Ferris Invite runs Monday at Princeton; dates back to 1953

Six area boys and girls track & field teams are set to run in Monday’s Princeton Ferris Family Invitational at Bryant Field.

The field includes the traditional cast of former NCIC rivals of Princeton in Hall, Mendota, Kewanee and Rock Falls, along with IVC.

The meet will start at 4:30 p.m.

The Princeton Invite dates back to 1953 for the boys and 1989 for the girls. It has run annually with the exceptions of rainouts in 1957 and 1979 and and a two-year pause due to COVID in 2020 and 2021.

The meet had a side trip to Rock Falls in 1997 while the all-weather track at PHS was being built and renamed as the Ferris Family Invitational since 1998, named for a generous track beneficiary.

The Princeton boys have won the meet 27 times, including two ties, but not since 2017. Rock Falls is next in line with 11 titles, including the last five. Mendota has won six times and Kewanee has five titles while Hall has never won the Princeton Invite.

The Princeton girls won their inaugural meet in 1989 as well as the last meet in 2024, with 15 titles in between for a total of 17. Hall and Kewanee stand next with five titles each, all since 2008.

The oldest meet records for both the boys and girls meet dates back to the throwers 100m run - Hall’s Kent Kasik (11.7) in 1969 and Carla Muntz (13.9) in 1997.

Jim Howard’s record in 1970 in the shot put of 56-5 1/2 is the oldest of the traditional events. Kent Purvis of PHS has held the mile (3200m) record since 1971 at 4:25.2.

Two meet record holders went on to make their name in the professional ranks in other sports.

Kailey Klein, also known for her basketball and volleyball talents at Hall, set the PIT discus record in 2006 at 128-9. She became the all-time leading basketball scorer at Cleveland State University and played professionally overseas.

Lindsey Stalzer of Kewanee, who played professional volleyball, owns PIT records in the long jump in 2001 (17-10 1/2) and 100HH in 2002 (14.9).