Ball State Track and Field Closes Outdoor Regular Season with Strong Performances at Music City Challenge

Friday, April 26

Nashville, TN

Ball State University

Vanderbilt's Music City Outdoor Track & Field Classic

The Ball State track and field team competes in the We Fly Challenge at the Briner Sports Complex on April 13, 2024. Photo by Bobby Ellis

Photo by: Ball State University/Bobby Ellis

Ball State Track and Field Closes Outdoor Regular Season with Strong Performances at Music City Challenge

April 28, 2024 | Track & Field

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Track and field completed their final regular season meet at Vanderbilt's Music City Challenge Friday and Saturday.

Events opened with the javelin throw on Friday afternoon. Sophie Daugard finished 13th, throwing a distance of 34.16m.

Jenelle Rogers had a great start to a busy weekend, hitting a mark of 6.10m in the long jump invite and finishing in second place.

Lindley Steele hit a mark of 5.61 in the long jump, a new personal best.

Also on the field, Sydney Miller achieved an eighth-place finish in the discus throw with a mark of 42.8 5m.

On the track, Rogers hit a season best time of 24.09 in the 200m dash, good for an eighth-place finish. Close behind was Makayla Sumrall, who ran a new personal best time of 24.33 and finished 12th.

Distance events saw competitive races from Sarah Mahnensmith and Carly Spletzer. In the 1,500m run, Mahnensmith completed a great race, running a personal best time of 4:31.89. Soon after, Spletzer was a fierce competitor in the 5,000m after finding herself between packs in in the middle of the race. She finished sixth with a time of 17:29.41, just one second off her personal best.

Saturday afternoon continued to bring success for the Cardinals. In the shot put, Daugard hit a mark of 13.34m, finishing seventh overall.

Running events kicked off with the 4x100m relay. The team of Sumrall, Jenna Oriani, Moriah Johnson and Rogers finished second with a collective time of 45.57.

Rogers was strong in the 100m hurdles after hitting a new personal best time of 13.64 and finishing fifth.

Oriani was impressive in the 400m dash as well, finishing second after achieving a new personal best time of 54.40, almost a second faster than her previous best.

In a similar fashion, Sumrall finished third of 65 competitors in the 100m dash after crossing the finish line with a new best time of 11.44.

Closing the meet, the 4x400m relay team of Alexis Thigpen, Paige Kirtz, Oriani and Emma Potter ran a solid race, finishing third and running a collective time of 3:44.67.

The Cardinals will look ahead to the Mid-American Conference Championships, scheduled for May 9-11. The meet will be located in Dekalb, Illinois, hosted by Northern Illinois University.

Ball State Individual Results at Music City Challenge
Friday – Field Events
Javelin
13th – Sophie Daugard – 34.16m
20th – Brooklyn Taylor – 24.57m
22nd – Maci Easton – 20.92m
Long Jump (Invite)
2nd – Jenelle Rogers – 6.10m
Long Jump
11th – Lindley Steele – 5.61m
16th – Emma Upp – 5.44m
Discus
8th – Sydney Miller – 42.85m
16th – Brooklyn Taylor – 38.95m
18th – Malena Higgins – 38.50m

Friday – Track Events
200m
8th – Jenelle Rogers – 24.09
12th – Makayla Sumrall – 24.33
18th – Moriah Johnson – 24.83
3,000m Steeplechase
14th – Shelby Christman – 11:32.91
1,500m
18th – Sarah Mahnensmith – 4:31.89
5,000m
6th – Carly Spletzer – 17:29.41
19th – Ella Fullmer – 18:56.72
27th – Jessica Velez – 20:07.39

Saturday – Field Events
Hammer Throw
13th – Malena Higgins – 41.10m
18th – Sydney Miller – 38.07
21st – Brooklyn Taylor – 36.85
High Jump (Invite)
6th – Malina Miller - 1.70m
Shot Put
7th – Sophie Daugard – 13.34m
18th – Malena Higgins – 12.25m
19th – Brooklyn Taylor – 12.17m

Saturday – Track Events
4x100m Relay
2nd – Makayla Sumrall, Jenna Oriani, Moriah Johnson, Jenelle Rogers - 45.57
100m Hurdles
5th – Jenelle Rogers – 13.64
400m Dash
2nd – Jenna Oriani – 54.40
14th – Emma Potter – 57.14
19th – Paige Kirtz – 58.02
100m Dash
3rd – Makayla Sumrall – 11.44
400m Hurdles
8th – Lindley Steele – 1:03.52
13th – Lauren Graham – 1:06.56
800m
19th – Alexis Thigpen – 2:15.67
26th – Evie Noel – 2:19.54
4x400m Relay
3rd – Alexis Thigpen, Paige Kirtz, Jenna Oriani, Emma Potter – 3:44.67