Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU's 44-year Olympic Streak Ends
7/7/2008 11:32:20 AM | Men's Track & Field, Women's Track & Field
Desilets, Nelson, Nieto and Nowitzke represent EMU at the Olympic Trials
EUGENE, Ore. — Eastern Michigan University's 44-year Olympic track and field streak came to an end this past week (June 27-July 6) at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Former EMU standouts Jordan Desilets, Lela V. Nelson, Jamie Nieto and Corey Nowitzke represented Eastern at the Trials, but did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Nieto was just a half inch away from qualifying, as he finished tied for second in the men's high jump. Although he got the necessary second place finish, he had not met the Olympic "A" standard of 7-05.75 coming into the meet. His best performance at the Trials came in the finals (July 5) when he cleared 7-05.25. In the qualifying round, he finished tied for first, jumping 7-02.50.This was not Nieto's first trip to the Olympic Trials, after winning the high jump in 2004, and finishing fourth at the Olympic Games in Athens, just shy of a medal.
After transferring from Sacramento Junior College, Nieto competed for EMU from 1997-99. He competed in two outdoor seasons and three indoor campaigns. He finished third in the 1999 indoor NCAA Championships with a jump of 7-06.00 and won the Mid-American Conference indoor championship with a leap of 7-03.00 in 1998. He also captured the indoor and outdoor titles at the Central Collegiate Conference Championships in 1998. Nieto still holds both the indoor (7-06.00) and outdoor (7-04.50) school records.
Desilets and Nowitzke both competed in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase and both qualified for the final. Nowitzke ran a lifetime-best of 8:27.78 in the qualifying round of the event and placed fourth in his heat to qualify for the finals. Desilets finished third in his first round heat, running 8:34.74, his fastest time since the 2004 Olympic Trials. Desilets and Nowitzke placed eighth (8:38.84) and 10th (8:47.10), respectively, in the steeplechase finals.
Desilets was the 2004 NCAA Champion in the steeplechase, a three-time All-American and MAC Champion (2002-04). He won MAC titles in the mile and 3,000 meters (2004-indoors) and 1,500 meters (2004-outdoors). He was also a part of the 2001-2004 distance medley relay (DMR) teams that won the MAC title.
Nowitzke was a three-time NCAA All-American, twice in cross country (2005-06) and once in track (2007-steeplechase). He won one MAC cross country title (2006), one mile (2006-indoor), two steeplechase (2005, 2007) and two in the 1,500 meters (2006-07-outdoor). He was part of the 2006 DMR team that won a MAC title.
Nelson did not complete all seven events in the women's heptathlon, dropping out after the first three events on day one. In the 100 hurdles, she ran 13.46 in the 100-meter hurdles, cleared 5-05.25 in the high jump, and threw 38-10.50 in the shot put before dropping out. In her other event, the women's long jump, Nelson jumped 20-01.00 to finish 17th.
Nelson competed for the Eagles between 2001 and 2005 and was the 2005 NCAA champion in the heptathlon. She won a total of three MAC titles throughout her career at EMU, including the 2005 long jump and 100-meter hurdles, and the 2004 indoor long jump. She was named the Most Valuable Performer at the 2004 MAC Outdoor Championship. She still holds school records in the pentathlon, heptathlon, indoor long jump and 100-meter hurdles.
EMU Track and Field Olympians
1960-Hayes Jones
1964-Hayes Jones
1968-Dave Ellis
1972-Hasely Crawford, Tony Nelson
1976-Hasely Crawford, Deby Lansky LaPlante
1980-Hasely Crawford
1984-Earl Jones, Hasely Crawford
1988-Tommy Asinga
1992-Tommy Asinga
1996-Paul McMullen, Tommy Asinga, Greg Rhymer, Sevatheda Fynes, Clement Chukwu
2000-Clement Chukwu, Nduka Awazie, Fabian Rollins, Sevatheda Fynes
2004-Jamie Nieto.
