Last weekend's Sykes-Sabock Challenge at Penn State proved to be a good experience for the Ball State women's track team, which finished 10th among national level competition.
The Challenge included top Big Ten teams such as Michigan and Ohio State as well as three Mid-American Conference foes: Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Kent State.
"We definitely performed better than in the first three meets, but any time we get beat by three conference schools I'm not going to be totally happy," coach Sue Parks said. "I do feel like there were places we could have scored where we didn't."
Kent and Eastern finished just above the Cardinals (28 1/3 points) in eighth and ninth, respectively. Central finished sixth with a 39-point total.
Sophomore Crystal Winfrey contributed to over half of the Cards' points, including 10 in winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.36 seconds.
"She's just doing an incredible job week in and week out, which is great to see since she's only a sophomore," Parks said of Winfrey. "We just need more people aspiring to be at that level."
Winfrey was also part of the 4x400 relay team that took seventh place and the distance medley relay that finished sixth.
Freshman Alex Marshall, sophomore Latasha Jollett and junior Keisha Pedigo were also a part of the 4x400 relay squad that recorded a season-best time of 3:47.65.
"The way we ran at Penn State this weekend, we are definitely ready to run against the best the MAC has to offer," Marshall said.
Junior Ashlie Gillies tied for second in the high jump with a season-best leap of 5-7.
Despite these top performances, Parks believes more athletes need to put up better results for the Cardinals, particularly against the same tough competition they have faced the past two weeks at the Challenge and the Meyo Invitational.
"We just need to step it up against teams like that," Parks said. "If we're going to make a run at being up there in the MAC, we need more people contributing."
The team will host the BSU Triangular this Friday as its final meet before the MAC Championships on Feb. 27.
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