Ball State track and field travels to Huntington, West Virginia, on Feb. 10 and 11 to participate in the Chipotle Marshall Invitational.
The Cardinals are one of two Mid-American Conference schools in the event, with Marshall rival Ohio also sending their team. It will be the first time this season the Cardinals see the Bobcats. It is also Ohio’s second visit to Marshall on the season. They opened their season at the Marshall Opener on Dec. 1.
The Cardinals are fresh off a strong performance at the Akron Invitational on Feb. 3 and 4, where 16 Ball State runners took top 10 finishes and several more set new personal records.
Ball State head coach Brian Etelman said the team knows how to carry momentum from week to week, and is looking to build on the success at Akron.
“When everyone does as well as they did on Saturday, their competitive fire naturally makes [the team] want to do better the next week, but for us the thing for the week is we just need to run faster,” Etelman said.
The upcoming invitational is also just two weeks away from the conference championship meet, and Etelman hopes more of his athletes will qualify.
“We’ve got people who need to qualify for the conference meet, because you have to be in the top 20 to compete at the MAC [championships],” Etelman said. “There’s some folks on the bubble who need to get after it [this weekend].”
Last weekend, the Cardinals pulled off two event victories, including a 1-2 finish in the 60-meter hurdles, where sophomore Jazmin Smith and freshman Jasmine Harris took the top two spots.
Smith, who had just returned from an ankle injury, also set two personal records in the meet. Harris commented on how Smith’s abilities and the competitive spirit between the two has led to her becoming a better runner.
“I think [running with Smith] has helped me become a better hurdler,” Harris said. “In high school I didn’t have that, it was just me and the time. Having someone that’s being my training partner, and us two with our capabilities helps us both become better hurdlers.”
Friday’s action starts with the weight throw at 5 p.m., which is the only event the Cardinals have a participant in for the day. On Saturday, the action begins with the high jump at 9 a.m., where Ball State sophomore Regan Lewis will be competing.