T&F Ready To Host Final Tune-Up Before MACs

Friday, February 21

Muncie, IN

5 p.m.

Ball State University

Ball State Tune-Up

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

February 20, 2020 | Track & Field

MUNCIE, Ind. - - With one last meet before the 2020 Mid-American Conference Indoor Championships, the Ball State track & field team will bring the action back to the nest Friday when it welcomes Wright State to the Ball State Tune-Up starting at 5 p.m. in the Field Sports Building.

The Cardinals look use the home field advantage to continue to generate momentum heading into next week's (Feb. 28-29) MAC Championship meet hosted by Akron.

Ball State student-athletes are entered in 12 of the 13 events being contested Friday, starting at 5 p.m. with action in the weight throw and high jump. The final event of the day, the 4x400m relay, is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Entering the Ball State Tune-Up, the Cardinals boast a pair of MAC automatic qualifying marks, have 16 performances ranked in the top 10 on the MAC performance list and are poised to qualify for 25 spots at the MAC Indoor Championships.

Ball State Tune-Up: Meet Schedule | Live Results | Heat Sheets

Ball State Entries in the Ball State Tune-Up
Weight Throw (5 p.m.): Megan Graves (17.86m / 58'-7.25"), Jada Caldwell (14.94m / 49'-0.25")
High Jump (5 p.m.): Charity Griffith (1.60m / 5'-3"), Karlie Zumbro (1.54m / 5'-0.5")
60m Hurdles (6:30 p.m.): Anasja Troutman (8.65), Kennedy Batts (8.73), Karlie Zumbro (9.15), Charity Griffith (9.75)
60m Dash (6:40 p.m.): Bryeana Byrdsong (7.53), Michelle Lehmann (7.68), MaQuila Norman (7.71), Ivy McKee (7.73), Paris Carver (7.77), Amber Jones (7.80)
Mile Run (6:45 p.m.): Juliana Stogsdill (5:09.86), Emmalyne Tarsa (5:11.18), Vivian Van Eck (5:13.55), Hannah Cummings (5:09.25), Cayla Eckenroth (5:27.31)
Long Jump (6:55 p.m.): Charity Griffith (5.10m / 16'-8.75"), Michelle Lehmann (5.62m / 18'-5.25")
Shot Put (6:55 p.m.): Kelsey Walters (14.49m / 47'-6.5"), Jada Caldwell (13.61m / 44'-8"), Abby Denham (10.58m / 34'-8.5")
400m Dash (7:30 p.m.): Dejah Johnson (56.88)
800m Dash (7:40 p.m.): Peyton Kneadler (2:16.51), Grace Dean (2:20.48), Megan Hedrick (2:24.71)
200m Dash (7:50 p.m.): Bryeana Byrdsong (23.99), Ivy McKee (25.01), Paris Carver (25.86)
600m Run (7:55 p.m.): Karlie Zumbro (1:35.97), Madison Kiser (N/A)
4x400m Relay (8 p.m.): Maddie Aul, Kennedy Batts, Bryeana Byrdsong, Jada Caldwell

CARDINALS IN THE MAC RANKINGS:
Entering the Ball State Tune-Up, the Cardinals boast a pair of MAC automatic qualifying marks, have 16 performances ranked in the top 10 on the MAC performance list and are poised to qualify for 25 spots at the MAC Indoor Championships.

Leading the way are seniors Bryeana Byrdsong, Amber Jones and Maritza Rodriguez, all with two performances ranked in the top 10 on the MAC performance list.

Byrdsong is currently ranked fourth in the 60m (7.58) and sixth in the 200m (24.71); Jones is ranked fourth in the 400m (55.43) and fifth in the 200m (24.65); Rodriguez is ranked third in the 5,000m (17:01.47) and seventh in the 3,000 (9:48.17).

60m: 4. Bryeana Byrdsong (7.58), 10. Michelle Lehmann (7.68)
200m: 5. Amber Jones (24.65), 6. Bryeana Byrdsong (24.71), 8. MaQuila Norman (24.88)
400m: 4. Amber Jones (55.43)
3,000m: 7. Maritza Rodriguez (9:48.17)
5,000m: 3. Maritza Rodriguez (17:01.47)
60m Hurdles: 6. Anasja Troutman (8.65), 8. Kennedy Batts (8.73)
4x400m Relay: 4. Ball State (3:47.18)
Distance Medley Relay: 5. Ball State (12:05.72)
Shot Put: 7. Kelsey Walters (14.49m / 47'-6.5")
Weight Throw: 9. Megan Graves (17.86m / 58'-7.25"), 10. Princess Carter (17.83m / 58'-6")
Pentathlon: 8. Karlie Zumbro (3,089c)

MAC AUTO MARKS:
After posting a time of 55.43 in the 400m at the Akron Invitational (Feb. 7), senior Amber Jones became the second Ball State track & field student-athlete to hit a Mid-American Conference automatic qualifying mark this season.

Bryeana Byrdsong was the first, sprinting to a time of 7.58 in the 60m at the Gene Edmonds Memorial Invite (Jan. 10).

CARDINALS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS:
In addition to the 16 performances ranked in the top 10 on the MAC performance list, half of those performances have also made their way into the top 200 on the NCAA Division I performance list.

60m: 186. Bryeana Byrdsong (7.58)
400m: 143. Amber Jones (55.43)
5,000m: 138. Maritza Rodriguez (17:01.47)
60m Hurdles: 174. Anasja Troutman (8.65)
Distance Medley Relay: 109. Ball State (12:05.72)
Shot Put: 136. Kelsey Walters (14.49m / 47'-6.5")
Weight Throw: 153. Megan Graves (17.86m / 58'-7.25"), 154. Princess Carter (17.83m / 58'-6")

IN THE BALL STATE RECORD BOOKS:
With a toss of 17.86m (58'-7.25") in the weight throw at the Gladstein Invitational (Jan. 24), senior Megan Graves moved into fourth in the Ball State track & field record book (PDF).

She climbed past junior Princess Carter who won the weight throw with a career-best toss of 17.83m (58'-6") at the season-opening Mastodon Opener (Dec. 7). That effort is currently fifth in program history.

Kelsey Walters' shot put effort of 14.49m (47'-6.5") at the Gladstein Invitational (Jan. 25) keeps her second all-time in the Ball State's record book, as it was 0.12m further than her previous career-best mark of 14.37m (47-1.75) which held the same spot.

At the Akron Invitational (Feb. 8), senior Maritza Rodriguez moved from fifth to third in the 3,000m with a run of 9:48.17. In addition, senior Amber Jones broke into the top five in the 400m with the fifth-best individual time in program history at 55.43.

EVENT WINNERS:
Ball State's student-athletes have won nine events so far this season, with six wins coming at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 7), two coming at the Gladstein Invitational (Jan. 24-25) and one at the Music City Challenge (Feb. 14-15).

Gladstein Invitational Event Winners
300m: Amber Jones (39.89)
800m: Madison Kiser (2:19.18)
3000m: Cayla Eckenroth (10:07.61)
4x400m Relay: Amber Jones, Dejah Johnson, Madison Kiser, MaQuila Norman (3:56.72)
Shot Put: Kelsey Walters (14.35m / 47-1)
Weight Throw: Princess Carter (17.83m / 58-6)

Akron Invitational Event Winners
200m: Amber Jones (24.65)
5000m: Maritza Rodriguez (17:16.61)

Music City Challenge Event Winner
Distance Medley Relay: Peyton Kneadler, Karlie Zumbro, Madison Kiser, Grace Dean (12:05.72)

CAREER-BEST PERFORMANCES:
Ball State's student-athletes turned in 69 career-best performances over the first five meets of the season, with 25 coming at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 7), 13 at the Gene Edmonds Memorial Invite (Jan. 10-11), 13 at the Gladstein Invitational (Jan. 24-25), 12 at the Akron Invitational (Feb. 7) and six at the Music City Challenge (Feb. 14-15).