Panther track & field: UNI men pick to finish third at MVC Indoor Championships, Women picked sixth

ST. LOUIS --- The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) has announced the results of its indoor track and field championship poll on Thursday afternoon, as voted on by the league's coaches. UNI's men's team was picked to finish third, with the women's program tabbed in sixth.

The Indiana State men and Illinois State women were selected to win this year's indoor track and field championships, which will be contested beginning this weekend, Feb. 26-27 at Gately Park in Chicago.

UNI picked up 75 points in the men's poll, and are led by nationally ranked Heptathlete Carter Morton, who holds the top spot in the Valley with a point total of 5698 set at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite earlier this month. Morton also holds the third place spots in the high jump and triple jump, as well as a fifth-place spot in the pole vault.

Parker Kiewiet also returns for the Panthers after coming off an impressive outdoor campaign last spring, scoring 40 points after winning the long jump, 200-meters, 400-meters and running on the 4x400-meter relay. Kiewiet holds the number one spot in the 400-meter dash with a time of 46.26 seconds, holds a second place spot in the long jump with a jump of 7.59m, and enters a time in the 60-meter-dash.

60-meter hurdler Drew Bartels holds a time of 7.98 seconds for second spot in the Valley alongside Brendan Safely in the Pole Vault's second place spot height of 4.80m. The Panthers rank at number 11 in the Midwest, with three event squads gaining national attention, the long jump at 11, heptathlon at 10, and the 60 hurdles tied with the Redbirds at 21. The Panthers look to regain their title after winning back-to-back indoor championships in 2020 and 2021, going for their program's 15th MVC title.

The Panthers earned 86 votes to grasp sixth in the women's coach's poll. Katie Fare holds the Panther's top spot in the MVC in the shot put with a personal best mark of 16.68m set at the SDSU Indoor Classic. UNI's field athletes show great depth with 11 top ten Valley marks including 2022 MVC outdoor champion Rylie Todd with a standing mark of 1.70m in the high jump. Senior Mari Shavers also set a new Panther record in the weight throw moving her to third in the Valley with a 20.03m mark.

On the track, Rylan Santi holds a third-place spot in the 60-meter dash with a school record time of 7.43 seconds set earlier this month. In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Paige Kisley holds a time of 8.72 seconds, sitting fourth in the Valley. The Panthers hold a #19 rank in the Midwest Region and three top 20 event squad rankings, with the women's shot put leading the Valley on the women's side at #12 in the nation.

The 2023 MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships can be watched LIVE on ESPN+, with live results also available online.

2023 MVC Men's Indoor Track & Field Pre-Championship Poll (Points)

1st - Indiana State (93)
2nd - Illinois State (89)
3rd - UNI (75)
4th - Bradley (62)
5th - Drake (61)
6th - Southern Illinois (59)
7th - Belmont (45)
8th - UIC (32)
9th - Valparaiso (24)
10th - Evansville (10)

2023 MVC Women's Indoor Track & Field Pre-Championship Poll (Points)

1st - Illinois State (142)
2nd - Indiana State (127)
3rd - Murray State (112)
4th - Bradley (108)
5th - Southern Illinois (89)
6th - UNI (86)
7th - Belmont (72)
8th - Missouri State (63)
9th - Drake (62)
10th - UIC (31)
11th - Valparaiso (27)
12th - Evansville (14)

Calendar

Upcoming Events