Top Stories of 2018-19: Lewis & Byrdsong Shine

MUNCIE, Ind. – Another athletic year quickly flew by for the Cardinals. Ball State student-athletes, coaches and teams accomplished several notable feats in 2018-19.

Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines once a week throughout the summer months of June and July.

The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. We continue with a look back at a pair of spectacular performances from the Ball State track & field program.

Regan Lewis Wins MAC Indoor High Jump / Byrdsong Named MAC Outdoor Most Valuable Performer

Regan Lewis:
In the grittiest performance of her collegiate career,Regan Lewiswon her fourth consecutive Mid-American Conference high jump championship in a jump off on the final day of the 2019 MAC Indoor Championships (Feb. 23) at the Kent State Field House.

Regan Lewis! After an intense High Jump Competition, Regan is now the MAC Champion for 651 days and counting! Lewis has won the High Jump 4 consecutive times! Let's hear it for Regan ??????pic.twitter.com/9FwIA8zmQv
— BallStateTrack&XC (@BallStateTFXC) February 23, 2019

Battling injury for much of the season, Lewis was one of three student-athletes to clear 1.69m successfully and take on the bar at 1.73m. All three failed on their three attempts, and the event went into a jump off.

The jump off started with all three missing at 1.71m and then all three missing again at 1.69m. With the bar set at 1.67m, Lewis and Akron's Maike Anstett would successfully clear to make it a two athlete showdown. Both went on to top the bar at 1.69m, while each failed for a second time at 1.71m.

Back at 1.69m for a fourth time, Anstett missed to open the round giving Lewis, who had not competed since the first meet of the season on Dec. 1, another shot to win the title.

Lewis did not disappoint, clearing the bar to become just the fourth female in MAC history to win four consecutive high jump titles.

Unfortunately, her bid to become the first to win five straight high jump titles during the outdoor season fell short as she continued to battle injury.

Bryeana Byrdsong:
Bryeana Byrdsong came within one-hundredth of a second of sweeping the 100 and 200 meters at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, leading Ball State to its highest point total in a decade. For her performance, she was named the Most Valuable Performer of the championships.

What a day for @trackprodigyyy
??in 100m
??in 200m & 4x100m Relay
??in 4x400m Relay

For that effort ... She was named the 2019 @MACSports Women's Most Valuable Performer #ChirpChirp | #WeFly | #MACtion | #ncaaTF pic.twitter.com/vqinowrk8w
— BallStateTrack&XC (@BallStateTFXC) May 11, 2019

Byrdsong won the 100m in a time of 11.51 which would have been both a MAC Championship meet and University Track record were it not for wind readings that were too high. The junior from Indianapolis then ran a PR of 23.53 in the 200m and was barely edged by Kent State's Nicole Yeargin.

Byrdsong also helped the Cardinals to a second-place finish in the 4x100 meter relay and a third-place result in the 4x400. She teamed with Peyton Stewart, Ivy McKee and Jasmine Harris in the 4x100 to break the school record with a time of 45.20, finishing less than two-tenths behind Eastern Michigan.

Top 2018-19 Ball State Stories
June 11 – Soccer's Run to the MAC Championship Game
June 19 – Football Beats WMU In OT on Senior Night
June 27 – Coaching Milestones
July 3 – Indoor Practice Facility Becoming a Reality
July 9 – Baker and Jaksich Combine for No-Hitter
July 17 - Lewis and Byrdsong Shine for Track & Field

Ball State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Bryeana Byrdsong

Jasmine Harris

Regan Lewis

Ivy McKee

Peyton Stewart

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