(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Mar. 1) – The McKendree University men's and women's track and field programs competed in the 21^st Annual Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Indoor Track and Field Championships two-day event. The men's team finished in sixth place and the women's team finished in fourth place.

"I want to thank my athletes and my staff for working tirelessly through the season and competing well this weekend," said Head Coach Agne Eggerth. "We had 23 personal records, four event winners, four second-place, and three third-place performances," said Eggerth.

At the conclusion of the competitions, Tsitsi Mahachi (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School) was named GLVC Women's Field Athlete of the Year, Laila Graham (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) was named GLVC Women's Freshman of the Year, and Johnathan Bumpers (Alton, IL/Alton) and Kayla Tirey (Collinsville, IL./Collinsville) were GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Individual Award Honorees.

"Overall, I'm very pleased as we are leaving this weekend with outstanding performances from Tsitsi Mahachi (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School) who was voted field athlete of the meet and Laila Graham (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) who was voted freshman of the meet," said Eggerth. "Laila broke the school record again and tied the Conference Record in the high jump."

Four Bearcats earned 1^st-place All Conference honors. For the women's team, Mahachi's triple jump of 12.38m improved her to Provo and is currently sitting in sixth place in the NCAA Division II standings. Graham's high jump of 1.75m set her tied for the GLVC record and hit an auto qualifier position for nationals. For the men's team, Zach Llewellyn (Alton, IL/Alton) shot put of 16.55m was a new provisional standard. Preston Holt (Miami, FL/Miramar) set a new personal best in the 60H at 8.30.

Three Bearcats earned 2^ndplace All-Conference honors. For the women's team, Mahachi's long jump of 5.70m was a new provisional standard and personal best. Mya Watson-Blake (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township) set a new personal best in the high jump at 1.64m. For the men's team, Torrey Deal (Madison, IL/Granite City) tied for second in the high jump at 2.00m and also got second in the triple jump while setting a new provisional record of 14.89m.

Three Bearcats earned 3^rd-place honors. For the women's team, Watson-Blake set a new provisional standard in the 200M at 25.02. Azlynn Sherrod-Butler (East Moline, IL/United Township High School) recorded a new personal best in the 60M at 8.82. For the men's team, Najee Sylvester (Markham, IL/Hillcrest High Shcool) completed the 60M at 6.92.

Below are the two-day results for the Bearcats:

MEN'S EVENTS:
60M:
Najee Sylvester (Markham, IL/Hillcrest High Shcool) – 6.92
Malik Whitehead (Streamwood, IL/Hoffman Estates) – 7.15

200M:
Sylvester – 22.74
Jaimie Omalla (Tororo, Uganda/Rift Valley Academy) – 22.88

400M:
J. Omalla – 52.27
Jimmy Reed (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) – 51.89

800M:
Dalvin Humphrey (Calumet Park, IL/Alan B Shepard) – 1:59.71
Reed – 2:09.13

60H:
Preston Holt (Miami, FL/Miramar) – 8.30, placed 1^st

4x400 Relay:
McKendree: J. Omalla, Eugene Omalla (Tororo, Uganda/Rift Valley Academy), Reed, Humphrey – 3:29.56

High Jump:
Torrey Deal (Madison, IL/Granite City) – 2.00m
Jaylen Gary (Springfield, IL/Springfield High School) – 1.80m

Pole Vault:
Domen Maj Sadic (Slovenia/Vegova Ljubljana) – 4.10m

Long Jump:
Johnathan Bumpers (Alton, IL/Alton) – 6.87m
Michael Adderley (Nassau, BA/) – 6.85m

Triple Jump:
Deal – 14.89m
Adderley – 14.17m
Dontea Jones (Centralia, IL/Centralia) – 13.92m

Shot Put:
Zach Llewellyn (Alton, IL/Alton) – 16.55m

Weighted Throw:
Llewellyn – 15.30m
 
WOMEN'S EVENTS:
60M:
Mya Watson-Blake (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Township) – 7.82
A'ja Nauden (Park Forest, IL/Rich East) – 7.86

200M:
Watson-Blake – 25.05
Madison Davis (Du Quoin, IL/Du Quoin) – 26.67

400M:
Deimante Bedalyet – 1:01.62

800M:
Shayna Phillips (Effingham, Il/Effingham) – 2:23.79
Madelyn Tepe (Venedy, IL/Okawville) – 2:24.74

MILE:
Kayla Tirey (Collinsville, IL./Collinsville) – 5:47.70

3,000M:
Colleen Corkery (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) – 12:23.96

60H:
Azlynn Sherrod-Butler (East Moline, IL/United Township High School) – 8.82
Katelyn Conner (Green City, MO./Green City) – 9.73

4x400 Relay:
McKendree: Tsitsi Mahachi (Harare, Zimbabwe/Chisipite Senior School), Bedalyet, Tepe, Philips – 4:04.67

Distance Medley Relay:
McKendree: Tepe, Bedalyet, Phillips, Tirey – 12:54.46

High Jump:
Laila Graham (Fairview Heights, IL/Belleville East) – 1.75m, finished 1^st
Watson-Blake – 1.64m

Long Jump:
Mahachi – 5.70m
Watson-Blake – 5.37m

Triple Jump:
Mahachi – 12.38m
Conner – 10.25m

Shot Put:
Madelyn Daiber (Pocahontas, IL/Greenville High School) – 11.70m
Ndia Johnson (Belleville, IL/Belleville West Township) – 8.45m

"We are hungry for more and ready to get back to work for the outdoor season," said Eggerth.

McKendree has one more postseason competition before the outdoor season begins. The Bearcats will head to Birmingham, Ala., for the two-day 2020 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship. The University of Montevallo will host the events on Friday, Mar. 13 at 10:00 A.M. and Saturday, Mar. 14, at 12:30 A.M., in the Birmingham CrossPlex.