Sprinters Shine on Opening Day of MAC Track & Field Indoor Championships

Sprinters Shine on Opening Day of MAC Track & Field Indoor Championships

February 22, 2019 | Track & Field

2019 MAC Indoor Championships - Day 1 Results

IMPORTANT LINKS: Championship Central - Meet Schedule (PDF) - Live Results

KENT, Ohio- - If history has anything to say about it, senior sprinter/hurdler Jazmin Smith is in good shape after the opening day of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships which began Friday morning at the Kent State Field House.

Smith qualified for the event finals in the 60m (7.53 - career best), 60m hurdles (8.60) and 200m (24.19 - career best), becoming the first Ball State student-athlete to do so since 2017-18 Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Amber Williams in 2009. Williams would go on to win all three events that season, at the same Kent State Field House, to earn Most Valuable Performer honors at the meet.

Smith, the 2017 MAC Indoor Champion in the 60m hurdles, was not the only Ball State sprinter to shine Friday, however, as the Cardinals will send three sprinters to the finals of the 60m thanks to strong runs by senior Peyton Stewart (7.49) and junior Bryeana Byrdsong (7.54).

Stewart locked up her fourth top 10 finish in the 60m at the league's indoor championships and is looking to medal for the second straight year after placing second last season in a career-fast 7.48. She also placed fourth as a freshman (7.56) and ninth as a sophomore (7.65).

In addition to her strong 60m run, Byrdsong turned in a career-fast 200m time of 23.99 to advance to the finals for the third consecutive indoor season. She placed fourth in the 200m as a freshman (24.52) and eighth as a sophomore (25.05).

Rounding out Ball State's top contributors on the track was junior Jasmine Harris who advanced to the finals of the 60m hurdles for the second time in her career by clocking in at 8.60. Harris placed third in the 60m hurdles at the MAC Indoor Championships as a freshman with a time of 8.51. She also placed 15th in the 200m (24.65) this season.

In addition to the strong effort in the sprints, Ball State nearly had a scorer in the pentathlon for the first time since the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships as freshman Karlie Zumbro tallied a career-best 3,332 points to place ninth in her MAC Championship debut.

Zumbro opened the event with career-best performances in the 60m hurdles (9.15), high jump (1.54m) and shot put (8.81m). Then, after a leap of 4.96m in the long jump, placed second among all pentathlon participants in the 800m at 2:22.69.

Rounding out Ball State's top performances on the opening day of the MAC Indoor Championships were freshman Karleigh Conner in the 800m (11th – 2:14.75), freshman Michelle Lehmann in the long jump (12th – 5.28m), freshman Anasja Troutman in the 60m hurdles (12th – 8.80), junior Maritza Rodriguez in the 5,000m (13th – 17:36.77), sophomore Princess Carter in the weight throw (16th – 16.46m) and junior Amber Jones in the 400m (16th – 56.85).

With six events scored on the opening day of the meet, Central Michigan currently sits atop the rankings with 52.5 points, followed by Akron (39), Eastern Michigan (37), Toledo (25), Bowling Green (19), Northern Illinois (15), Ohio (13), Kent State (10.5), Buffalo (9), Miami (8), Western Michigan (6), Ball State (0).

The Cardinals open the second and final day of the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships Saturday at noon with action in the shot put.

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

Ball State's Individual Results on Day 1 of the MAC Indoor Championships
Pentathlon
9th - Karlie Zumbro - 3332*
60m Hurdles: 8th - 9.15* - 879 points
High Jump: T-12th - 1.54m* - 666 points
Shot Put: 15th - 8.81m* - 452 points
Long Jump: T-11th - 4.96m - 548 points
800m: 2nd - 2:22.69 - 787 points

Weight Throw
16th - Princess Carter - 16.46m

Long Jump
12th - Michelle Lehmann - 5.28m

60m Hurdles
Q (3rd) - Jazmin Smith - 8.50 - Qualified for Finals
Q (7th) - Jasmine Harris - 8.60 - Qualified for Finals
12th - Anasja Troutman - 8.80*

400m
16th - Amber Jones - 56.85

60m
Q (3rd) - Peyton Stewart - 7.49 - Qualified for Finals
Q (5th) - Jazmin Smith - 7.53* - Qualified for Finals
Q (7th) - Bryeana Byrdsong - 7.54 - Qualified for Finals

800m
11th - Karleigh Conner - 2:14.75

200m
Q (3rd) - Bryeana Byrdsong – 23.99*
Q (5th) - Jazmin Smith – 24.19*
15th - Jasmine Harris – 24.65*

5000m
13th - Maritza Rodriguez - 17:36.77

Distance Medley Relay
11th - Emmalyne Tarsa, Amber Jones, Peyton Kneadler, Karleigh Conner- 12:22.43

Saturday's Ball State Schedule on Day 2 of the MAC Indoor Championships

Shot Put (Noon)
Kelsey Walters (10th – 14.02m)

60m Hurdles (2:05 p.m.)
Jazmin Smith (3rd - 8.50)
Jasmine Harris (7th - 8.60)

High Jump (2:30 p.m.)
Regan Lewis (1st - 1.75m)
Hailley Peters (11th - 1.63m)

60m (2:55 p.m.)
Peyton Stewart (3rd - 7.49)
Jazmin Smith (5th - 7.53)
Bryeana Byrdsong (7th - 7.54)

200m (3:35 p.m.)
Bryeana Byrdsong (3rd - 23.99)
Jazmin Smith (5th - 24.19)

3,000m (4 p.m.)
Maritza Rodriguez (12th - 9:51.63)

4x400m Relay (4:40 p.m.)
Amber Jones, MaQuila Norman, Jazmin Smith, Bryeana Byrdsong, Karlie Zumbro, Karleigh Conner (8th - 3:50.53)