Toledo Heads to Muncie for Ball State Challenge

4/14/2016 4:50:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

Muncie, IN – The Toledo track & field team will head to Mid-American Conference foe Ball State for the Ball State Challenge on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16. UT will compete in the hammer throw at 2:00 p.m. and the javelin throw at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and action will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Toledo will take on MAC teams Bowling Green and Miami along with BSU. Butler, Indiana Tech, IPFW, Rio Grande, Wright State and Xavier will also compete at the event.

"Training for Ball State is going well so far," head coach Linh Nguyen said. "The weather is looking pretty good, and even though we've competed in North Carolina, this will be our first warm weather meet."

UT will look to add qualify more student-athletes for the MAC Championships. Senior Julia Pusateri (1500m), Liz Weiler (3000m), Madeline Pacella (high jump) and Kyesha Neal (shot put) have already met the qualifying standards.

Last time out, most of the Rockets faced Bowling Green at the BGSU Dual, while four UT student-athletes competed at the Stanford Invitational. Five Rockets picked up victories during the dual. Junior Madeline Pacella won the high jump with a personal best 1.70m jump. Senior Kyesha Neal won the discus with a PR of 46.53m. Freshman Alissa Jenkins won the pole vault with an outdoor-best 3.20m jump and junior Maja Pacaric won the 1500m with a time of 4:45.92.

"Kyesha threw great in the shot put and discus and looks like she put herself in the first round of the NCAA Prelim," Nguyen said. Madeline is pretty high on the MAC list and close to the NCAA first round."

Neal is continuing to improve during every meet.

"Her confidence comes from training," Nguyen said. "Kyesha knows what she hits in practice and she heads into competition knowing she can throw a certain distance. That has given her a new level of competitive edge."

At Stanford, senior Brooke Tullis ran the second-fastest time in school history in the 10,000m with a time of 34:11.33. Her time was the fastest in the MAC this season by 10 seconds.

"Brooke ran a time that could make her an All-American," Nguyen said. "Right now her confidence is extremely high and she's focused on becoming an All-American."

Toledo will be back in action on Friday, April 22 and Saturday April 23 at the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, OH and the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, VA.

Live Results
Heat Sheets
Meet Info
Schedule

Friday, April 15
2:00 p.m.             Hammer Throw (Gabbi Jett, Anna Bellman, Katie Dewey, Kyesha Neal)
4:30 p.m.             Javelin Throw (Gabbi Jett, Anna Bellman)

Saturday, April 16
12:30 p.m.           5,000m (Natalie Camardo, Megan Gaysunas, Stephanie Ingraham,
1:00 p.m.             4x100m
1:25 p.m.             1,500m (Olivia Chinn, Priscilla Timmons, Brooke Tullis, Stephanie Barlow, Marissa Rossetti, Ashley Murray)
1:55 p.m.             100m Hurdles (Kailisi Latta-Thompson)
2:15 p.m.             400m (Kristiana Collins)
2:30 p.m.             100m (Deja Martin, Nautica Hill, Christina Johnson, Lexis Williams, Josie Yesmunt)
2:50 p.m.             800m (Emily Wyrick, Liz Weiler, Julia Pusateri, Maja Pacaric)
3:10 p.m.             400m (Akili Barnes)
3:30 p.m.             200m (Lexis Williams, Christina Johnson, Kristiana Collins, Nautica Hill, Akili Barnes)

FIELD EVENTS
11:00 a.m.           Discus Throw (Gabbi Jett, Anna Bellman, Kyesha Neal, Sally Frank, Katie Dewey)
12:00 p.m.           Pole Vault (Hannah Saba, Maddie Jarrett, Alissa Jenkins)
Long Jump (Deja Martin, Kailsi Latta Thompson, Alexis Davis, Ty'Shai Freeman)
1:00 p.m.             Shot Put (Katie Dewey, Sally Frank, Kyesha Neal)
High Jump (Erin Carroll, Madeline Pacella, Ty'Shai Freeman)
2:00 p.m.             Triple Jump (Deja Martin, Alexis Davis, Ty'Shai Freeman)