Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
MAC Indoor Championship Highlights Men’s Track and Field Season
6/26/2013 12:02:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Max Babits and Donald Scott set new school records during the indoor season as well
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The 2012-13 campaign for the Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team saw its fair share of highlights including a Mid-American Conference championship, numerous individual awards and two new school records. Led by 12-year EMU coaching veteran John Goodridge in his third full year at the helm of the track and field team, the Eagles conquered its 14th MAC Indoor Championship in the last 18 years, living up to the long standing tradition of the EMU track and field program. With several distance runners also on the MAC Champion EMU men's cross country team, those Eagles won their second conference championship of the academic year.
"Having won two-of-three MAC Championships (cross country and indoor track and field) and also improving to third place at the outdoor championship this past year clearly speaks to the effort put forth by our athletes as they continue to build on our great tradition," commented Coach Goodridge. "2013 was particularly special because the indoor championship was won in historic Bowen Field House and shared by so many of our alums who supported us."
Prior to claiming the conference crown, the Green and White started its season off on the right foot with a pair of home tri-meet victories. First, the Eagles tallied 142 points to blow past Oakland and Central Michigan, who scored 90 and 59 points, repspectively. At the season-opening meet, Dec. 7, EMU two-sport athlete Donald Scott broke the school record in the triple jump with a leap of 51-feet 1.50-inches (15.58 meters) to win the event. Scott eclipsed the previous record of 15.50 meters set by Will Harber in 1991. In addition to Scott's performance, Max Babits snapped a program record himself with a 5.29-meter (17-feet, 4.25-inches) vault at the EMU Triangular, Jan. 11, helping the Eagles take down MAC foes Akron and Buffalo. The junior pole vaulter later re-wrote the record books with an even better leap of 17-feet 5.75-inches (5.33 meters) at the MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 23. Also, following the EMU Triangular, senior team captain Jay Saunders was named MAC Track Athlete of the Week. Saunders' time of 6.93 seconds was good enough for a victory in the 60-meter dash, and he also took the 200-meter dash in 22.18 seconds.
EMU recorded 157.5 points en route to protecting Bob Parks Track to win the MAC Indoor Championship. Akron finished in the runner-up position with 142 points. Kent State, Buffalo and Central Michigan placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Not only did Eastern win the team title, but individual Eagles won conference championships in various events. Terefe Ejigu was named MVP of the meet due to two victories and a runner-up finish, giving EMU 28 of its 157.5 points. Ejigu defended his title in the 5,000-meter run on Friday night, Feb. 22. The senior followed up with conference championship victory in the 3,000-meter run (8:24.43) and a runner-up finish in the one-mile race (4:12.02). It is only fitting that the only person to beat the MVP, Ejigu, would be teammate Grzegorz Kalinowski, who was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer by the coaches. Kalinowski took the MAC Championship in the mile, sprinting the last 200-meters towards the finish line with a time of 4:10.65. Kalinowski finished runner-up in the 800-meter run in 1:51.76. He was also the anchor of the distance medley relay team consisting of teammates Scott Bradley, Ian Hancke and Chris Scott that claimed a conference title on day one of the championships. Freshman Matthew Williams won the 200-meter dash in 21.68 before teaming with Cameron Bolton, Jeff Elam and Jason Ervin to close out the meet as victors of the 4x400-meter relay. In the field, Donald Scott brought home an individual conference championship in the triple jump with a leap of 49-feet 10.50-inches. All of the champions earned First Team All-MAC accolades, and Coach Goodridge was awarded MAC Coach of the Year. Goodridge also earned NCAA Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year following his team's successful indoor season.
Throughout the indoor season, several Eagles were recognized for their performances on the track as well as in the classroom. Kalinowski was the MAC Track Athlete of the Week, Feb. 12, earning the conference's weekly award for the first time in his career. The junior distance runner almost became the sixth runner in EMU history to run a sub-4 minute mile, finishing the one-mile race 4:00.29 at the SPIRE Invitational, Feb. 9. After leading EMU to the indoor conference title, Kalinowski became the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week, boasting a 3.75 GPA throughout the season. The combined success of academics and athletes also gave Kalinowski a spot on the Academic All-MAC team alongside seven of his teammates: Cody Chabola, Harry Dixon, Josh George, Hancke, Solomon Ijah, Saunders and Keith Williams.
Unlike the indoor campaign, the Green and White competed in just one scored meet, the MAC Outdoor Championships. The other non-scored meets were for individual athletes to prepare for the conference meet as well as trying to post a mark that would earn them a trip to the NCAA East Regional. Some Eagles put their talents up against some of the best athletes in the nation by competing in recognizable meets like the Mt. SAC Relays and the Penn Relays. At the famed Mt. SAC Relays, April 18, in Walnut, Calif., Kalinowski placed fourth in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:46.10, a time that stood as the best in the MAC at that time. The junior from Poland also ran the 800-meter run in 1:51.51 to earn MAC Track Athlete of the Week for the second time in his career.
In Philadelphia, April 25, Ejigu was the lone representative for EMU at the prestigious Penn Relays. The Wellington, New Zealand native placed 16th in the 10,000-meter run, crossing the finish line in 30:19.74 for the second-best time in the conference.
After winning the cross country and indoor track and field conference championships, the Eagles tried to complete the triple crown with a victory at the MAC Outdoor Championships, May 9-11. However, Akron protected its home track to claim the team title with 195 points. Kent State placed runner-up with 183 points while EMU followed with 142.50 points, improving on the fourth-place finish from a year ago. In individual events, Daryl Smith won a MAC championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase while the team of Cameron Bolton, Saunders, Chris Scott and Matthew Williams raced to victory in the 4x100-meter relay. Smith's victory was the first MAC title of his career, finishing with a personal-record time of 9:02.86, nearly seven seconds ahead of his closest competitor. He also became the first Eagle to win the event at the conference meet since David Brent won in 2010. The 4x100 team crossed the finish line ahead of the other teams in 40.47. It was the second 4x100 conference crown for both Scott and Saunders as the duo made up half of the last EMU team to win the relay back in 2011. The MAC champions not only placed themselves on the All-MAC first team, but they also secured their spots at the NCAA East Regional.
Along with Smith and the 4x100 relay team, Babits, Kalinowski and Darrell Butler qualified for regional compeition, May 23-25, in Greensboro, N.C. In order to qualify for regional competition, athletes had to crack the top-48 in their respective region (East or West). For relay teams, the top-24 times (one per school) qualify for regionals. A Second Team All-MAC performer, Babits earned his place at the meet with a a personal-best leap of 17-feet 4.50-inches (5.30 meters), the second best outdoor jump in EMU history. Kalinowski's 1,500-meter run time at the Mt. SAC Relays advanced him to the NCAA East Preliminary Round. As for Butler, the University of Miami transfer qualified in both the 110- and 400-meter hurdles. Unfortunately, no one was able to crack the top 12 and punch their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 6-8.
To complete the season, Saunders swept Academic All-MAC accolades for both season, representing EMU on the outdoor list.
The 2012-13 season marked the end of the collegiate careers of seniors Ejigu, Saunders, James Hughes and Joe Tesner. With only four seniors on the 56-man roster, the EMU men's track and field team will return a plethora of talent to the track next season.
Men's Track and Field Award Winners
Indoor Season
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Jay Saunders (Jan. 15)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Feb. 12)
MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Feb. 28)
Academic All-MAC
Cody Chabola
Harry Dixon
Josh George
Ian Hancke
Solomon Ijah
Grzegorz Kalinowski
Jay Saunders
Keith Williams
Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention
Levi Selvig
Dylan Stites
Andrew Wentz
MAC MVP
Terefe Ejigu
MAC Most Outstanding Track Performer
Grzegorz Kalinowski
Individual MAC Champions (First Team All-MAC)
Cameron Bolton (4x400)
Scott Bradley (DMR)
Jeff Elam (4x400)
Terefe Ejigu (3000m, 5000m)
Jason Ervin (4x400)
Ian Hancke (DMR)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Mile, DMR)
Chris Scott (DMR)
Donald Scott (Triple Jump)
Matthew Williams (200m, 4x400)
Second Team All-MAC
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
NCAA Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year
John Goodridge
MAC Coach of the Year
John Goodridge
Outdoor Season
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Grzegorz Kalinowski (April 21)
Academic All-MAC
Jay Saunders
Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention
Cody Chabola
Solomon Ijah
Chris Fischre
David Papenhagen
Levi Selvig
Dylan Stites
Joe Tesner
Andrew Wentz
Individual MAC Champions (First Team All-MAC)
Cameron Bolton (4x100)
Jay Saunders (4x100)
Chris Scott (4x100)
Daryl Smith (3000m steeplechase)
Matthew Williams (4x100)
Second Team All-MAC
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
Terefe Ejigu (5000m; 10,000m)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (1500m)
NCAA Regional Qualifiers
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
Darrell Butler (110h, 400h)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (1500m)
Daryl Smith (3000m steeplechase)
Cameron Bolton, Jay Saunders, Chris Scott, Matthew Williams (4x100)
"Having won two-of-three MAC Championships (cross country and indoor track and field) and also improving to third place at the outdoor championship this past year clearly speaks to the effort put forth by our athletes as they continue to build on our great tradition," commented Coach Goodridge. "2013 was particularly special because the indoor championship was won in historic Bowen Field House and shared by so many of our alums who supported us."
Prior to claiming the conference crown, the Green and White started its season off on the right foot with a pair of home tri-meet victories. First, the Eagles tallied 142 points to blow past Oakland and Central Michigan, who scored 90 and 59 points, repspectively. At the season-opening meet, Dec. 7, EMU two-sport athlete Donald Scott broke the school record in the triple jump with a leap of 51-feet 1.50-inches (15.58 meters) to win the event. Scott eclipsed the previous record of 15.50 meters set by Will Harber in 1991. In addition to Scott's performance, Max Babits snapped a program record himself with a 5.29-meter (17-feet, 4.25-inches) vault at the EMU Triangular, Jan. 11, helping the Eagles take down MAC foes Akron and Buffalo. The junior pole vaulter later re-wrote the record books with an even better leap of 17-feet 5.75-inches (5.33 meters) at the MAC Indoor Championships, Feb. 23. Also, following the EMU Triangular, senior team captain Jay Saunders was named MAC Track Athlete of the Week. Saunders' time of 6.93 seconds was good enough for a victory in the 60-meter dash, and he also took the 200-meter dash in 22.18 seconds.
EMU recorded 157.5 points en route to protecting Bob Parks Track to win the MAC Indoor Championship. Akron finished in the runner-up position with 142 points. Kent State, Buffalo and Central Michigan placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Not only did Eastern win the team title, but individual Eagles won conference championships in various events. Terefe Ejigu was named MVP of the meet due to two victories and a runner-up finish, giving EMU 28 of its 157.5 points. Ejigu defended his title in the 5,000-meter run on Friday night, Feb. 22. The senior followed up with conference championship victory in the 3,000-meter run (8:24.43) and a runner-up finish in the one-mile race (4:12.02). It is only fitting that the only person to beat the MVP, Ejigu, would be teammate Grzegorz Kalinowski, who was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer by the coaches. Kalinowski took the MAC Championship in the mile, sprinting the last 200-meters towards the finish line with a time of 4:10.65. Kalinowski finished runner-up in the 800-meter run in 1:51.76. He was also the anchor of the distance medley relay team consisting of teammates Scott Bradley, Ian Hancke and Chris Scott that claimed a conference title on day one of the championships. Freshman Matthew Williams won the 200-meter dash in 21.68 before teaming with Cameron Bolton, Jeff Elam and Jason Ervin to close out the meet as victors of the 4x400-meter relay. In the field, Donald Scott brought home an individual conference championship in the triple jump with a leap of 49-feet 10.50-inches. All of the champions earned First Team All-MAC accolades, and Coach Goodridge was awarded MAC Coach of the Year. Goodridge also earned NCAA Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year following his team's successful indoor season.
Throughout the indoor season, several Eagles were recognized for their performances on the track as well as in the classroom. Kalinowski was the MAC Track Athlete of the Week, Feb. 12, earning the conference's weekly award for the first time in his career. The junior distance runner almost became the sixth runner in EMU history to run a sub-4 minute mile, finishing the one-mile race 4:00.29 at the SPIRE Invitational, Feb. 9. After leading EMU to the indoor conference title, Kalinowski became the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week, boasting a 3.75 GPA throughout the season. The combined success of academics and athletes also gave Kalinowski a spot on the Academic All-MAC team alongside seven of his teammates: Cody Chabola, Harry Dixon, Josh George, Hancke, Solomon Ijah, Saunders and Keith Williams.
Unlike the indoor campaign, the Green and White competed in just one scored meet, the MAC Outdoor Championships. The other non-scored meets were for individual athletes to prepare for the conference meet as well as trying to post a mark that would earn them a trip to the NCAA East Regional. Some Eagles put their talents up against some of the best athletes in the nation by competing in recognizable meets like the Mt. SAC Relays and the Penn Relays. At the famed Mt. SAC Relays, April 18, in Walnut, Calif., Kalinowski placed fourth in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 3:46.10, a time that stood as the best in the MAC at that time. The junior from Poland also ran the 800-meter run in 1:51.51 to earn MAC Track Athlete of the Week for the second time in his career.
In Philadelphia, April 25, Ejigu was the lone representative for EMU at the prestigious Penn Relays. The Wellington, New Zealand native placed 16th in the 10,000-meter run, crossing the finish line in 30:19.74 for the second-best time in the conference.
After winning the cross country and indoor track and field conference championships, the Eagles tried to complete the triple crown with a victory at the MAC Outdoor Championships, May 9-11. However, Akron protected its home track to claim the team title with 195 points. Kent State placed runner-up with 183 points while EMU followed with 142.50 points, improving on the fourth-place finish from a year ago. In individual events, Daryl Smith won a MAC championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase while the team of Cameron Bolton, Saunders, Chris Scott and Matthew Williams raced to victory in the 4x100-meter relay. Smith's victory was the first MAC title of his career, finishing with a personal-record time of 9:02.86, nearly seven seconds ahead of his closest competitor. He also became the first Eagle to win the event at the conference meet since David Brent won in 2010. The 4x100 team crossed the finish line ahead of the other teams in 40.47. It was the second 4x100 conference crown for both Scott and Saunders as the duo made up half of the last EMU team to win the relay back in 2011. The MAC champions not only placed themselves on the All-MAC first team, but they also secured their spots at the NCAA East Regional.
Along with Smith and the 4x100 relay team, Babits, Kalinowski and Darrell Butler qualified for regional compeition, May 23-25, in Greensboro, N.C. In order to qualify for regional competition, athletes had to crack the top-48 in their respective region (East or West). For relay teams, the top-24 times (one per school) qualify for regionals. A Second Team All-MAC performer, Babits earned his place at the meet with a a personal-best leap of 17-feet 4.50-inches (5.30 meters), the second best outdoor jump in EMU history. Kalinowski's 1,500-meter run time at the Mt. SAC Relays advanced him to the NCAA East Preliminary Round. As for Butler, the University of Miami transfer qualified in both the 110- and 400-meter hurdles. Unfortunately, no one was able to crack the top 12 and punch their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 6-8.
To complete the season, Saunders swept Academic All-MAC accolades for both season, representing EMU on the outdoor list.
The 2012-13 season marked the end of the collegiate careers of seniors Ejigu, Saunders, James Hughes and Joe Tesner. With only four seniors on the 56-man roster, the EMU men's track and field team will return a plethora of talent to the track next season.
Men's Track and Field Award Winners
Indoor Season
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Jay Saunders (Jan. 15)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Feb. 12)
MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Feb. 28)
Academic All-MAC
Cody Chabola
Harry Dixon
Josh George
Ian Hancke
Solomon Ijah
Grzegorz Kalinowski
Jay Saunders
Keith Williams
Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention
Levi Selvig
Dylan Stites
Andrew Wentz
MAC MVP
Terefe Ejigu
MAC Most Outstanding Track Performer
Grzegorz Kalinowski
Individual MAC Champions (First Team All-MAC)
Cameron Bolton (4x400)
Scott Bradley (DMR)
Jeff Elam (4x400)
Terefe Ejigu (3000m, 5000m)
Jason Ervin (4x400)
Ian Hancke (DMR)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (Mile, DMR)
Chris Scott (DMR)
Donald Scott (Triple Jump)
Matthew Williams (200m, 4x400)
Second Team All-MAC
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
NCAA Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year
John Goodridge
MAC Coach of the Year
John Goodridge
Outdoor Season
MAC Track Athlete of the Week
Grzegorz Kalinowski (April 21)
Academic All-MAC
Jay Saunders
Academic All-MAC Honorable Mention
Cody Chabola
Solomon Ijah
Chris Fischre
David Papenhagen
Levi Selvig
Dylan Stites
Joe Tesner
Andrew Wentz
Individual MAC Champions (First Team All-MAC)
Cameron Bolton (4x100)
Jay Saunders (4x100)
Chris Scott (4x100)
Daryl Smith (3000m steeplechase)
Matthew Williams (4x100)
Second Team All-MAC
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
Terefe Ejigu (5000m; 10,000m)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (1500m)
NCAA Regional Qualifiers
Max Babits (Pole Vault)
Darrell Butler (110h, 400h)
Grzegorz Kalinowski (1500m)
Daryl Smith (3000m steeplechase)
Cameron Bolton, Jay Saunders, Chris Scott, Matthew Williams (4x100)
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