Panthers picked first and fourth in preseason indoor track and field poll
12/1/2021 8:59:00 PM | Track and Field
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The UNI men's track and field team was picked to finish first in the Missouri Valley Indoor Track and Field Championships, and the women were tabbed fourth.Â
The UNI men's team leads the pack with six first-place votes and 76 total points. Coming off another all-American campaign in the shot put, Darius King brings back a lot of experience, including sweeping the 2021 MVC indoor and outdoor shot put champions. At the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, King put together an impressive performance with a 12th-place finish. Another reigning MVC champion, Tayshaun Cooper, defends his 200-meter and 4x400-meter crowns.Â
The men's team has won five MVC Championship team titles in the last four years, winning the last three outdoor titles and 2 indoor titles.Â
On the women's side, the Panthers are predicted to trail the Sycamores of Indiana State by four points. The Redbirds of Illinois State are predicted to win their fifth straight MVC indoor title.
UNI women finished the polling in fourth, only four points away from third-place and eight from second-place Southern Illinois. Senior Marin Ehler comes back to the Panthers after a fourth-place finish in the 2021 MVC Indoor Championship with a personal best throw of 14.52 meters in the shot put. On the track, Paishence Johnson aided the 4x100-meter in a 19th-place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary Regionals in 2021 and second place at the MVC outdoor championship. Individually, Johnson finished seventh in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.65.
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Loyola will be hosting the 2021 championships set for Feb. 26-28 at Gately Park Track and Field Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Complete list of men's rankings and point totalsÂ
1 - UNI - 76Â
2 - Illinois State - 71
3 - Indiana State - 62
4 - Drake - 58
5 - Southern Illinois - 42
6 - Bradley - 38Â
7 - Loyola - 31
8 - Valparaiso - 16Â
9 - Evansville - 11
Complete list of women's rankings and point totals
1 - Illinois State - 100
2 - Southern Illinois - 82
3 - Indiana States - 78
4 - UNI - 74
5 - Missouri State - 59
6 - Bradley - 48
7 - Loyola - 40
8 - Drake - 39
9 - Evansville - 17Â
10 - Valparaiso - 13
Players Mentioned
