Spletzer's 5K Personal Best Highlights Split Squad Competition in St. Louis and Eastern Illinois

Thursday, March 26

St. Louis, MO

All Day

Ball State University

WashU Distance Carnival

Photo by: Madeline Howell

Spletzer's 5K Personal Best Highlights Split Squad Competition in St. Louis and Eastern Illinois

March 27, 2026 | Track & Field

EIU Stats and Results Wash U Distance Carnival Results

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State track athletes were split between two different meets on Friday, competing in a four-team meet at Eastern Illinois for sprinters and field performers, and distance runners participating in the Wash. U. Distance Carnival conducted at Washington University in St. Louis.

The unique distance carnival featured endurance athletes from dozens of schools at different levels of NCAA competition. Four Ball State athletes took part in the 5,000-meter event with nearly 200 runners over six sections, with grad student Sarah Mahnensmith finishing 17th out of 52 entries in the 1,500-meter run on Friday evening.

In the 5,000, Ball State earned three top-30 overall finishers out of 173 runners, with senior Carly Spletzer finishing 11th with a personal-record time of 16:45.08 that is the fifth-best in program history.

Men's and women's 5K and 10K races ran nearly continuously from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with an hour break for eight heats of men's and women's 1,500 races on Friday evening. In the day's fifth women's 5K race, Ball State freshmen Kaitlyn Kauppila and Emily Decker started side-by-side among 28 racers, with Kauppila crossed the finish line third and Decker eighth in their heat -- 21st and 28th overall. Spletzer started the night's final 5k race, under the lights at 9 p.m. ET, and finished 10th out of 23 in the event's fastest heat, 11th overall.

In Charleston, Illinois, Alana Springer won the 200 meters and Lia Patterson won the 400m hurdles, in a pair of events dominated by Cardinals. Springer paced six Ball State sprinters among 20 finishers in the event. Laya'Lapri Ratney finished a half-second behind Springer in second place, and Page Kirtz was fourth. Behind Patterson in the 400m hurdles, Lily Eagleston and Amina Hadziahmetovic finished second and third as Ball State freshmen nabbed the top three places. Six of eight runners entered in the race were from Ball State.

Sydney Miller paced Cardinals field performers on Friday with a third-place performance in the shot put. Track and field competition continues at EIU on Saturday.

Washington University Distance Carnival
5,000m Run
11th, Carly Spletzer, Sr. -- 16:45.08 PR
21st, Kaitlyn Kauppila, Fr. -- 17:06.53
28th, Emily Decker, Fr. -- 17:13.36 PR
157th, Kendyl Thrasher, Jr. -- 18:57.90

1,500m Run
17th, Sarah Mahnensmith, Sr. -- 4:36.17

Eastern Illinois Big Blue Classic
Friday Events
Hammer Throw
7th, Sydney Miller, Jr. -- 44.24m
8th, Malena Higgins, Sr. -- 43.98m
9th, Ayla Rice, Fr. -- 41.91m

Shot Put
3rd, Sydney Miller, Jr. -- 13.28m
6th, Malena Higgins, Sr. -- 12.62m
10th, Ayla Rice, Fr. -- 11.00m

Triple Jump
7th, Taylor Hickman, Sr. -- 10.70

400m Hurdles
1st, Lia Patterson, Fr. -- 1:02.33
2nd, Lily Eagleston, Fr. -- 1:06.61
3rd, Amina Hadziahmetovic, Fr. -- 1:06.79
6th, Lindley Steele, Sr. -- 1:09.93
7th, Phaelin Jones, Fr. -- 1:11.92
8th, Lauren Graham, Sr. -- 1:12.55

200m Dash
1st, Alana Springer, Sr. -- 24.07
2nd, Laya'Lapri Ratney, So. -- 24.62 PR
4th, Paige Kirtz, Jr. -- 25.27
8th, Jiah Davenport, So. -- 25.80
10th, Taylor Hickman, Sr. -- 26.20
11th, Allison Valladay, Jr. -- 26.44