Redbird Track & Field Complex | Illinois State University Athletics
Redbird Track & Field Complex | Illinois State University Athletics
The Illinois State track and field team concluded their participation in the Dr. Rick McGuire Invitational with notable performances. The event took place on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, Missouri.
A highlight for the men's team was the 4x400m relay squad, consisting of Nwagwu, Welch, Paul, and Ward. They set a new school record with a time of 3:10.90, marking the fastest performance in this category since 2018.
In the men's 3000m race, three athletes from Illinois State made it to the program's top-10 list. Senior Zack Loomis achieved a time of 8:07.54, placing him fifth all-time. Junior Yusuf Baig entered at seventh with a time of 8:10.37. Freshman Julian Baker, competing in his first collegiate 3000m event, recorded a time of 8:12.49, securing eighth place in school history.
Junior Jake Welch and Freshman Zach Paul also earned spots on Illinois State's top-10 list for their times of 47.82 and 48.04 respectively during their participation in events other than the relay.
Senior Ariel Atias excelled in the heptathlon by achieving a season-best score of 5314 points. Sophomore Ryan Schaefer completed his events with a total of 4927 points, setting personal records in both the 1000m and the 60m hurdles.
Sophomore Cole Stevens achieved a personal best in the men's shot put with a throw measuring 16.41 meters (53-10.25). On the women's side, Sophomore Adi Scott reached her personal best with a mark of 12.92 meters (42-4.75).
Sophomore Grace Erb ran her personal best in the women's 800m with a time of 2:12.17, earning her fifth place overall.
In another noteworthy performance, Junior Macee Rivers made her season debut in the women's 60m hurdles and finished eighth with a time of 8.83 seconds.
Looking ahead, Illinois State will participate locally at Illinois-Wesleyan for the Keck Select Invitational starting Friday, February 7th.
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