Women's Pre-Championship Poll
Illinois State received all ten first-place votes in the 2019 Pre-Championship poll. Demetria Anderson holds the top time (13.47) in the 100 hurdles. Grace Beattie’s time of 10:25.01 that was run in March still leads the Valley and ranks 25th in the NCAA West Region in the 3,000 Steeplechase. Beattie ranks third in the Valley in the 5,000 after she posted a tile of 16:48.85 at Drake Relays. In the field, the Redbirds hold the top three marks in high jump and pole vault. Kameesha Smith leads the high jump with a height of 1.78m (5’ 10”) which ranks 16th in the NCAA West. Kristin Higgins (1.71m) Tessa Holland (1.69m) hold the next two top spots. Ariana Cranston, the 2019 MVC Indoor Pole Vault Champion, leads the league with a mark of 3.90m (12’ 9.5”) followed by teammates Nicole Bagwell (3.73m) and Alexandra Cranston (3.72m). Charde Golliday overtook the Valley’s No. 1 spot and is tied for 28thnationally in the long jump (6.30m) after last weekend’s performance. Sydney Laufenberg has the top discus mark of 56.99m (187’ 0”) that was set on March 30th. Laufenberg currently ranks 11th in the NCAA.
Indiana State totaled 90 points to finish second in this year’s pre-championship poll. Brooke Moore’s times in both the 800m (2:07.93) and 1,500m (4:23.70) rank top in the Valley. Cassaundra Roper leads the Valley and is tied for 24th nationally in shot put with a mark of 16.44m (53’ 11.25”). Roper holds the fifth spot in the Valley in the hammer throw. Erin Reese ranks second in discus (55.91m) and hammer (63.56m).
Southern Illinois was picked to finish third in the poll after receiving 80 points. Bri’Anna Branch’s time of 11.51 in the 100m dash is currently first in the Valley followed by teammate Tyjuana Eason. The Salukis hold three out of four top times in the 200-meter. Branch leads the league with a time of 23.19 and ranks 18th in the NCAA West Region. Branch and Eason along with teammates Genesis Ewell and Madison Meyer were part of the 4x100 relay team that posted the top Valley time of 44.89. Meyer also sits atop the performance list with 5118 points in heptathlon and third in the long jump. Branch, Ewell, and Eason also teamed up with Savannah Long to post a Valley leading 4x400 relay time of 3:44.49. Long’s 400 hurdles time of 1:00.40 leads the Valley so far this season. In the hammer throw, Shauniece O’Neal has held onto the top spot in the Valley since March with a mark of 64.86m (212’9”) which lands her 15th nationally. O’Neal ranks third in the Valley in the discus throw.
Securing fourth with 65 points is Northern Iowa. Lyndsie Schinkel’s time in the 800 meter is the second-fastest time in the Valley. McKayla Cole ran a time of 36:17.83 in the 10,000-meter run last weekend to take third so far this season. Katie Nimrod’s time of 1:02.24 in the 400 hurdles is currently tied for third in the league. Maddie McCalla, the 2019 Indoor T&F 400m winner, sits fourth in the Valley with a 400 time of 55.44.
Missouri State notched the No. 5 spot, tallying 61 points. Taryn Smiley’s time from April 19th is good enough for second in the 200-meter dash. Namibia Clavier holds onto a narrow lead in the 400m with a time of 55.12. Grace Breiten ranks second in the 3,000 Steeplechase with a time of 10:28.67. In the field, Jamilah James, the 2019 MVC Indoor Champion in triple jump, sits atop the Valley performance list with a leap of 12.46m (40’ 10.5”). James sits in the top four in long jump.
Loyola secured sixth place with 53 points. Lindsey Brewis and Mimi Reimers hold the top two spots in both the 5,000 and 10,000. Brewis’ times of 16:03.38 (5,000m) and 33:56.32 (10,000m) have earned her the top spot in the Valley and top-50 nationally. Reimers is close behind her teammate with a 16:40.18 time in the 5,000 and 34:53.14 in the 10,000. Brewis and Reimers took over the fourth and fifth spots in the 1,500 after their performances last weekend. Mackenzie Arnold’s leap of 6.17m holds the second furthest mark in long jump. Freshman Ilhame Tamrouti leads the Valley in javelin with a mark of 48.96m.
Bradley came in seventh with 38 points. Niamh Markham is currently third in the 1,500 and sixth in the 800-meter. Gabby Juarez and Abby Jockisch rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 10,000. McKenzie Altmayer has run the third fastest time in the league in the 3,000 Steeplechase so far this season.
Drake took eighth in the poll with 33 points. Victoria Coombe’s time of 1:02.52 in the 400 hurdles is tied for third in the Valley so far this season. Christina LeMunyon is fourth in the Valley with her pole vault height of 3.68m (12’ 0.75”).
Valparaiso was chosen ninth with 18 points. Katherine Germann ranks sixth in the Valley with a time of 37:58.07 in the 10,000-meter run. Anne Mou ranks ninth in triple jump and 13th in javelin.
Evansville rounds out the women’s poll with 12 total points. Samantha Bittner sits 12th in the 400 hurdles this season. Anna Lowry ranks in the top-15 in the 5,000m. Freshman McKenna Sapp is 13th in the pole vault.
| Place | Team (First-Place Votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State (10) | 100 |
| 2 | Indiana State | 90 |
| 3 | Southern Illinois | 80 |
| 4 | Northern Iowa | 65 |
| 5 | Missouri State | 61 |
| 6 | Loyola | 53 |
| 7 | Bradley | 38 |
| 8 | Drake | 33 |
| 9 | Valparaiso | 18 |
| 10 | Evansville | 12 |
Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference
