Posted: Feb 23, 2018

Track and field teams set for IIAC Indoor Championships

PELLA, Iowa -- The Simpson track and field teams are set to begin the 2018 Iowa Conference Indoor Championships this weekend at Central's H.S. Kyuper Fieldhouse.

The two-day event gets underway with the men's heptathlon at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23 and resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. The men are coming off a fifth-place finish a year ago while the women look to improve upon last year's ninth-place finish.

Heat Sheets // Live Results // Live Video

Men's Preview
The men's team will be strong in the sprints again, led be defending 55-meter hurdle champion Dylan Kalinay. The senior comes in as the top seed in the 60 hurdles and is tied for the top seed in the 60. He is tied for ninth nationally in the hurdles (8.17) and his time in the 60 (6.96) is tied for 21st.

Emmitt Wheatley is the defending conference champion in the 55 meters and Travis Tupper could factor prominently in the 60 and the 200 after placing third and sixth, respectively, a year ago.

The two-time defending champion 4x200 relay team returns all four members from last year's quartet of Wheatley, Kalinay, Tupper and Chase Wetterling. That group set a school record, running 1:28.79, while the combination of Kaliay, Wheatley, Tupper and Troy Vittetoe have the fastest time in the IIAC this year (1:30.13). The 4x400 team set an IIAC Championship record a year ago and will be among the top contenders again this year.

Jordan Coughenour comes in with the No. 4 time in the open 400 and distance specialist Ian McKenzie -- a national qualifier in cross country -- is the Storm's top contender in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

Sam Adeniyi is the lone competitor in the heptathlon and looks to factor into the scoring along with Isaiah Strong in the high jump. Strong's clearance of 6-feet, 5 1/2 inches is tied for fifth-best in the IIAC.

Women's Preview
School-record setting pole vaulter Audrey LoVan has her sights set on the podium after finishing fifth a year ago. The senior set Simpson's indoor mark earlier this year when she cleared 10-feet, 3/4 inches at the Wartburg Indoor Select, tied for fourth in the conference. That effort ties LoVan with jumpers form Coe and Wartburg.

Middle distance specialist Courtney Neuendorf will have an opportunity to reach the podium in the Mile, as she comes in with the 10th-best time in the IIAC (5:21.73). Freshman high-jumpers Kamryn Juni and Jamie Glanz come in ranked 11th and 13th in the IIAC, respectively, and will have a chance to score points in the event.

Simpson Entries
Men
60 — Emmitt Wheatley, Travis Tupper, Davey Jergens, Dylan Kalinay
200 — Dylan Kalinay, Troy Vittetoe, Emmitt Wheatley, Travis Tupper
400 — Bryce Exline, Chase Wetterling, Jordan Coughenour
800 — Nick Kibby, Austin Greenwalt, Tyler Combs
Mile — Ryan Courtney, Cale Billheimer, Kyle Hovey
3k — Jonathan Facio, Trey Thompson, Ian McKenzie
5k — Ian McKenzie, Trey Thompson, Jonathan Facio
60 hurdles — Sam Adeniyi, Elliott Meyer, Dylan Kalinay
4x200 — one team
4x400 — one team
4x800 — one team
DMR — one team
Long jump — Brian Rew, Austin Greenwalt
High jump — Josh Dietrich, Sam Adeniyi, Isaiah Strong
Triple jump — Austin Greenwalt
Shot put — Mason Spree, Connor Warrick, Caleb Striegel
Weight throw — Mason Spree, Joseph Peck, Caleb Striegel
Heptathlon — Sam Adeniyi