Men's Track and Field Qualify Two Relay Teams to Finals

Drake Relays Day Two Results

Gina Relays Day One Results

DES MOINES, Iowa / HILLSDALE, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Building on a strong first day, the Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team posted another solid day of competition yesterday, April 29. Taking part in the Drake Relays and the Gina Relays, the Eagles notched a total of 10 top-three finishes.

The Eagles took part in a trio of relays at the Drake Relays, qualifying for the finals in two of the three. The 4x100m group of sophomore Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio – Solon), freshman Aitor Ekobo (Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren Secondary School), senior Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa. – Greater Latrobe Senior), and junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio – Findlay) finished sixth with a mark of 40.61 to qualify to the finals. Additionally, Elam, seniors Matthew Williams (Moreno Valley, Calif. – Vista Del Lago) and Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis. – Bradford), and Brown nabbed eighth in the 4x400m in 3:09.22 to also qualify. Finally, the 4x800m group finished 14^th with a time of 7:45.36. The final EMU competitor at the Drake Relays on the day was redshirt senior Keith Williams (Sherman, Ill – Williamsville), who competed in the shot put, posting a mark of 15.10 meters/ 49 feet 6.5-inches.

Moving to the Gina Relays, Eastern got things off to a solid start in the sprints. Senior Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio – St. Francis De Sales) led the way in the 100m, taking second with a time of 10.93, while freshman Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich. – Clinton) made his outdoor debut, placing third in 10.96. Underwood also competed in the 200m dash, where he nabbed another top-three finish by taking third in 21.96. The 800m run saw sophomore Tom Jozwiak (Southgate, Mich. – Thomas J. Anderson) take 12^th in 1:56.78, while redshirt sophomore Caleb Hess (Owosso, Mich. – Owosso) placed 16^th with a career-best time of 1:57.07.

Eastern also nabbed a pair of top-three finishes in the 400m hurdles. The duo of freshman Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio – Eastmoor Academy) and sophomore Mark Cooke (Edison, N.J. – John P. Stevens) placed second and third, respectively. Barber clocked in with a career-best time of 55.62, while Cooke crossed the finish line in 57.36. The high jump saw EMU notch another silver, with freshman Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio – Bishop Hartley) posting a mark of 2.03 meters/ 6 feet 8-inches. In the long jump, freshman Nicholas Herbert (Portage, Mich. – Portage Northern) placed fifth with a jump of 6.80 meters/ 22 feet 3.75-inches, while Hart was just behind at 6.78 meters/ 22 feet 3-inches.

Finally, the team posted three top-10 finishes in the hammer throw and the shot put. The hammer throw saw redshirt freshman Kevin Bouchard (Whitmore Lake, Mich. – Whitmore Lake) place fifth with a mark of 53.28 meters/ 174 feet 10-inches. His throw was also a career-best. In the shot put, junior Quinn Levering (Caledonia, Ohio – River Valley) placed third with a throw of 16.23 meters/ 53 feet 3-inches, while redshirt freshman Zach Purcilly (Troy, Mich. – Avondale) nabbed seventh with a mark of 15.41 meters/ 50 feet 6.75-inches, which was a personal-best.

The Eagles wrap up their weekend today, April 30, with the final days of competition at both the Drake Relays, as well as the Gina Relays.

EMU Individual Results (* denotes a personal best, Q is a finals qualifying mark)

Event                                                 Mark
Drake Relays
4x100m Relay Prelims
6. Bolden, Ekobo 40.61Q
Elam, Brown

4x400m Relay Prelims
8. Elam, Williams 3:09.22Q
Waynes, Brown

4x800m Relay Prelims
14. Bradley, Andresson                        7:45.36
Lenneman, Raymond

Shot Put
28. Keith Williams 15.10m/ 49-06.50

Gina Relays
100m Dash
2. Wayne Blanchard                            10.93
3. Tyler Underwood 10.96*
4. Nick James 10.99

200m Dash
3. Tyler Underwood                              21.96*
6. Wayne Blanchard 22.18

800m Run
12. Tom Jozwiak 1:56.78
16. Caleb Hess 1:57.07*
25. David Saporito 1:57.96*

400m Hurdles
2. Elijah Barber 55.62*
3. Mark Cooke 57.36

High Jump
2. Cameron Hart 2.03m/ 6-08.00

Long Jump
5. Nicholas Herbert 6.80m/ 22-03.75
6. Cameron Hart 6.78m/ 22-03.00

Hammer Throw
5. Kevin Bouchard 53.28m/ 174-10*

Shot Put
3. Quinn Levering 16.23m/ 53-03.00
7. Zach Purcilly                                 15.41m/ 50-06.75*

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elijah Barber

Wayne Blanchard

Brandon Bolden

Kevin Bouchard

Tyler Brown

Mark Cooke

Aitor Ekobo

Jeff Elam

Cameron Hart

Nick Herbert

Caleb Hess

Nick James

Tom Jozwiak

Quinn Levering

Zach Purcilly

David Saporito

Tyler Underwood

Mason Waynes

Keith Williams

Matthew Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics