Three members of the University of Illinois Springfield track and field program ran on Friday night at the Grand Valley State Extra Weekend Meet. Two runners hits NCAA marks at the 5,000m distance.

Blake Jones, who is already automatically qualified in the 10,000m, earned a NCAA automatic mark in the 5,000m. The race was the fastest Division II 5,000m competition in the nation this year, with four runners finishing faster than the leading NCAA Division II mark entering the weekend. Jones was one of those four with a time of 13:46.62. He finished sixth overall, including third out of NCAA Division II runners.
 
Taryn Christy set a NCAA provisional standard on the women's side with a time of 16:28.95. She was ninth overall, and seventh among NCAA Division II runners.
 
Both Jones and Christy set new school records in the 5,000m with Friday's performance.
 
Gloria Esarco competed in the 1,500m and came up just short of a NCAA mark. She ran a time of 4:41.97, which was 13th overall and tenth among NCAA Division II competitors.
 
The GLVC Championships is up next for the Prairie Stars, starting Thursday night in Rolla, Mo.