Track & Field Set to Split for Another Big Weekend of Action

Important Links:
War Eagle Invitational: SCHEDULE | ENTRIES | HEAT SHEETS | LIVE RESULTS
Jesse Owens Classic: EVENT HOME PAGE | LIVE RESULTS

MUNCIE, Ind.-- The Ball State track & field team will look to build upon last Friday's strong performance at the Ball State Challenge when it splits for a pair of big meets this weekend.

Part of the squad will head south for the War Eagle Invitational (April 20-21) hosted by Auburn, while others will travel east for the Jesse Owens Classic (April 20-21) hosted by Ohio State.

Ball State opens competition on the weekend at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) Friday, with freshman Abby Denham in the javelin at the War Eagle Invitational.

The Cardinals will also compete in a pair of running events at the Jesse Owens Classic Friday; the 5000m run (6:30 p.m.) and the 1500m run (7:50 p.m.).

Saturday will see Ball State's student-athletes compete in eight events at both Auburn and Ohio State.

BALL STATE NEWS & NOTES:
• At last Friday's Ball State Challenge, which featured the best weather the Cardinals have competed in so far this outdoor season, the team produced three event wins, six MAC automatic qualifying marks and 19 performances which currently rank in the top 20 on the league's outdoor performance list.

• The best event for Ball State was the 200m dash which saw six Cardinals climb into the top 20 on the MAC performance list. Leading the way was sophomore Bryeana Byrdsong who won the race and moved to second in the league with a time of 23.79.

• Bryeana Byrdsong also proved to be the fastest woman at the Ball State Challenge, winning the 100m dash in an impressive 11.69 to climb to third on the MAC performance list. Byrdsong's times in both the 200m dash and the 100m dash are MAC Outdoor Championship automatic qualifying marks.

• Sophomore Amber Jones also had a pair of strong races at the Ball State Challenge, climbing to sixth on the MAC performance list in the 200m dash (24.32) and to seventh in the 400m dash (55.71).

• Ball State's other top performances in the 200m dash came from junior Jazmin Smith at 24.35 (7th in the MAC), junior Payton Stewart at 24.63 (12th in the MAC), freshman MaQuila Norman at 24.73 (15th in the MAC) and redshirt freshman Jasmine Harris at 24.75 (16th in the MAC).

• In addition to Bryeana Byrdsong, junior Peyton Stewart earned a MAC auto mark in the 100m dash at the Ball State Challenge, climbing to third on the league performance list at 11.75. The defending MAC Outdoor Champion in the event, Stewart was also an NCAA East Preliminary Championship qualifier in the 100m last season, earning the 53rd seed with her MAC Championships winning time of 11.55.

• In the national spotlight, junior high jumper Regan Lewis continued to move up the NCAA Division I East Outdoor Qualifying list, with her season-best clearance of 1.76m (5'-9.25") set at the Ball State Challenge ranking first in the league and 17th on the East list. Last season, Lewis was the seventh seed in the high jump at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships after clearing 1.82m to win the MAC outdoor title.

• The Cardinals notched a pair of record throws in the shot put at last weekend's Ball State Challenge, with sophomore Kelsey Walters setting a new program standard at 14.77m (48'-5.5") which is a MAC auto mark and currently ranks 57th on the NCAA Division I East Outdoor Qualifying list. In addition, freshman Jada Caldwell's mark of 13.55m (44'-5.5") is the fifth-best individual performance in program history and ranks 14th in the league.

• In the 100m hurdles, redshirt freshman Jasmine Harris locked up her place at the MAC Outdoor Championships, turning in a MAC automatic qualifying time of 14.10 to win the event at the Ball State Challenge … A bronze medalist in the 60m hurdles at the 2017 MAC Indoor Championships, Harris missed a majority of the 2017 outdoor campaign due to injury.

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

Track & Field Set to Split for Another Big Weekend of Action

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Players Mentioned

Bryeana Byrdsong

Jada Caldwell

Abby Denham

Jasmine Harris

Amber Jones

Regan Lewis

MaQuila Norman

Jazmin Smith

Peyton Stewart

Kelsey Walters