In an off week on the track for many, Indiana State turned in three of the MVC’s four NCAA Regional qualifying performances.   Of note, Steve Daniel turned in the nation’s 11^th-best triple jump with a leap of 51-07.25 (15.73m) and Erica Moore posted 5,368 in the heptathlon, the 10^th-best score in the country to date.  The State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship is a month away, beginning May 16 in Carbondale, Ill., hosted by Southern Illinois University.

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week - Sean Bowman, Indiana State

Senior Sean Bowman was strong in the 3,000 steeplechase invitational at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., as he placed ninth overall (third highest collegian) in the event with a time of 9:26.01.

Women’s Track Athlete of the Week - Andrea Norris, Southern Illinois

Saluki sprinter Andrea Norris ran 11.82 in the women’s 100-meter dash good for second place at the Ole Miss Invitational Saturday in Oxford, Miss. The senior’s mark leads the league this season.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Week - Steve Daniel, Indiana State

Daniel posted the nation’s 11th-best and regional qualifying mark in the triple jump with a leap of 51’07.25” to finish as the third collegian in the event and in fifth place overall.  That distance currently ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference (Please Check For Late Time Updates) and is the second-best outdoor performance in Indiana State history.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Week - Erica Moore, Indiana State

Moore headed into the second day of competition in the women’s heptathlon at the Sea Ray Relays in fourth place overall with 3,147 points.  However, the Sullivan, Ind., native finished the second day of competition very strong to finish as the top collegian in the event and in second place overall with 5,368 points, 10th-best in the nation.  That mark set a new personal best and also broke her outdoor school record of 5,263 points set at the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  In addition, Moore’s total eclipsed the provisional qualifying mark 5,050 points for the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championship.  In addition, Moore ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 meter relay team that finished 10th in a time of 3:45.54, which currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference.

Team Notables

INS

Sophomore Kayla Alexander was the top standout on the track for the ISU women’s team at the Sea Ray Relays on Saturday, as she ran to a first-place finish in the women’ 10,000 meter race.  The Terre Haute, Ind., native recorded a time of 38:07.10 during the race to take first place in the event and pick up a prestigious Sea Ray Relays title.

SIU         

Southern Illinois jumper Bianca Stuart regionally qualified in the long jump Saturday at the Ole Miss Invitational. Her mark of 19-11.50 finished her second in the event and ranks first in the MVC this season. Also, her mark in the 100 and 200 dashes rank sixth and eighth respectively.

Saluki distance runner Kyle Kirchner picked up the top finish in running events for the men over the weekend at the Ole Miss Invitational. Kirchner’s time of 9:42.25 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. His mark currently ranks fifth in the league this season.

Thrower Brenton Siemons won two events over the weekend at the Ole Miss Invitational. He won the shot put with a regional mark of 55-07.75 and the hammer with another regional mark of 186-05. Siemons marks this season rank first in the league in each event. He ranks 50th in the hammer and 40th in the shot nationally this season.

WSU

DePaul Brewer continued a successful season with a victory in the shot put at the 60th Annual K.T. Woodman Classic. The senior’s throw of 53 feet, 10 inches to win the meet also ranks him second on the Missouri Valley Conference performance list. Brewer also placed second in th discus at the meet with a toss of 159-8, which also ranks him fourth in the Valley.

Erika Kovesi, a junior jumper, fought the wind to a victory in the triple jump and a second-place finish in the long jump at the 60th Annual K.T. Woodman Classic. She leaped 38 feet, 3 1/4 inches in the triple for the victory, and 17-10 3/4 in the long jump. She is currently ranked third in the Valley in the triple jump, and fifth in the long jump.