University of Southern Indiana Track & Field begins the 2017 indoor season Saturday at the Little Giant Invitational in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
USI’s women will be led by junior distance runner, Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio). Roberts is coming off a fifth-place finish for the second-consecutive year at the NCAA II Cross Country Championships this past fall, tying her for the best finish in program history.
While earning her fourth career All-America honor on the cross-country course, Roberts also earned All-America honors in the 5,000 meters last winter, finishing 11th after qualifying for the NCAA II Indoor Championships. Roberts went on to earn All-America honors with a second-place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA II Outdoor Championships.
In the field, the Screaming Eagles will be led by senior Crystal Blair (Bloomington, Indiana) and junior Jenna Martin (Evansville, Indiana). Blair finished sixth in the pole vault at the GLVC Indoor Championships last year before breaking her own record in the event during outdoor season.
Martin earned the second best long jump mark in USI history, behind former National Champion, Candace Perry, last spring at the GLVC Indoor Championships. Martin also holds school records in the 55-meter and 60-meter hurdles.
With the loss of multiple All-Americans, the USI men’s runners will look to experienced senior distance runners Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana) and Noah Lutz (Evansville, Indiana) to shoulder the load. Lutz earned his first All-America honor during the past cross country season, while Broughton earned his second. The other came at the 2016 NCAA II Outdoor Championships when Broughton finished sixth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
Three seniors will lead USI in various field events during the winter and spring seasons. Jalen Madison (Washington, Indiana) was the top performer in the discus a year ago. Jace Hartz (Evansville, Indiana) finished 10th in the high jump at the conference indoor meet last year, and also earned the fourth best javelin mark in Eagle history during the outdoor season. Conner Waldkoetter (Nineven, Indiana) competed in six different events last winter capped by a 15th-place finish in the heptathlon at the GLVC Indoor Championships.
The Little Giant Invitational is the first of seven regular-season meets that USI is scheduled to compete in prior to the GLVC Indoor Championships February 25-26. The 2017 NCAA II Indoor Championships are set to take place March 10-11 in Birmingham, Alabama.
