Zumbro, Rodriguez Lead Track & Field on Day 1 of MAC Indoor Championships

AKRON, Ohio - - Thanks in part to a pair of second-place finishes, the Ball State track & field team scored 18 points and finds itself in sixth place overall after the opening day of the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Akron.

The Cardinals most impressive effort Friday at the Stile Athletics Field House came from sophomore Karlie Zumbro (Zanesville, Ohio/John Glen) who placed second in the pentathlon with a score 5,377 points.

Not only was the score the fourth-best individual effort in program history, but Zumbro also recorded career-best marks in four of the five events; 60m hurdles (9.07), high jump (1.61m), shot put (9.31m) and long jump (5.27m).

In the final individual race of the day, Maritza Rodriguez (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) continued her impressive senior campaign by placing second in the 5000m with a career-fast time of 16:53.30. The effort is also the fifth-best individual performance in the event on BSU's all-time list.

"Karlie and Maritza turned in incredible performances today," head coach Brian Etelman said. "Getting a pair of silver-medal performances from athletes projected to score significantly less than that is huge. Karlie really provided a spark of momentum that we rode the rest of the day. We scored in the first and final two events of the day which says a lot about our depth in diversity."

With Zumbro and Rodriguez scoring eight points each for the Cardinal and White, the team's other two points came from an impressive run in the distance medley relay which saw senior Peyton Kneadler (Monticello, Ind./Twin Lakes), junior Dejah Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central), redshirt sophomore Madison Kiser (Royal Center, Ind./Pioneer) and freshman Grace Dean (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) combine for a seventh-place time of 11:52.20.

Overall, the Cardinals finished the opening day of the championships with 18 total points and are sixth overall among the 12-team field. Northern Illinois currently leads the meet with 35 points, followed by Eastern Michigan (27), Toledo (26), Akron (23), Central Michigan (23), BSU, Bowling Green (18), Miami (14), Ohio (8), Buffalo (2), Kent State (1) and Western Michigan (0).

Those were not the only impressive performances of the day, however, as the Cardinals also earned eight slots in event finals with strong preliminary efforts.

Junior Anasja Troutman (Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) was the first Ball State student-athlete to lock up a finals berth, earning the sixth seed in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.67.

Senior Amber Jones (Matteson, Ill./Rich South) followed with the sixth-best preliminary time in the 400m at 55.76 to secure her first of two event final spots.

Next was a big performance from BSU's 60m group which was the first of two sprints to send three to the finals. Senior Bryeana Byrdsong (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) led the way with the fastest prelim time of the day, a clocking of 7.45 which is the fourth-best individual time in program history.

Redshirt sophomore Michelle Lehmann (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) and junior Ivy McKee (Columbus, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) were right behind, with career-best times of 7.56 and 7.67, respectively. The times were the third and eighth-fastest of the prelims.

The Cardinals are also sending three to the finals in the 200m dash, led by junior MaQuila Norman (Garfield Heights, Ohio/Lutheran West) who turned in the fastest prelim effort and the fourth-fastest individual time in program history at 24.16. She will be joined in the 200m finals by Byrdsong (third at 24.25) and Jones (sixth at 24.57).

"We have a really confident and strong sprint/hurdles group," Etelman said. "To be sending three to the finals in two events is big time, but even better because almost everyone ran a career best to make the final. I love when our student-athletes rise to the challenge and step up, and that's what we saw from our entire team today."

Day two of the MAC Indoor Championships gets underway at 1 p.m. Saturday for the Cardinals with action in the high jump. Ball State is set to compete in nine events on the final day of the competition and is guaranteed to score in four of them.

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

Ball State Individual Results on Day 1 of MAC Indoor Championships
Pentathlon Finals
2nd - Karlie Zumbro - 3,577* - 4th-best score in program history - 8 points
   60m Hurdles - 4th - 9.07* (895)
    High Jump - T-6th - 1.61m* (747)
    Shot Put - 15th - 9.31m* (484)
    Long Jump - 11th - 5.27m* (634)
    800m - 3rd - 2:20.45 (817)

11th - Charity Griffith - 3370* points
    60m Hurdles - 16th - 9.52 (804)
    High Jump - 12th - 1.58m (712)
    Shot Put - 13th - 9.46m* (494)
    Long Jump - T-9th - 5.28m* (637)
    800m - 5th - 2:27.61* (723)

60m Hurdles Prelims
6th - Anasja Troutman - 8.67 - Advanced to Event Finals
DNS - Kennedy Batts

400m Dash Prelims
6th - Amber Jones - 55.76 - Advanced to Event Finals
10th - MaQuila Norman - 56.14*
12th - Dejah Johnson - 56.78*

60m Dash Prelims
1st - Bryeana Byrdsong - 7.45* - 4th-best individual time in program history - Advanced to Event Finals
3rd - Michelle Lehmann - 7.56* - Advanced to Event Finals
8th - Ivy McKee - 7.67* - Advanced to Event Finals

800m Run Finals
14th - Madison Kiser - 2:14.62

200m Dash Prelims
1st - MaQuila Norman - 24.16* - 4th-best individual time in program history - Advanced to Event Finals
3rd - Bryeana Byrdsong - 24.25 - Advanced to Event Finals
6th - Amber Jones - 24.57* - Advanced to Event Finals

5000m Run Finals
2nd - Maritza Rodriguez - 16:53.30* - 5th-best individual time in program history - 8 points
15th - Cayla Eckenroth - 17:34.63*

Weight Throw Finals
9th - Megan Graves - 17.66m

Distance Medley Relay Finals
7th - Peyton Kneadler, Dejah Johnson, Madison Kiser, Grace Dean - 11:52.20 - 2 points

* denotes career-best performance

Ball State Entries on Day 2 of MAC Indoor Championships

High Jump Finals (1 p.m.)
Charity Griffith (1.62m / 5'-3.75")

Mile Run Finals (1:25 p.m.)
Peyton Kneadler (5:03.72)

60m Hurdles Finals (2 p.m.)
Anasja Troutman (8.67)

400m Dash Finals (2:20 p.m.)
Amber Jones (55.43)

Shot Put Finals (2:30 p.m.)
Jada Caldwell (13.61m / 44'-8")
Kelsey Walters (15.15m / 49'-8.5")

60m Dash Finals (2:50 p.m.)
Bryeana Byrdsong (7.45)
Michelle Lehmann (7.56)
Ivy McKee (7.67)

200m Dash Finals (3:30 p.m.)
MaQuila Norman (24.16)
Bryeana Byrdsong (23.99)
Amber Jones (24.57)

3000m Run Finals (3:50 p.m.)
Maritza Rodriguez (9:48.17)
Vivian Van Eck (10:07.83)

4x400m Relay Final (4:30 p.m.)
Amber Jones, Dejah Johnson, Madison Kiser, MaQuila Norman

Zumbro, Rodriguez Lead Track & Field on Day 1 of MAC Indoor Championships

Players Mentioned

Kennedy Batts

Bryeana Byrdsong

Jada Caldwell

Grace Dean

Cayla Eckenroth

Megan Graves

Charity Griffith

Dejah Johnson

Amber Jones

Madison Kiser

Peyton Kneadler

Michelle Lehmann

Ivy McKee

MaQuila Norman

Maritza Rodriguez

Anasja Troutman

Vivian Van Eck

Kelsey Walters

Karlie Zumbro

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