Ball State University Athletics
Thursday, April 16
Winston-Salem, NC
All Day
Ball State University
at
Wake Forest Invitational
Photo by: Josh Brunette
Decker, Spletzer, Mahnensmith: Distance Runners Have Record Weekend in North Carolina
April 17, 2026 | Track & Field
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State track team opened a two-day event with most of its squad in nearby Terre Haute on Friday, but the biggest splash by the Cardinals' track squad came 500 miles away in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with distance runners challenging three different marks in the Ball State record book.
The Cardinals actually began their record-book assault late Thursday night with the steeplechase and 10,000 meters taking place under the lights at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.
Freshman Emily Decker debuted a new event for the Cardinals, racing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase which hasn't been run by a Ball State athlete in two years. Decker didn't disappoint, completing the 7-lap race of barriers and water jumps in 10:39.69, the second-best in program history. She finished in ninth place overall, with only Katie Nowak's 10:34.05 in 2002 better than Decker's race in Ball State annals. Decker's time currently ranks third in the Mid-American Conference and sixth in the Great Lakes Region.
But even as the clock moved past 10 p.m., the Cardinals weren't done. Carly Spletzer began her 10,000-meter race at 10:00 and by 10:35, she also had attained the second-fastest time in program history in her event -- good for eighth place in Thursday's late-night chase. Only Jill Scully's mark in 2006 was better than Spletzer's, as the senior finished her Wake Forest race with the sixth-fastest clocking in the MAC and 12th in the Great Lakes region. Ironically, she logged the program's second-fastest 1,500-meter race in last week's We Fly Challenge.
Speaking of the 1,500, Ball State employed Sarah Mahnensmith and Kaitlyn Kauppila in the 3.75--lap race on Friday, finishing fourth and fifth in their respective sections. And of course, the Cardinals raced to another top-three finish in the Ball State record book, with Mahnensmith's 4:28.53 landing third in program history, just behind Spletzer's 4:27.32 last week.
Meanwhile back in Terre Haute, three Cardinals field performers opened activity in the Gibson Invitational, which opens full track action on Saturday.
Senior Malena Higgins threw the hammer 47.49 meters Friday afternoon to set a personal best and finish 15th in the event, ahead of teammate Ayla Race who threw 39.11 meters. Senior Maci Easton finished 16th in the javelin throw.
Action resumes at Indiana State at 11 a.m., Saturday.
The Cardinals actually began their record-book assault late Thursday night with the steeplechase and 10,000 meters taking place under the lights at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.
Freshman Emily Decker debuted a new event for the Cardinals, racing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase which hasn't been run by a Ball State athlete in two years. Decker didn't disappoint, completing the 7-lap race of barriers and water jumps in 10:39.69, the second-best in program history. She finished in ninth place overall, with only Katie Nowak's 10:34.05 in 2002 better than Decker's race in Ball State annals. Decker's time currently ranks third in the Mid-American Conference and sixth in the Great Lakes Region.
But even as the clock moved past 10 p.m., the Cardinals weren't done. Carly Spletzer began her 10,000-meter race at 10:00 and by 10:35, she also had attained the second-fastest time in program history in her event -- good for eighth place in Thursday's late-night chase. Only Jill Scully's mark in 2006 was better than Spletzer's, as the senior finished her Wake Forest race with the sixth-fastest clocking in the MAC and 12th in the Great Lakes region. Ironically, she logged the program's second-fastest 1,500-meter race in last week's We Fly Challenge.
Speaking of the 1,500, Ball State employed Sarah Mahnensmith and Kaitlyn Kauppila in the 3.75--lap race on Friday, finishing fourth and fifth in their respective sections. And of course, the Cardinals raced to another top-three finish in the Ball State record book, with Mahnensmith's 4:28.53 landing third in program history, just behind Spletzer's 4:27.32 last week.
Meanwhile back in Terre Haute, three Cardinals field performers opened activity in the Gibson Invitational, which opens full track action on Saturday.
Senior Malena Higgins threw the hammer 47.49 meters Friday afternoon to set a personal best and finish 15th in the event, ahead of teammate Ayla Race who threw 39.11 meters. Senior Maci Easton finished 16th in the javelin throw.
Action resumes at Indiana State at 11 a.m., Saturday.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Sprints
/ Track & Field
Throws
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
/ Track & Field
Distance
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