Leander Ernest added two conference titles to her resume on the day.  She won the 400-meter run final with a NCAA Regional Qualifying standard time of 54.60 seconds.  Ernest beat out teammate Yaneika Malcolm, who finished second at 55.76 seconds.

Ernest was also a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that won the title today.  Along with Corteneé Boulard, Malcolm and Rashida Allen, the team set the Marks Field record, running a time of 3:42.34. 

Ernest also competed in the 200-meter dash final and the 4x100-meter relay.  She placed fifth in the 200-meter with a time of 24.64 seconds.  Rashida Allen placed just ahead of Ernest in fourth, running 24.57 seconds.  Yaneika Malcolm placed sixth and Shantel Llewellyn finished eighth.  Malcolm’s time of 24.71 seconds was a personal best.  The four combined to run a time of 46.76 seconds in the 4x100-meter relay to place fourth.  The time tied a season best for the event.

Llewellyn and Allen ran the final of the 100-meter dash as well.  Llewellyn finished fourth with a personal best time of 12.10 seconds.  Allen came in seventh, running 12.24 seconds.

Jeláni Kelly continued her stellar freshman campaign with a fourth-place finish in the finals of the discus throw.  Kelly attained a NCAA Regional mark distance with a throw of 156-01 feet (47.57 meters).  She also moves into third on the all-time Missouri State performers list with her throw.

On the distance side, Pasca Cheruiyot placed second in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:47.23.  Her time was a NCAA Regional mark.  Senior Jamie Vest set a personal best with a time of 17:53.56, finishing 10th in the event.  Andrea Marshall also set a personal best running a time of 18:42.75.

In the 1,500-meter run, Terry Phillips and Staci Nelson ran personal best times.  Phillips completed her run in 4:31.84 and placed fourth.  Nelson ran a time of 4:43.48 to place 12th.  Lacie Sparlin also competed, finishing at 5:00.29 in the event.

Other events of the day that the Bears competed in were the 100-meter hurdles and the triple jump.  Alexandria Oembler placed seventh in the hurdles with a time of 14.49 seconds.  Shawnté Middlebrook reached a distance of 38-08.25 feet (11.79 meters) in the triple jump to place sixth.

Missouri State will now prepare for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships which will be held in Louisville, Ky., on May 29th and 30th.  The Bears have six individuals and a relay team qualified for the Regional Championships.

Final MVC Team Scores

Place     School                          Points

        1      Southern Illinois            181.50

        2      Wichita State               171.50

        3      Indiana State                128

        4      Missouri State            116

        5      Illinois State                104

        6      Northern Iowa              71.50

        7      Drake                         35.50

        8      Bradley                        10

Day 2 Recap

The Missouri State track and field team sits in a tie for fifth place with 40 points after two days at the State Farm MVC Outdoor Championships.  The Bears took the conference title in the high jump and attained three NCAA Regional marks and four personal bests on the day.

Mareneika Goffe won the high jump for the Bears with a personal best and NCAA Regional qualifying standard height of 5-08.75 feet (1.75 meters).  The height moves her into a tie for fourth on the all-time performers list.  Sister Zaleika Goffe placed third in the event with a height of 5-05.00 feet (1.65 meters).

Terry Phillips and Jamie Vest continued to shine in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  Phillips finished second with a run of 10:29.19, while Vest placed fourth with a time of 10:44.76.  Both times are Regional marks.  Staci Nelson placed 10th, running 11:15.68.  Lacie Sparlin set a personal best with a time of 11:52.32 in the event.

Shawnté Middlebrook placed eighth in the finals of the long jump.  She reached a distance of 18-01.00 feet (5.51 meters).

Freshman Jeláni Kelly set a personal best in the shot put.  Her throw of 40-10.50 feet (12.46 meters) put her 10th in the preliminary round, but did not qualify her for the finals.

Nine Bear sprinters advanced to tomorrow’s finals in their respective events.  Leander Ernest and Yaneika Malcolm advanced in both the 200- and 400-meter run with Ernest running the fastest 400-meter time of the day.  Rashida Allen and Shantel Llewellyn will join Ernest and Malcolm in the finals of the 200-meter dash.  Allen and Llewellyn also advanced to the 100-meter dash finals.  Alexandria Oembler reached the finals in the 100-meter hurdles as well.

Day 1 Recap

Junior Pasca Cheruiyot cruised to victory in the 10,000-meter run at the first day of the State Farm MVC Outdoor Championships.  The race was the only event of the day for the Missouri State track and field team.

Cheruiyot paced the field in the 10,000-meter run finishing in a time of 36:23.19 for the victory.  Her time broke the Marks Field record in the event by 38 seconds.  She also moves into fourth on the all-time Missouri State performers list and it is the fastest time in the conference this season.  Cheruiyot scored 10 points for the Bears with her win, finishing 50 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. 

Sophomore Mari-Jean Vance was the only other Bear to compete in the event.  Vance finished 13th with a time of 40:43.61.

The Bears' 10 team points puts them in fifth place after the first of three days of competition in Terre Haute, Ind.