placing fourth with a time of 8.41. The effort is .01 off her Mid-American Conference leading mark of 8.40 set last weekend at the Akron Invitational (Feb. 3).

Junior Peyton Stewart followed with a pair of impressive runs in the 60m dash, finishing sixth in the prelims and seventh in the finals with identical season-best marks of 7.53.

The Cardinals also turned in a strong effort in the 4x400m relay, with MaQuila Norman, Smith, Bryeana Byrdsong and Amber Jones combining for a second-place time of 3:47.19. The clocking was over two seconds faster than the team's previous season-best performance.

In Ball State's longest event of the day, sophomore Maritza Rodriguez shaved nearly 19 seconds off her previous career-best time in the 3000m run, placing 25th overall in 10:05.85.

The Ball State indoor track & field team returns to action Friday (Feb. 16), when it hosts Fort Wayne, Western Michigan and Wright State in the 2018 Ball State Tune-up. Action in the meet gets underway at 5 p.m. inside the Ball State Field Sports Building.

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

BALL STATE'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS ON DAY 2 OF MUSIC CITY CHALLENGE

60m Dash
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 7.62 • School Record: 7.33 (c) by LaTasha Jenkins in 1998
7th - Peyton Stewart - 7.53 (7.53 prelim)
26th - Jasmine Harris - 7.85

60m Hurdles
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 8.73 • School Record: 8.19 by Amber Williams in 2007
4th - Jazmin Smith - 8.41 (8.51 prelim)
22nd - Anasja Troutman - 8.96*

400m Dash
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 55.70 • School Record: 55.11 by Linise Gordon in 2000
32nd - Amber Jones - 57.65

Mile Run
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 4:53.21 • School Record: 4:50.10 by MaryKate Mellen in 2013
46th - Peyton Kneadler - 5:16.50
DNS - Brooke Talhelm

3000m Run
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 9:47.13 • School Record: 9:31.43 by Jill Scully in 2006
25th - Maritza Rodriguez - 10:05.85*

4x400m Relay
   School Record: 3:39.94 (c) by Jada Phelps, Angka Morris, Patricia Soman and Linise Gordon in 2001
2nd - MaQuila Norman, Jazmin Smith, Bryeana Byrdsong, Amber Jones - 3:47.19

Shot Put
   MAC Qualifying Standard: 14.82m / 48-7.5 • School Record: 14.77m / 48-5.75 by Gena Rusch in 1990
18th - Kelsey Walters 13.63m (44-8.75)

*denotes career-best performance

Track & Field Finishes Strong at Music City Challenge

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Players Mentioned

Bryeana Byrdsong

Jasmine Harris

Amber Jones

Peyton Kneadler

MaQuila Norman

Maritza Rodriguez

Jazmin Smith

Peyton Stewart

Brooke Talhelm

Anasja Troutman

Kelsey Walters