Track & Field Poised for Success in Buffalo

Photo by: Don Rogers, Ball State University

May 08, 2018 | Track & Field

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BUFFALO, N.Y.- - Two defending event champions and two highly-ranked relays highlight Ball State track & field's student-athletes on their way to Buffalo for the 2018 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

The three-day meet, which runs from Thursday (May 10) to Saturday (May 12) at the UB Stadium Track, features athletes from all 12 MAC women's programs and all six MAC men's programs. The Cardinals officially open the meet at 10 a.m. Thursday with action in the hammer throw.

In the sixth season of automatic qualifying standards, Ball State is sending 20 student-athletes and a pair of relays to compete. The Cardinals will have a representative in 16 of the 21 events contested in the meet, with three entries in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 100m hurdles.

Overall, each event is capped at 20 participants, with a max of three entries per team. If 20 student-athletes did not earn automatic marks into an event, competitors are selected by going down the conference's performance list. The top eight performers from each event will be scored based on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale, with 10 points going to the event winner.

Two Cardinals enter the meet looking to defend their event titles from last season's meet.

Junior Regan Lewis is poised to do just that, entering the meet as the top seed in the high jump after clearing a season-best 1.79m at the War Eagle Invitational hosted by Auburn (April 20). Lewis, who also captured the 2018 MAC Indoor title in the high jump this season, cleared a career-best height of 1.82m to win the event last season.

Junior Peyton Stewart, the defending champion in the 100m, enters the event as the sixth seed with a time of 11.75 set at the Ball State Challenge (April 13). Stewart, who was the runner-up in the 60m indoor race, turned in a career-fast time of 11.55 to win the event last season.

Sophomore Bryeana Byrdsong enters the weekend poised to score in a pair of events, entering as the third seed in the 200m and the fourth seed in the 100m. Last season, Byrdsong placed seventh in the 100m and ninth in the 200m.

Another Ball State sophomore looking to score in two events is Amber Jones, who is seeded eighth in the 400m and 11th in the 200m.

In the relays, the Cardinals enter as the second seed in the 4x100 after posting a program record time of 45.28 at the War Eagle Invitational. The 4x400m relay enters as the sixth seed with its time of 3:44.50 also set at the War Eagle Invitational.

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

Hammer (10 a.m.)
16th - Megan Graves - 48.41m

Javelin Throw (2:30 p.m.)
12th - Abby Denham - 39.12m

1500m Prelims (4:30 p.m.)
19th - Peyton Kneadler - 4:41.03

200m Prelims (5:40 p.m.)
3rd - Bryeana Byrdsong - 23.79
11th - Amber Jones - 24.34
12th - Jazmin Smith - 24.35

10,000m (6:15 p.m.)
12th - Maritza Rodriguez - 36:14.70

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

Shot Put (12:30 p.m.)
9th - Kelsey Walters - 14.77m
14th - Jada Caldwell - 13.55m

100m Hurdles Prelims (1 p.m.)
8th - Jasmine Harris - 14.10
14th - Jazmin Smith - 14.46
19th - Anna-Kay West - 14.71

400m Prelims (1:40 p.m.)
8th - Amber Jones - 55.71
19th - Dejah Johnson - 57.32
20th - MaQuila Norman - 57.33

100m Prelims (2:20 p.m.)
4th - Bryeana Byrdsong - 11.69
6th - Peyton Stewart - 11.75
13th - Paris Carver - 12.00

800m Prelims (3 p.m.)
18th - Peyton Kneadler - 2:17.13

3000m Steeplechase (3:40 p.m.)
15th - Emmalyne Tarsa - 11:43.83

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

Discus (11 a.m.)
15th - Princess Carter - 44.30m
20th - Adrienne Mayfield - 41.87m

High Jump (11 a.m.)
1st - Regan Lewis - 1.79m
8th - Hailley Peters - 1.67m

4x100 Relay (11:50 a.m.)
2nd - Jazmin Smith, Bryeana Byrdsong, Amber Jones. Peyton Stewart - 45.28

5000m (3:05 p.m.)
14th - Maritza Rodriguez - 17:15.53

4x400m Relay (3:45 p.m.)
6th - Amber Jones, Dejah Johnson, Bryeana Byrdsong, MaQuila Norman - 3:44.50