Sprints & Hurdles Lead T&F on Day 1 of Meyo Invite

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

February 01, 2019 | Track & Field

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - - Led by a strong showing in the sprints and hurdles, it was another successful day for the Ball State indoor track & field team which opened the Meyo Invitational with seven top 10 finishes and one Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying mark Friday afternoon at the Loftus Center.

On the same night former sprinter/hurdler Amber Williams was inducted in the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame, the Cardinals paid their respects with impressive performances in her two main indoor events.

First up, the 60m hurdles which saw both senior Jazmin Smith and junior Jasmine Harris advance to Saturday's semifinals with times of 8.41 and 8.87, respectively.

The Cardinals followed with an even more impressive performance in the 60m, finishing with three of the top five preliminary times, two heat victories and four runners advancing to Saturday's semifinals.

Junior Bryeana Byrdsong led the way with a career-fast time of 7.53 for the third-best 60m time on the day, followed by Peyton Stewart in 7.56. However, the biggest 60m run came from Smith who clocked a career-best time of 7.59 to become the third Ball State student-athlete to earn a MAC auto mark in the event, joining both Byrdsong and Stewart.

Redshirt freshman Michelle Lehmann also qualified for the semifinals of the 60m with a time of 7.78.

Byrdsong and Smith continued their strong days by taking fourth (24.63) and fifth (24.70), respectively, in the 200m run. Stewart also turned in a solid effort in the 200m, placing 15th with a personal-best of 25.09.

In the two longer events on the track, freshman Karlie Zumbro turned in a career-best time of 1:35.97 to win her heat and place sixth in the 600m, while junior Meliza Rodriguez added a career-fast time of 17:43.55 in the 5,000m.

The Cardinals also received strong performances from sophomore Princess Carter (16.95m) and junior Kelsey Walters (16.13m) in the weight throw.

The Ball State track and field team will look to keep its momentum going into day two of the Meyo Invitational with seven more events to close the weekend, starting with semifinals in the 60m hurdles (9:45 a.m.) and 60m (10:05 a.m.)

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Ball State's Friday Results at the Meyo Invitational
60m Hurdles / MAC Qualifying Standard: 8.64 / Program Record: 8.19 by Amber Williams in 2007
2nd (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Jazmin Smith – 8.41
18th (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Jasmine Harris – 8.87

60m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 7.60 / Program Record 7.33 (c) by LaTasha Jenkins in 1998
3rd (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Bryeana Byrdsong – 7.53*
4th (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Peyton Stewart – 7.56
5th (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Jazmin Smith – 7.59* - MAC Auto Mark
16th (Prelims/Advances to Semifinals) - Michelle Lehmann – 7.78
28th - Ivy McKee – 7.86

5000m Run / MAC Qualifying Standard: 20:39.24 / Program Record: 16:21.66 by Ali Bishel in 2008
29th - Meliza Rodriguez – 17:43.55*

200m Dash / MAC Qualifying Standard: 24.48 / Program Record: 23.25 by LaTasha Jenkins in 1999
4th - Bryeana Byrdsong – 24.63
5th - Jazmin Smith – 24.70
15th - Peyton Stewart – 25.09*
24th - Ivy McKee – 25.62

600m Run
6th - Karlie Zumbro – 1:35.97*

Long Jump / MAC Qualifying Standard: 5.82m / 19-1.25 / Program Record: 6.43m / 21-1.5 by Patricia Soman in 2003
FOUL - Michelle Lehmann

Weight Throw / MAC Qualifying Standard: 18.25m / 59-10.5 / Program Record: 18.55m / 60-10 by Marie Lumpkin 2015
15th - Princess Carter – 16.95m
22nd - Kelsey Walters – 16.13m