April 26, 2006
Track and Field
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RECORD BREAKING PERFORMANCE GARNERS MVC HONORS FOR SPARKS

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State senior Charlie Sparks was named the Missouri Valley Conference Male Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday (4/25) for his record breaking performance at the Illinois Invitational. It was Sparks’ second award this year and second of his career.

Sparks was one of two record-breaking throwers at the Illinois Invitational. The senior crushed a 29-year old ISU record in the discus (Ken Currie, 185-4, 1977) with his first-place throw of 198 feet 5 inches. The mark also broke the Missouri Valley Conference record set in 1989 by Wichita State’s Gene Abernathy with a distance of 197 feet 7 ½ inches.

The men and women will take part is one of the biggest meets in the nation when they travel to the Drake Relays this weekend and also take part in the Stan Lyons Invitational on the campus of IUPUI.