PEORIA, Ill. -- After a week off for finals, the Bradley men's and women's track & field teams return to action Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Normal, Ill.
The women's team turned in a school record 47 points at the 2015 MVC Indoor Championships earlier this school year and look to challenge the Bradley record of 44 points at the Outdoor Championship set last year in Carbondale, Ill. The men's squad collected its best point total at a Valley Indoor Championship (24 points) since 1982 to wrap up the indoor season and the team's 18 points at last year's MVC Outdoor Championship was the best on The Hilltop since 1986.
Friday's action is slated to start at 4 p.m. with junior Elizabeth Dutcher (Williamston, Mich./Williamston) competing in the javelin and returning later in the day to run in the 200 meter prelims at 5:45 p.m.
Highlighting the opening day of competition for the Braves will be the 1,500 meter prelims at 5:15 p.m. and the 10,000 meters at 6:30 p.m. Junior Emily Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin), who won the 1,500 meters at last year's MVC Outdoor Championship, owns the second-best time in the event in the Valley this season and is one of five Braves entered in Friday's prelims.
On the men's side, freshman Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen) broke the school record in the 1,500 meters two weeks ago and is expected to lead four Bradley men scheduled to run Friday. Ward's record time of 3:44.56 set at Stanford on May 2 ranks third in the MVC this spring.
A trio of Bradley women will look to finish near the front of the pack in the 10,000 meters Friday at 6:30 p.m. Twin sisters Kristen Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) and Caitlin Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) own the top two times in the event in the MVC this year. The defending MVC 10,000 meter camp, Kristen's season-best 34:17.84 is tops in the Valley, while Caitlin's career-best time of 34:30.78 is second in school history. Junior Rosie Hiles (Hampshire, England/Alton College/University of Birmingham) will join the pair in the 10,000 meter field as she runs that distance for the first time in her collegiate career.
Sophomore Caleb Beck (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) made his 10,000 meter debut in late April and will join junior Marshall Moyer (Burlington, Iowa/Burlington) in the men's 10,000 meter field to wrap up Friday's action for the Braves. Moyer will be making his 10,000 meter debut Friday night.
The highlight of Saturday's action features the 800 meter prelims at 6 p.m. as Delvo will try to reach the finals in both events after sweeping the 800 and 1,500 meter titles at last year's conference championship. Delvo broke the school record in the 800 meters at the Drake Relays, clocking a time of 2:08.46 last month. Senior Kyela Specht (Munster, Ind./Munster) also topped the previous school record in the 800 meters this spring and her career-best time of 2:09.11 ranks fifth in the conference.
Freshman Haran Dunderdale (Grantham, England/Carres) owns the second-best steeplechase time in the Valley this year and is one of two Bradley men in the 3,000 meter steeplechase field Saturday at 7 p.m. Dunderdale's time of 9:11.90 is third in school history. Sophomore Mackenzie Griffin (Petersburg, Ill./PORTA) will be the lone representative for the Bradley women in Saturday night's steeplechase.
Sunday's activities include the finals for both the 1,500 meters (1:50 p.m.) and 800 meters (2:55 p.m.) along with the 5,000 meters and 4x400 meter relay. Hiles and the Busch twins return for the women's 5,000 meters (3:40 p.m.) Sunday afternoon, with the trio combining for three of the top seven performances in the MVC this year. Kristen Busch's career-best time of 16:33.64 from the Penn Relays is third in the Valley in 2015 and third among Bradley career-best marks.
Ward, who should challenge for a spot in the 1,500 meter finals which will be held earlier in the day Sunday, is slated to return for the 5,000 meters at 4 p.m. The school record-holder in the 5,000 meters, Ward's time of 13:58.21 is more than 30 seconds better than any other time at Bradley and is tops in the MVC this season.
The Braves wrap up the three-day event with the 4x400 meter relays at 4:40 p.m.
