Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, December 8
Bloomington, IN
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
Hoosier Open
Men's Track and Field Starts Season At Hoosier Open
11/29/2017 3:25:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
This is the only meet the team will compete in 2017
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team opens its indoor season Friday, Dec. 8, at the Hoosier Open in Bloomington, Ind.
The Eagles look to build on last year's success, as they placed second in both the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, totaling 15 All-MAC honors. Additionally, seven Eagles qualified for the outdoor NCAA East Regionals, with former student-athlete Willy Fink punching a ticket to the NCAA Championship where he earned Third Team All-American honors. Five of the student-athletes who qualified for regionals return for action this year. Take a look below for a quick breakdown of each event group, as well as some of the top returners.
Sprints
After redshirting last year due to injury, senior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio-Findlay) returns to the track to continue his incredible career with EMU. The Findlay, Ohio native has garnered two Second Team All-American and five First Team All-MAC honors, has won nine MAC titles, and currently has the best 300m, 400m and eighth-best 200m times in EMU history. He was also a member of the 4x100 team that holds the program's record time. and most recently was named the Most Valuable Performer in the 2015-16 indoor MAC Championships.
The Green and White will also lean on senior and Youngstown State transfer Leighton Antonio (Hudson, Ohio-Hudson), as he was solid in the 60, 100, and 200m races in his first season donning the Green and White a year ago. Antonio finished sixth in the 60m at the indoor MAC Championships, and followed it up by taking gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m at the outdoor championships, ultimately qualifying for regionals.
Another returner for the Eagles who has extensive experience in the 200 and 400m is junior Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton). Underwood captured bronze in last year's indoor MAC Championship in the 200m, while also placing sixth in the 400m. The Clinton, Mich. product went on to run in six meets throughout the outdoor season, nabbing fourth in the 400m at the MAC Championships, winning the individual title in the 400m at the Al Owens Open with a career-best time of 47.49, and also taking first in the 200m at the Golden Grizzlies Invite.
Senior Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio-Solon) also returns for the 2017-18 season, having ran in a total of nine meets throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons in the 200m and 4x100 relay, including both the MAC Championships. The Eagles also receive extra support from sophomores Sean Beckom (Saginaw, Mich.-Heritage) and Trevor Marcus (Dublin, Ohio-Dublin Jerome), who had impressive freshmen campaigns. Beckom's season was highlighted by a pair of performances in the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, while Marcus also competed in both championships, helping the 4x400 relay team place third and fourth in the indoor and outdoor championships, respectively, while also finishing eighth in the outdoor 400m finals.
Mid-Distance
Last year the Green and White had to rely on three freshmen to carry the weight in the mid-distance events. This year, the three return with experience that will help set a foundation for success. Sophomore Dan Kuhn (Erie, Pa.-Harbor Creek) returns with the most experience, having participated in 12 meets over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons. He also had success in the indoor postseason, assisting the distance medley relay team to a second-place finish. Fellow sophomore Roderic Wilson (Atlanta, Ga.-Blanche Ely) also returns after competing in a substantial amount of meets last year. Highlighted by trips to the indoor MAC Championship where he placed 10th in the 800m preliminaries, and the outdoor championships, where he ran a leg of the 4x400, taking fourth place, the Atlanta, Ga. native participated in 12 meets throughout the 2016-17 season. Sophomore Dakota Medley (Novelty, Ohio-West Geauga) serves as the third mid-distance competitor from last year's squad, although he did not see any competition.
Distance
Following another outstanding cross country season, EMU returns with arguably one of the greatest senior distance classes in program history. Although the Eagles said goodbye to All-American and Eastern-great, Willy Fink, they bring back two-time First Team All-MAC honoree redshirt senior Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich.-Mason), three-time Second Team All-MAC honoree redshirt senior Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge), and two-time Second Team All-MAC honorees, redshirt seniors Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis.-River Falls). Raymond, Andresson, and Bouchikhi, as well as returning senior Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), were also members of three podium sweeps in the two MAC Championships last year. Additionally, Andresson and Bouchikhi served as two of the seven Eagles who qualified for the NCAA East Regional.
The squad features support from four other experienced harriers in the form of redshirt seniors Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio-Defiance) and Caleb Hess (Owosso, Mich.-Owosso), senior Tom Jozwiak (Southgate, Mich.-Thomas J. Anderson), and sophomore Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney). All of the aforementioned student-athletes were vital pieces in the cross country team's eighth straight MAC Championship run, which was led by Andresson, who claimed the individual title and went on to compete in the NCAA Championship race.
Hurdles
The Eagles return a hurdles group that consists of four student-athletes with substantial competitive experience. All four of the runners competed in last year's MAC Championships, with sophomore Ivan Suazo (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Westland) finishing with the highest place of the four, taking home silver in the 60H at the indoor championship with a career-best time of 8.10s. Suazo totaled five 60H top-five finishes out of the seven meets he competed in during the indoor session, then went on to place seventh in the outdoor MAC Championships in the 110H to cap off an impressive freshman campaign.
Juniors Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio-Eastmoor Academy) and Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive) return as the most experienced of the group, having competed extensively in the hurdling events during the last two seasons. Most recently, Barber took third in the 400m hurdle finals at the outdoor MAC Championship, while Douglas took fourth in the 60H in the indoor championship. The group also features sophomore Devonte Findlay (Lauderhill, Fla.-Blanche Ely), who competed in seven meets during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a freshman, including the indoor MAC Championships where he placed fifth in the 60m hurdles.
Jumps
The return of Brown will also be felt significantly in jumps, as he currently holds EMU's long jump record with a distance of 7.61m. Before having to sit out last season, the redshirt senior won the long jump title in the 2015-16 indoor MAC Championships, and has never finished worse than fifth place in the event in any of the MAC Championship meets he has competed in.
Adding support to the long jump while also serving as the top EMU performer in the high jump, junior Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio-Bishop Hartley) looks to add to his already impressive resume as an Eagle. The Columbus, Ohio native earned First Team All-MAC honors for his efforts in last year's MAC indoor championship meet, where he claimed gold in the high jump with a career-best mark of 7 feet-1.75 inches while also taking third in the long jump with a distance of 24 feet-2.25 inches. Hart went on to bring home a bronze medal with his performance in the high jump at the outdoor MAC Championship, ultimately qualifying for the NCAA East Regional.
Juniors Micah Peters (York, Ontario-Vaughn Road Academy) and Nick Herbert (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) also return with postseason experience, as Peters nabbed fourth and fifth in the triple jump at the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, respectively, while Herbert finished 10th in the long jump at the indoor championship. Adding depth to the high, long, and triple jump is incoming Wingate transfer and senior Travis McCuaig (Big Rapids, Mich.-Morley Stanwood).
Pole Vault
Sophomore Colin Etchen (Edgerton, Ohio-Edgerton) takes a leadership position in the pole vault group as the lone returning Eagle. As a freshman last year, the Edgerton, Ohio native competed in 13 total meets over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons, including both MAC Championships where he placed eighth and sixth, respectively. His career-best mark currently sits at 4.81 meters/15 feet and 9.25 inches, which he notched at the GVSU Big Meet in last season's indoor session. Jacobs also returns after nabbing first place in the heptathlon pole vault during the indoor MAC Championships.
Throws
The throws unit will miss a huge piece to their recent success this season, as All-American Anthony Jones finished out his incredible career as an Eagle at the conclusion of last year. However, the Green and White will be well represented in the event group by a crew of experienced student athletes.
After last year's record-setting performance in the javelin throw at the outdoor MAC Championship, where junior Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa.-Parkland) set both a program and conference record with a throw of 68.89 meters/226 feet, the Allentwon, Pa. native looks to continue his success and defend his title in the event throughout this year's competitions. Performing primarily in the discus throw will be redshirt sophomore Taige Bryant (Edmond, Okla.-Edmond Memorial), who competed in 11 total events last season, including the outdoor MAC Championship where he placed seventh. Bryant will be joined by junior Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio-Huron) and sophomore Jannik Schmitt (Plymouth, Mich.-Salem), who will add support in the discus while also taking part in the weight and hammer throw, and shot put, respectively. Alongside Schmitt in the shot put are senior Mike Hierholzer (Medina, Ohio-Medina) and redshirt junior Zach Purcilly (Troy, Mich.-Avondale). Redshirt junior Austin Hazek (Medina, Ohio-Medina) also returns after competing in 14 total meets and taking seventh in the hammer throw in last year's outdoor MAC Championship.
Multis
Junior Alex Jacobs (Dublin, Ohio-Dublin Jerome) joins sophomore Drew Lament (Lakeview, Ohio-Waynesfield-Goshen) as the only two returning representatives from the Eagles' multis group. Jacobs has accumulated a significant amount of experience over the past couple seasons, taking part in three of the four MAC Championships. Lament will look to complement Jacobs after competing in eight meets across 10 different events as a freshman, including the indoor MAC Championship where he placed in the top-10 in six events. He currently holds a career-best heptathlon score of 4590 points.
The Eagles look to build on last year's success, as they placed second in both the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, totaling 15 All-MAC honors. Additionally, seven Eagles qualified for the outdoor NCAA East Regionals, with former student-athlete Willy Fink punching a ticket to the NCAA Championship where he earned Third Team All-American honors. Five of the student-athletes who qualified for regionals return for action this year. Take a look below for a quick breakdown of each event group, as well as some of the top returners.
Sprints
After redshirting last year due to injury, senior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio-Findlay) returns to the track to continue his incredible career with EMU. The Findlay, Ohio native has garnered two Second Team All-American and five First Team All-MAC honors, has won nine MAC titles, and currently has the best 300m, 400m and eighth-best 200m times in EMU history. He was also a member of the 4x100 team that holds the program's record time. and most recently was named the Most Valuable Performer in the 2015-16 indoor MAC Championships.
The Green and White will also lean on senior and Youngstown State transfer Leighton Antonio (Hudson, Ohio-Hudson), as he was solid in the 60, 100, and 200m races in his first season donning the Green and White a year ago. Antonio finished sixth in the 60m at the indoor MAC Championships, and followed it up by taking gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m at the outdoor championships, ultimately qualifying for regionals.
Another returner for the Eagles who has extensive experience in the 200 and 400m is junior Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich.-Clinton). Underwood captured bronze in last year's indoor MAC Championship in the 200m, while also placing sixth in the 400m. The Clinton, Mich. product went on to run in six meets throughout the outdoor season, nabbing fourth in the 400m at the MAC Championships, winning the individual title in the 400m at the Al Owens Open with a career-best time of 47.49, and also taking first in the 200m at the Golden Grizzlies Invite.
Senior Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio-Solon) also returns for the 2017-18 season, having ran in a total of nine meets throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons in the 200m and 4x100 relay, including both the MAC Championships. The Eagles also receive extra support from sophomores Sean Beckom (Saginaw, Mich.-Heritage) and Trevor Marcus (Dublin, Ohio-Dublin Jerome), who had impressive freshmen campaigns. Beckom's season was highlighted by a pair of performances in the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, while Marcus also competed in both championships, helping the 4x400 relay team place third and fourth in the indoor and outdoor championships, respectively, while also finishing eighth in the outdoor 400m finals.
Mid-Distance
Last year the Green and White had to rely on three freshmen to carry the weight in the mid-distance events. This year, the three return with experience that will help set a foundation for success. Sophomore Dan Kuhn (Erie, Pa.-Harbor Creek) returns with the most experience, having participated in 12 meets over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons. He also had success in the indoor postseason, assisting the distance medley relay team to a second-place finish. Fellow sophomore Roderic Wilson (Atlanta, Ga.-Blanche Ely) also returns after competing in a substantial amount of meets last year. Highlighted by trips to the indoor MAC Championship where he placed 10th in the 800m preliminaries, and the outdoor championships, where he ran a leg of the 4x400, taking fourth place, the Atlanta, Ga. native participated in 12 meets throughout the 2016-17 season. Sophomore Dakota Medley (Novelty, Ohio-West Geauga) serves as the third mid-distance competitor from last year's squad, although he did not see any competition.
Distance
Following another outstanding cross country season, EMU returns with arguably one of the greatest senior distance classes in program history. Although the Eagles said goodbye to All-American and Eastern-great, Willy Fink, they bring back two-time First Team All-MAC honoree redshirt senior Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich.-Mason), three-time Second Team All-MAC honoree redshirt senior Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge), and two-time Second Team All-MAC honorees, redshirt seniors Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis.-River Falls). Raymond, Andresson, and Bouchikhi, as well as returning senior Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), were also members of three podium sweeps in the two MAC Championships last year. Additionally, Andresson and Bouchikhi served as two of the seven Eagles who qualified for the NCAA East Regional.
The squad features support from four other experienced harriers in the form of redshirt seniors Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio-Defiance) and Caleb Hess (Owosso, Mich.-Owosso), senior Tom Jozwiak (Southgate, Mich.-Thomas J. Anderson), and sophomore Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney). All of the aforementioned student-athletes were vital pieces in the cross country team's eighth straight MAC Championship run, which was led by Andresson, who claimed the individual title and went on to compete in the NCAA Championship race.
Hurdles
The Eagles return a hurdles group that consists of four student-athletes with substantial competitive experience. All four of the runners competed in last year's MAC Championships, with sophomore Ivan Suazo (Brooklyn, N.Y.-Westland) finishing with the highest place of the four, taking home silver in the 60H at the indoor championship with a career-best time of 8.10s. Suazo totaled five 60H top-five finishes out of the seven meets he competed in during the indoor session, then went on to place seventh in the outdoor MAC Championships in the 110H to cap off an impressive freshman campaign.
Juniors Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio-Eastmoor Academy) and Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive) return as the most experienced of the group, having competed extensively in the hurdling events during the last two seasons. Most recently, Barber took third in the 400m hurdle finals at the outdoor MAC Championship, while Douglas took fourth in the 60H in the indoor championship. The group also features sophomore Devonte Findlay (Lauderhill, Fla.-Blanche Ely), who competed in seven meets during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a freshman, including the indoor MAC Championships where he placed fifth in the 60m hurdles.
Jumps
The return of Brown will also be felt significantly in jumps, as he currently holds EMU's long jump record with a distance of 7.61m. Before having to sit out last season, the redshirt senior won the long jump title in the 2015-16 indoor MAC Championships, and has never finished worse than fifth place in the event in any of the MAC Championship meets he has competed in.
Adding support to the long jump while also serving as the top EMU performer in the high jump, junior Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio-Bishop Hartley) looks to add to his already impressive resume as an Eagle. The Columbus, Ohio native earned First Team All-MAC honors for his efforts in last year's MAC indoor championship meet, where he claimed gold in the high jump with a career-best mark of 7 feet-1.75 inches while also taking third in the long jump with a distance of 24 feet-2.25 inches. Hart went on to bring home a bronze medal with his performance in the high jump at the outdoor MAC Championship, ultimately qualifying for the NCAA East Regional.
Juniors Micah Peters (York, Ontario-Vaughn Road Academy) and Nick Herbert (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) also return with postseason experience, as Peters nabbed fourth and fifth in the triple jump at the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships, respectively, while Herbert finished 10th in the long jump at the indoor championship. Adding depth to the high, long, and triple jump is incoming Wingate transfer and senior Travis McCuaig (Big Rapids, Mich.-Morley Stanwood).
Pole Vault
Sophomore Colin Etchen (Edgerton, Ohio-Edgerton) takes a leadership position in the pole vault group as the lone returning Eagle. As a freshman last year, the Edgerton, Ohio native competed in 13 total meets over the course of the indoor and outdoor seasons, including both MAC Championships where he placed eighth and sixth, respectively. His career-best mark currently sits at 4.81 meters/15 feet and 9.25 inches, which he notched at the GVSU Big Meet in last season's indoor session. Jacobs also returns after nabbing first place in the heptathlon pole vault during the indoor MAC Championships.
Throws
The throws unit will miss a huge piece to their recent success this season, as All-American Anthony Jones finished out his incredible career as an Eagle at the conclusion of last year. However, the Green and White will be well represented in the event group by a crew of experienced student athletes.
After last year's record-setting performance in the javelin throw at the outdoor MAC Championship, where junior Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa.-Parkland) set both a program and conference record with a throw of 68.89 meters/226 feet, the Allentwon, Pa. native looks to continue his success and defend his title in the event throughout this year's competitions. Performing primarily in the discus throw will be redshirt sophomore Taige Bryant (Edmond, Okla.-Edmond Memorial), who competed in 11 total events last season, including the outdoor MAC Championship where he placed seventh. Bryant will be joined by junior Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio-Huron) and sophomore Jannik Schmitt (Plymouth, Mich.-Salem), who will add support in the discus while also taking part in the weight and hammer throw, and shot put, respectively. Alongside Schmitt in the shot put are senior Mike Hierholzer (Medina, Ohio-Medina) and redshirt junior Zach Purcilly (Troy, Mich.-Avondale). Redshirt junior Austin Hazek (Medina, Ohio-Medina) also returns after competing in 14 total meets and taking seventh in the hammer throw in last year's outdoor MAC Championship.
Multis
Junior Alex Jacobs (Dublin, Ohio-Dublin Jerome) joins sophomore Drew Lament (Lakeview, Ohio-Waynesfield-Goshen) as the only two returning representatives from the Eagles' multis group. Jacobs has accumulated a significant amount of experience over the past couple seasons, taking part in three of the four MAC Championships. Lament will look to complement Jacobs after competing in eight meets across 10 different events as a freshman, including the indoor MAC Championship where he placed in the top-10 in six events. He currently holds a career-best heptathlon score of 4590 points.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Javelin
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