Ball State University Athletics
Cardinals Place Four on Indoor Track All-MAC Teams
March 23, 2026 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State's indoor track team placed four student-athletes on Mid-American Conference All-MAC Teams, as announced on Monday evening. Senior Kenli Nettles and sophomore Laya'Lapri Ratney were tabbed as first team All-MAC recipients, with freshman Nina Garner joining senior Alana Springer as second-team honorees.
"We're extremely proud of Lapri, Kenli, Nina and Alana for earning All-MAC honors," said track coach Adrian Wheatley. "They've put in a tremendous amount of work dating back to the fall and throughout the indoor season. It was great to see them capitalize on that preparation and rise to the moment when the lights were the brightest."
Nettles, the MAC's reigning heptathlon champion from the 2025 outdoor season, captured the MAC pentathlon title at the MAC Championships last month. Her 4,008 points event marked the third-highest total in Ball State history, and her championship marked the 10th consecutive multi-event title by a Ball State competitor in the MAC's indoor and outdoor championships. Since May 2021, Ball State athletes have won every MAC pentathlon and heptathlon championship. Nettles became just the eighth pentathlete in league history to amass over 4,000 points on the MAC's biggest stage.
Ratney won her event also, claiming first place in the 60-meter hurdles at the MAC Championships, a day after Nettles' feat. She ripped through the hurdles in a personal-record time of 8.41 seconds that was the fourth-fastest in Ball State history. At the time, it was the seventh-fastest time in the Great Lakes Region this season.
Garner earned second-team honors by finishing second in the high jump -- in what was just the third college meet of her career. She cleared the high jump bar at 1.75 meters, just a sliver off her 1.76 career-best, and tied with MAC champion Arianna Galloway of Northern Illinois, who attained the height in fewer attempts. Garner was named the MAC's Freshman Field Performer of the Year.
When points were on the line for Ball State in last month's MAC Championships, the Cardinals turned to the veteran Springer, who finished second in the 60-meters and third in the 200-meters. She accumulated 10 team points for the Cardinals and earned second-team all-league honors in the process.
"We're extremely proud of Lapri, Kenli, Nina and Alana for earning All-MAC honors," said track coach Adrian Wheatley. "They've put in a tremendous amount of work dating back to the fall and throughout the indoor season. It was great to see them capitalize on that preparation and rise to the moment when the lights were the brightest."
Nettles, the MAC's reigning heptathlon champion from the 2025 outdoor season, captured the MAC pentathlon title at the MAC Championships last month. Her 4,008 points event marked the third-highest total in Ball State history, and her championship marked the 10th consecutive multi-event title by a Ball State competitor in the MAC's indoor and outdoor championships. Since May 2021, Ball State athletes have won every MAC pentathlon and heptathlon championship. Nettles became just the eighth pentathlete in league history to amass over 4,000 points on the MAC's biggest stage.
Ratney won her event also, claiming first place in the 60-meter hurdles at the MAC Championships, a day after Nettles' feat. She ripped through the hurdles in a personal-record time of 8.41 seconds that was the fourth-fastest in Ball State history. At the time, it was the seventh-fastest time in the Great Lakes Region this season.
Garner earned second-team honors by finishing second in the high jump -- in what was just the third college meet of her career. She cleared the high jump bar at 1.75 meters, just a sliver off her 1.76 career-best, and tied with MAC champion Arianna Galloway of Northern Illinois, who attained the height in fewer attempts. Garner was named the MAC's Freshman Field Performer of the Year.
When points were on the line for Ball State in last month's MAC Championships, the Cardinals turned to the veteran Springer, who finished second in the 60-meters and third in the 200-meters. She accumulated 10 team points for the Cardinals and earned second-team all-league honors in the process.
Players Mentioned
Jumps
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Multis
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Hurdles
/ Track & Field
Sprints
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