West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois men's and women's indoor track and field teams are set to compete at the Ichabod Invitational in Topeka, Kansas, hosted by Washburn University. The events commence on Friday at 2 p.m. and continue on Saturday at 11 a.m., just weeks before the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships scheduled for February 21-22 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Western Illinois coach Trey Brokaw expressed optimism about the team's progress, stating, "This is the best we have looked as a track & field program in many decades." He acknowledged the need for further improvement to achieve their championship goals. Brokaw noted that Southeast Missouri State is currently projected to win on the women's side and Arkansas Little Rock on the men's side but emphasized that much can change as the season progresses.

The Leathernecks recently had a successful outing at the PNC Bank Invitational in Louisville, where athletes Arnie Grunert, Aliyah Adams, and Jaiden Young were recognized by the OVC as Athletes of the Week. Adams excelled by winning two events and setting school records in long jump and 60-meter hurdles. "Aliyah Adams had an incredible start to her sophomore year," Brokaw said.

Jaiden Young also impressed with his performance in sprints. Brokaw praised Young's development from a high school senior focused on boxing to a promising track athlete: "He's a fighter... Having young leaders like Jaiden... is extremely important for team culture and team success."

Grunert made history by setting a new program record in pole vaulting. "Arnie has had a fantastic start to his indoor season," Brokaw remarked, highlighting Grunert's achievement of being the first Western Illinois University pole vaulter over 17 feet.

Looking ahead, Western Illinois will compete at Iowa next week before focusing on the OVC Championships. Coach Brokaw emphasized the importance of building momentum: "Collectively as a team, we need to put our best foot forward this weekend down in Kansas."