Finishing his second year as a graduate assistant coach with the program in 2024, Bartul Basic arrived to Western Illinois University from his native country of Croatia. While leading the throwers at WIU, Basic's tenure was highlighted by a conference championship performance in the women's hammer throw.
Senior Jasmine Stokes bombed a 56.09 (184' 0") personal best throw to win the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Championships. The throw was nearly a three meter improvement, and her previous best finish at the conference meet was 8th in 2022.
Basic competed collegiately for the University of Louisiana. He was a two-time Sun Belt Conference champion, two-time NCAA Regional qualifier, and holds the fifth-best mark in the history of Croatia for the javelin. His personal best in the javelin throw is 75.05 meters (246' 3").
