Friday, January 18
Nashville, TN
All Day
Ball State University
at
Vanderbilt Invitational
Strong Performances Highlight Track & Field’s Saturday Effort at Vanderbilt
January 19, 2019 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. - - For a few hours, senior hurdler Jazmin Smith lost the top spot on the Mid-American Conference performance list in the 60m hurdles.
Her absence from the top did not last long, as she reclaimed it by tying her career-best time of 8.40 to pace all runners in the prelims at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Then, she went on to better the mark with an 8.35 in the finals to take second in the meet, trailing only the nation's fifth-ranked runner Jeanine Williams from Georgia Tech.
Smith's time of 8.35 currently ranks in the Top 20 nationally and improved her hold on the second spot on Ball State's all-time list. The only Cardinal with a better time, four-year letterwinner (2004-09) and four-season assistant coach (2011-15) Amber Williams, who will be inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Feb. 1.
In addition to her 60m hurdles performance, Smith logged a career-best time of 24.67 in the 200m Friday night to place sixth in the meet and climb to sixth currently in the league.
"Obviously, Jazmin Smith was the star this weekend," head coach Brain Etelman said. "Her 200m personal best Friday night was great, but for her to go 8.35 in the 60m hurdles is the real deal. Walking away with a Top 20 NCAA ranking is big time."
However, Smith was not the only Ball State student-athlete to turn in a big-time performance at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
In the 60m dash, senior Peyton Stewart posted the sixth-fastest time in the preliminary round at 7.57. It marks her third straight meet earning a MAC Championship automatic qualifying mark in the event. Unfortunately, she was left out of the finals as she finished second in her heat, with only the eight heat winners advancing.
In the 800m dash, freshman Karleigh Conner clocked in at 2:15.14, another personal-best for her in the event and another top five ranking on the MAC performance list for the Cardinals.
Throw in the strong performances by junior thrower Kelsey Walters, junior distance specialist Maritza Rodriguez and freshman long jumper Michelle Lehmann on Friday and Etelman was extremely pleased with the team's effort over the weekend.
"What a difference a week makes," Etelman said. "With a little more training and focus under our belts, we looked like a significantly better team this weekend. We did a great job of handling an incredibly competitive environment. Whenever you are consistently finishing in the top 10 against a largely Power 5 field, you have to be happy with how you're competing."
The Ball State track & field team, which earned 11 top 10s and 16 career-bests over the weekend, will continue its march to the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships next weekend, when it travels to the UIndy for the Tom Hathaway Classic which begins Friday (Jan. 25) and concludes Saturday (Jan. 26).
"We are beginning to round into championship meet form," Etelman concluded. "I'm excited for all that is to come from this group."
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State track & field, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateTFXC.
Ball State's Saturday Results at Vanderbilt Invitational
60m Hurdles / MAC Qualifying Standard: 8.64 / Program Record: 8.19 by Amber Williams in 2007
2nd - Jazmin Smith – 8.35* (8.40 prelim)
12th - Jasmine Harris – 8.80
60m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 7.60 / Program Record: 7.33 (c) by LaTasha Jenkins in 1998
6th (Prelim) - Peyton Stewart – 7.57
26th - Michelle Lehmann – 7.84
27th - Jasmine Harris – 7.85
Mile Run / MAC Qualifying Standard: 4:51.38 / Program Record: 4:50.10 by MaryKate Mellen in 2013
35th - Peyton Kneadler – 5:13.16
41st - Emmalyne Tarsa – 5:17.88*
400m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 55.51 / Program Record 55.11 by Linise Gordon 2000
11th - Amber Jones – 57.03*
22nd - MaQuila Norman – 57.95
25th - Dejah Johnson – 58.30
800m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 2:11.14 / Program Record: 2:07.30 by Latasha Lothery in 2002
11th - Karleigh Conner – 2:15.14*
23rd - Karlie Zumbro – 2:20.37*
FRIDAY'S RESULTS - Recap
Ball State's Friday Individual Results at IWU Invitational
Shot Put / MAC Qualifying Standard: 14.93m / 48-11.75 / Program Record: 14.77m / 48-5.75 by Gena Rusch in 1990
1st - Kelsey Walters – 13.55m
3rd - Jada Caldwell – 11.94m
8th - Stella East – 11.19m*
Weight Throw / MAC Qualifying Standard: 18.25m / 59-10.5 / Program Record: 18.55m / 60-10 by Marie Lumpkin in 2015
2nd - Kelsey Walters – 16.17m*
3rd - Princess Carter – 15.96m
4th - Megan Graves – 15.33m*
7th - Jada Caldwell – 13.95m*
14th - Stella East – 10.23m
Ball State's Friday Individual Results at Vanderbilt Invitational
High Jump / MAC Qualifying Standard: 1.69m / 5-6.5 / Program Record: 1.81m / 5-11.25 by Regan Lewis
T-21st - Hailley Peters – 1.55m
Long Jump / MAC Qualifying Standard: 5.82m / 19-1.25 / Program Record: 6.43m / 21-1.5 by Patricia Soman in 2003
17th - Michelle Lehmann – 5.59m*
FOUL - Karlie Zumbro
200m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 24.48 / Program Record: 23.25 by LaTasha Jenkins in 1999
6th - Jazmin Smith – 24.67*
18th - Amber Jones – 25.15*
27th - Peyton Stewart – 25.30
29th - Jasmine Harris – 25.34
33rd - MaQuila Norman – 25.41*
37th - Dejah Johnson – 25.60*
5000m Run / MAC Qualifying Standard: 16:52.00 / Program Record: 16:21.66 by Ali Bishel in 2008
4th - Maritza Rodriguez – 17:10.45*
16th - Meliza Rodriguez – 18:01.49*
* denotes career-best performance
Her absence from the top did not last long, as she reclaimed it by tying her career-best time of 8.40 to pace all runners in the prelims at the Vanderbilt Invitational. Then, she went on to better the mark with an 8.35 in the finals to take second in the meet, trailing only the nation's fifth-ranked runner Jeanine Williams from Georgia Tech.
Smith's time of 8.35 currently ranks in the Top 20 nationally and improved her hold on the second spot on Ball State's all-time list. The only Cardinal with a better time, four-year letterwinner (2004-09) and four-season assistant coach (2011-15) Amber Williams, who will be inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Feb. 1.
In addition to her 60m hurdles performance, Smith logged a career-best time of 24.67 in the 200m Friday night to place sixth in the meet and climb to sixth currently in the league.
"Obviously, Jazmin Smith was the star this weekend," head coach Brain Etelman said. "Her 200m personal best Friday night was great, but for her to go 8.35 in the 60m hurdles is the real deal. Walking away with a Top 20 NCAA ranking is big time."
However, Smith was not the only Ball State student-athlete to turn in a big-time performance at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
In the 60m dash, senior Peyton Stewart posted the sixth-fastest time in the preliminary round at 7.57. It marks her third straight meet earning a MAC Championship automatic qualifying mark in the event. Unfortunately, she was left out of the finals as she finished second in her heat, with only the eight heat winners advancing.
In the 800m dash, freshman Karleigh Conner clocked in at 2:15.14, another personal-best for her in the event and another top five ranking on the MAC performance list for the Cardinals.
Throw in the strong performances by junior thrower Kelsey Walters, junior distance specialist Maritza Rodriguez and freshman long jumper Michelle Lehmann on Friday and Etelman was extremely pleased with the team's effort over the weekend.
"What a difference a week makes," Etelman said. "With a little more training and focus under our belts, we looked like a significantly better team this weekend. We did a great job of handling an incredibly competitive environment. Whenever you are consistently finishing in the top 10 against a largely Power 5 field, you have to be happy with how you're competing."
The Ball State track & field team, which earned 11 top 10s and 16 career-bests over the weekend, will continue its march to the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships next weekend, when it travels to the UIndy for the Tom Hathaway Classic which begins Friday (Jan. 25) and concludes Saturday (Jan. 26).
"We are beginning to round into championship meet form," Etelman concluded. "I'm excited for all that is to come from this group."
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State track & field, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateTFXC.
Ball State's Saturday Results at Vanderbilt Invitational
60m Hurdles / MAC Qualifying Standard: 8.64 / Program Record: 8.19 by Amber Williams in 2007
2nd - Jazmin Smith – 8.35* (8.40 prelim)
12th - Jasmine Harris – 8.80
60m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 7.60 / Program Record: 7.33 (c) by LaTasha Jenkins in 1998
6th (Prelim) - Peyton Stewart – 7.57
26th - Michelle Lehmann – 7.84
27th - Jasmine Harris – 7.85
Mile Run / MAC Qualifying Standard: 4:51.38 / Program Record: 4:50.10 by MaryKate Mellen in 2013
35th - Peyton Kneadler – 5:13.16
41st - Emmalyne Tarsa – 5:17.88*
400m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 55.51 / Program Record 55.11 by Linise Gordon 2000
11th - Amber Jones – 57.03*
22nd - MaQuila Norman – 57.95
25th - Dejah Johnson – 58.30
800m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 2:11.14 / Program Record: 2:07.30 by Latasha Lothery in 2002
11th - Karleigh Conner – 2:15.14*
23rd - Karlie Zumbro – 2:20.37*
FRIDAY'S RESULTS - Recap
Ball State's Friday Individual Results at IWU Invitational
Shot Put / MAC Qualifying Standard: 14.93m / 48-11.75 / Program Record: 14.77m / 48-5.75 by Gena Rusch in 1990
1st - Kelsey Walters – 13.55m
3rd - Jada Caldwell – 11.94m
8th - Stella East – 11.19m*
Weight Throw / MAC Qualifying Standard: 18.25m / 59-10.5 / Program Record: 18.55m / 60-10 by Marie Lumpkin in 2015
2nd - Kelsey Walters – 16.17m*
3rd - Princess Carter – 15.96m
4th - Megan Graves – 15.33m*
7th - Jada Caldwell – 13.95m*
14th - Stella East – 10.23m
Ball State's Friday Individual Results at Vanderbilt Invitational
High Jump / MAC Qualifying Standard: 1.69m / 5-6.5 / Program Record: 1.81m / 5-11.25 by Regan Lewis
T-21st - Hailley Peters – 1.55m
Long Jump / MAC Qualifying Standard: 5.82m / 19-1.25 / Program Record: 6.43m / 21-1.5 by Patricia Soman in 2003
17th - Michelle Lehmann – 5.59m*
FOUL - Karlie Zumbro
200m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 24.48 / Program Record: 23.25 by LaTasha Jenkins in 1999
6th - Jazmin Smith – 24.67*
18th - Amber Jones – 25.15*
27th - Peyton Stewart – 25.30
29th - Jasmine Harris – 25.34
33rd - MaQuila Norman – 25.41*
37th - Dejah Johnson – 25.60*
5000m Run / MAC Qualifying Standard: 16:52.00 / Program Record: 16:21.66 by Ali Bishel in 2008
4th - Maritza Rodriguez – 17:10.45*
16th - Meliza Rodriguez – 18:01.49*
* denotes career-best performance
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