McLean County Times

The Illinois State University track and field team is set to participate in the upcoming Joe Walker Invitational in Oxford, Mississippi. The event, hosted by Ole Miss, will take place on Friday and Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. each day.

This year will mark the third consecutive time that the Redbirds compete in this invitational. Last year, Ryan Schaefer, a sophomore, claimed victory in the men's decathlon with 6,251 points, while Senior Cade Ward finished in third place with 5,830 points. Both athletes made it to the top-10 list with their performances last year.

The Redbirds enter the weekend on the back of a strong opening performance, having participated in four different meets. At the Redbird Challenge in Normal, Illinois, the team secured 11 event wins. Garrett Taylor, a sophomore, moved to fifth place in program history for discus with his 55.21-meter throw.

Meanwhile, Jake Welch, a junior at the Bobcat Invitational in Texas, made it to the top-10 list for the men's 400-meter with a time of 47.10 seconds, marking his entry on both the indoor and outdoor top-10 lists. During the 97th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, sophomore Immaculate Daniel set the second-fastest time in Redbird history in the women's 100-meter with 11.50 seconds. Ryan Schaefer also improved his top-10 listing in the men's decathlon, achieving a career-best total of 6,607 points.