TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Seniors Kristen Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) and Caitlin Busch (Waterloo, Ill./Freeburg) swept the top two spots in the women's 10,000 meters for the second straight year to highlight action for the Bradley men's and women's track & field teams Friday on the opening day of the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championship.
Kristen joined MVC Hall of Famer Sue Daggett (1994-97) and Missouri State's Casey Owens (2003-05) as the only three-time MVC 10,000 meter champions in league history, taking top honors for the third consecutive year. She crossed the line at 36:16.09 to edge out twin sister Caitlin, who was second in the field at 36:16.36.
In addition to earning her third consecutive 10,000 meter crown, Kristen claimed the sixth MVC title of her career. Caitlin's second-place finish marked the second consecutive year the duo swept the top two spots in the MVC 10,000 meter field as claimed the eighth all-conference honor of her career.
The Bradley women are third in the team standings with 19 points, with senior Sarah McMahon (Colfax, Wis./Colfax) adding a point with an eighth-place finish in the 10,000 meters. Running the event for the first time in 2016, McMahon clocked a 36:54.33.
The men's and women's 1,500 meters also helped highlight the opening day of competition for the Braves.
On the men's side, sophomore Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen) posted the top time in the 1,500 meter prelims and was one of three Braves to advance to Sunday's finals. Ward finished at 3:49.94 to post the top time of the day, while fellow sophomore Haran Dunderdale (Grantham, England/Carres) was close behind in third at 3:50.23. Senior Eric Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) will join the duo in Sunday's finals after turning in a season-best effort of 3:51.29 to place seventh in Friday's prelims.
In the women's 1,500 meters, senior Emily Delvo (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin) and junior Rachel Sudbury (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) both qualified for the event finals. The 2014 MVC champion in the 1,500 meters, Delvo took second last year and moved on to the finals with a third-place showing Friday afternoon at 4:32.75. Sudbury also moved on to the 10-person finals with a time of 4:35.11, which was good for fourth Friday.
The Bradley men are tied with Indiana State for sixth in the team standings after juniors Patrick Campbell (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa) and Caleb Beck (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) combined for four points in the 10,000 meter finals to wrap up the opening day's competition. Campbell was sixth overall at 30:27.66 to miss all-conference honors by six seconds, while Beck was eighth in the field at 30:39.27.
The second day of the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship is slated to start Saturday at 4 p.m.
