WICHITA, Kan. -- Wichita State's track and field coaches compiled the first Missouri Valley Conference form chart of the outdoor track and field season and both the men and women hold the lead on paper.
The form chart estimates the possible points each team can produce at the 2016 MVC Outdoor Championship May 13-15 in Terre Haute, Ind., in each event based on the performances to date, keeping in mind each Valley coach will adjust their entries to try and score even more points.
"We feel like we stack up nicely," said Head Coach
Steve Rainbolt. "Right now, I feel good about Wichita State in both the men's and the women's competition. I also think there are other schools that are feeling good about their chances. Southern Illinois, certainly on the men's side, is going to be a tough opponent."
On the men's side, WSU leads on the chart 207.5 to 141.5 for Southern Illinois, while the women lead 163.5 to 129.5 over Missouri State.
"A year ago we went into the meet with a nice lead on the men's form chart, and Southern Illinois beat us," Rainbolt said. "We were picked to win it in the pre-meet poll and the pre-championship form chart, and we got upset. So, it's no guarantee because that's the way the form chart looks. We did win the indoor championship, and I feel like we are stronger outdoors. I feel like our guys are hungry to finish this season up and win an outdoor championship.
"On the women's side it is closer, and we stack up favorably, and I am excited about that. The last two times our women have done a good job and upset the favorites."
On the men's side the Shockers hold the best mark in five events to date, including
Jared Belardo, who has the best long jump and triple jump in the league. WSU's
Austin Corley has the best 400 meter hurdles, while the Shockers hold the top five spots in the javelin and the Decathlon.
Dylan Reimer has the best javelin, leading
Chase Pote,
Damien Odle,
Tyson Holmes and
John Hoplin. Veith leads the top five Shockers in the Decathlon followed by
Seth Buck, John Nicholson,
Kaden Griffin and
Kyle Troxler.
For the Shocker women,
Ashley Petersen has the best high jump mark, while
Sadie Suenram has the best discus,
Carlea Holt has the best javelin and
Taylor Larch-Miller has the best 100 meter hurdles.
This Week's Midwest Rankings... Wichita State's men and women are ranked
No. 6 and No. 11, respectively, in the Midwest Region by USTFCCCA. The men are ranked behind Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. WSU will see Kansas at the Rock Chalk Classic on Saturday. The women's Midwest ranking is led by Kansas State. Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Kansas are second, eighth and ninth, respectively, and will compete with the Shockers on Saturday at the Rock Chalk Classic.
NCAA Marks... Wichita State still holds 33 top 100 NCAA marks (22 men, 11 women) so far this outdoor track and field season.
Jared Belardo has the highest-ranked men's mark with the No. 9 NCAA mark in the triple jump (52-6.5/16.01m). It ranks third in the NCAA West Region. On the women's side,
Gavyn Yetter holds the highest-ranked mark with 5,447 points in the Heptathlon which ranks No. 25 overall in the NCAA and No. 17 in the West. The top 48 athletes and top 24 relays advance to the NCAA West Preliminaries, May 26-28, in Lawrence, Kan. The top 24 Decathlon and Heptathlon advance directly to the NCAA Championship June 8-11, in Eugene, Oregon.
