Racers Tabbed Second In MVC Outdoor Pre-Championship Poll

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

Racers Tabbed Second In MVC Outdoor Pre-Championship Poll

5/6/2024 4:56:00 PM | Women's Track and Field

Murray State sits just 12 points back from Indiana State after finishing as runner-up to the Sycamores at indoor conference championships.

By: Drew Parsley

The Murray State track and field team look ahead to the Missouri Valley Outdoor Conference Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana after being listed in second on the Coaches Pre-Championship Poll, the conference office announced Monday afternoon.

The Racers were just one of three schools to earn first-place votes. Indiana State, the MVC's top school in the women's pre-championship poll, received 141 points and nine first-place votes while Murray State picked up 129 points with two first-place votes. Illinois State rounds out the top three of the poll with 126 points and just one first-place vote.

The Racers enter the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships after a record-setting outdoor season. Chelby Melvin highlighted some of those big performances after setting the program record in the 400-meter hurdles three separate times. Melvin, along with Simone Joseph, Anouk Krause-Jentsch and Kayla Bell, also set the school record in the 4x400-meter relay.

Faith Bostick currently holds the fastest 100-meter dash time in the MVC this outdoor season along with Alyssa Williams cracking the top 10 in the event. Bostick also holds the third-fastest 200-meter time in the conference, and the quartet of Bell, Joseph, Krause-Jentsch and Lucia Hererro Yanez are among the top 10 in the 400-meter. Bell holds the fastest 400-meter time in the MVC with a time of 55.00 seconds and the second-fastest 800-meter time of 2:05.05, with teammate Amirr Evans just behind with the third-fastest 800 at a time of 2:06.90.

Among the top three in other outdoor events in The Valley are Melvin (400-meter hurdles, 58.61—1^st; 100-meter hurdles, 13.51—2nd), Meghan Fletcher (high jump, 1.79m—1^st; heptathlon, 4995—3^rd), Brooke Probst (high jump, 1.70m—T-3^rd), Jenna Pauly (long jump, 5.90m—3rd; heptathlon, 5174—1st) and Alyssa Williams (triple jump, 12.11m—2nd).

The outdoor conference championships are set to take place May 10-12 at the Gibson Track & Field Complex on the campus of host Indiana State in Terre Haute.

2024 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Outdoor Track & Field Pre-Championship Poll
School Points (1st place votes)
Indiana State – 141 points (9)
Murray State – 129 points (2)
Illinois State – 126 points (1)
Belmont – 98 points
Bradley – 98 points
UNI – 80 points
SIU – 78 points
Drake – 61 points
Missouri State – 49 points
Evansville – 29 points
UIC – 28 points
Valparaiso – 19 points

For more information on the Murray State track and field team, visit GoRacers.com or follow @RacersXCTF on Instagram and X.