WICHITA,
Kan. -- The Wichita State track & field team opens the 2012 indoor season Wednesday
with the two-day Herm Wilson Invitational, presented by Varsity Apartments.
The
Shockers' first indoor meet of the season begins with the men's long jump at 5
p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 and continues at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 with the
women's shot put. Running events start at 3:10 p.m. Thursday with the
preliminaries of the women's 60-meter hurdles.
Student-athletes from Emporia State,
Fort Hays State, Oral Roberts and Butler Community College will compete
against the Shockers in the season opener.
"For this season opener
we're just trying to figure out where we're at," said Steve Rainbolt, Director
of Wichita State Track & Field and Cross Country. "We're trying to let our
athletes get back and get accustomed to getting back into competition and it
should be a terrific competition. I hope everyone will come out. We've got a
really nice meet put together with regard to a season opener."
The Shocker
women begin their quest to defend their 2011 Missouri Valley Conference indoor
championship. They set a new MVC record last season by scoring 186 points in
the indoor conference championship meet.
Nineteen
MVC all-conference performers return for the Shockers from the 2011 indoor and
outdoor seasons combined, including six MVC individual champions: Austin
Bahner, Cassie Craig, Dylan Hartnett, Todd McKown, Audacia Moore and Aliphine
Tuliamuk.
Wichita
State combined for 31 indoor all-conference performances in 2011 and 11 indoor
MVC event titles. Tuliamuk finished the season as a first-team indoor NCAA all-American
in the 5,000 meters.
Moore won
the MVC indoor 60-meter and 200-meter women's titles and scored a team-leading
27 points at the MVC indoor championships. Bahner won the MVC indoor men's long
jump and McKown claimed the men's indoor 60-meter hurdles and 200 meters at the
indoor conference meet. McKown led the Shocker men with 21.25 points at the
indoor championships.
Returner
Hartnett won the 200-meter dash at last year's Herm Wilson Invitational. J'Lynn
Ledesma (high jump), Lawson Montgomery (60-meter hurdles), Craig (pole vault), Moore
(60-meter dash), Danielle Walker (1,000 meters) and Jake Wike (1,000 meters)
also won titles at the 2011 Herm Wilson Invitational for Wichita State.
Shocker Track & Field renamed the WSU
Invitational the Herm Wilson Invitational in 2011 in honor of former Shocker
head coach Herm Wilson. The WSU Invitational was held in 2009 and 2010.
Admission
is free to Wednesday's events. Admission to Thursday's events costs $3 for adults,
free for children under the age of 3 and free for Wichita State students with
their Shocker ID. A track & field season ticket punch pass is also
available for the first time this season. Click here for more information.
A live video stream of the meet will be available online starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday and again at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. Click here to view.
Visit the Herm Wilson Invitational Meet Central page here for more information.
Follow the Herm Wilson Invitational on Twitter (#hermwilson).
- Wichita State -
