Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, December 4
Findlay, Ohio
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Findlay Oiler Opener
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Men’s Track and Field Set to Lift Lid on 2015-16 Season; Team Captains Announced
12/3/2015 2:35:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
The Eagles will be sending a contingent to Grand Valley and Findlay to open the new season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Following a semester of training, the Eastern Michigan University's men's track and field team is set to open their 2015-16 season at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Open, Dec. 4, in Allendale, Mich. Additionally, select individuals will be traveling down to Findlay, Ohio for the Findlay Oiler Opener, Dec. 4.
Following final exams and the winter break, the Eagles will then get into the bulk of their indoor schedule. The first meet in January will be at home, as the Green and White host the EMU Triangular, Jan. 23. Following its only home event of the season, the team then travels to Penn State University for the Penn State National, Jan. 29-30. The following weekend, the Eagles remain on the road and make the trek down to South Bend, Ind. for the very competitive Meyo Invitational, Feb. 5-6.
To close out the regular season, the team will then return to Allendale for the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 12. The final meet before the postseason will take place down the road in Ann Arbor when the team heads to Michigan for the Silverston Invite, Feb. 20. After the regular season slate, the Eagles will look to claim their 15th Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship in program history, as the team travels to Akron for the conference championship, Feb. 26-27. The season will conclude with the NCAA Championships, Mar. 11-12, in Birmingham, Ala.
"The Grand Valley competition will give the staff and athletes a chance to evaluate the work that has occurred this fall before we enter the final exam period and a break from hard training. We are pleased with our training and look forward to seeing the results of our opening meet," said Head Coach John Goodridge.
The opening of the 2015-16 campaign also marks the naming of the team captains for the season. Goodridge announced that seniors Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa.-Greater Latrobe Senior), and Solomon Simmons (Murrieta, Calif.-Murrieta Valley), as well as redshirt juniors Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee) and Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky), will lead the team this year. All five individuals have combined for a number of impressive accomplishments, including breaking program records, winning MAC titles, and earning All-American status at the NCAA Championship.
In addition to the team captains, the Eagles also bring back a large number of experienced returners who will play an important role throughout the year. A large, talented freshmen class will also supplement the returners, as the Green and White look to win their third triple crown -- winning the MAC cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field titles in the same athletic year.
SPRINTS
The sprints group looks to be very strong this season for the Eagles, as the team returns a number of key contributors from a year ago. Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio–Findlay) will look to follow up his Second Team All-American campaign from last season with another strong year. Brown ran the second-fastest 400m in EMU history at the Notre Dame Invitational, Jan. 24, winning in 46.26 seconds. He also finished 15th in the nation in the 400m at the NCAA Championships, March 13, in 47.22 seconds. In the outdoor season, the Findlay, Ohio native took home First Team All-MAC honors after defending his title in the 400m at the 2015 MAC Championships, May 14-16, winning in a season-best 46.19 seconds. Senior Jason Ervin (Farmington Hills, Mich.–Farmington) will also be a key contributor after running on the third-place 4x400m and distance medley relays at the MAC Championships, Feb. 27-28. Ervin also ran a personal-best 1:53.60 in the 800m at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7, and was later named Second Team All-MAC in the outdoor season.
The team also returns the services of a number of other upperclassmen, as seniors Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio–St. Francis De Sales) and Matthew Williams (Moreno Valley, Calif.–Vista Del Lago) will don the green and white for their final season. Redshirt junior Nick James (Troy, Ohio-Troy) and sophomore Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio–Solon) bring even more experience to the sprinters, as both showed improvement throughout all of last season. Finally, freshmen Aitor Ekobo (Madrid, Spain-Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren Secondary School) and Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich.–Clinton) both look to break into the Eagles' ranks as the season progresses.
HURDLES
The Eagles return the senior duo of Elam and Bryce Lindsey (New Middletown, Ohio-Fairfield Senior), both of whom have a wealth of competitive experience from their previous three seasons. Elam ran in twelve meets last year, and was on the winning 4x400m relay in all five appearances throughout the indoor season, including the third-fastest mark in EMU history of 3:09.12 at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7. He also earned First Team All-MAC honors for the indoor season, and Second Team All-MAC honors for the outdoor season in 2013-2014. Lindsey took fourth in the 60m hurdles at the indoor MAC Championships, Feb. 27-28, after matching his personal record of 8.13 seconds in both the prelims and the finals. Additionally, he managed to place third in the 110m hurdles at the MAC Outdoor Championships, May 14-16, with a season-best 14.28 seconds. The Green and White also bring back sophomore Mark Cooke (Edison, N.J.-John P. Stevens) after his solid freshman campaign. The Edison, N.J. native set personal records in all but one of his six outdoor races in the 400m hurdles, and his best time came at the MAC Championships where he went on to finish ninth in 55 seconds. The hurdles group will be rounded out by freshmen Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio-Eastmoor Academy) and Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive). The two Ohio natives both had impressive high school careers and will look to make a difference for the Eagles this season.
MID-DISTANCE
Led by Bradley, the veteran-laden mid-distance group will look to utilize their experience to be an asset for the team this season. Bradley took third in the 800m at the indoor MAC Championships last season, in addition to being named Second Team All-MAC in the outdoor season. Specifically, the Battle Creek native nabbed the runner-up spot at the outdoor conference championships in the 800m. Senior Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis.-Bradford) has experience in both the 400m and 800m., and throughout the 2014-15 outdoor season , Waynes set a personal record in each of his 800m races, displaying his upward trajectory. Rounding out the mid-distance group will be graduate student transfer Joshua Sabo (Akron, Ohio-Revere), who previously ran at Ohio State. During his time in Columbus, Sabo ran in multiple events, including the 800m, 1000m, and 1500m.
DISTANCE
Coming off of their sixth consecutive MAC Cross Country Championship, the distance group looks to be primed for another strong track & field season. Redshirt sophomore Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. - Mason) appears ready to have a big season after taking home the MAC cross country title and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. In addition to Raymond, the Eagles have a plethora of additional distance weapons. Fink posted a strong cross country season in which he finished as the individual runner-up at the MAC Championship and also took home All-Region honors for his performance at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Fink holds the second fastest 3,000m in indoor program history, as well as the third fastest 5,000m in outdoor program history. Both Raymond and Fink will be challenged by a number of their teammates, however, as the Green and White have plenty of depth in the distance group.
Redshirt sophomores Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge) built upon their first year successes in cross country and will look to do the same in track & field. One new student-athlete to watch will be transfer sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), who comes to EMU following a year at Oklahoma City University. Matko, who garnered Second Team All-MAC honors after finishing eighth at the cross country MAC Championships, placed first at the 2014 NAIA Outdoor National Championship in the 10,000 meters while at OCU. The Eagles will also be bolstered by a large freshmen class of distance runners, as they have already gained collegaite experience throughout the cross country season.
JUMPS
Following the graduation of First Team All-American Donald Scott, who will now be coaching the Eagles, the Green and White jumps group will be headlined by Brown, senior James O'Shea (Toledo, Ohio-St. Johns Jesuit), redshirt junior Zach Waldron (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Northview), and Simmons. Brown, who also participates in sprints, has experience in the long jump as well, as he took fourth at the indoor MAC Championships with a mark of 7.18 meters/23 feet 6.75-inches. He bested that distance in the outdoor season and managed to take home fifth-place honors at the MAC Outdoor Championships following his 7.37 meters/24 feet 2.25-inches mark, which was also a personal best. O'Shea has experience in both the long jump and the high jump from last year, where he competed in a total of 13 meets. Throughout the season, he posted five top-10 finishes in the high jump and also took fourth at the MAC Indoor Championships with a jump of 2.05 meters/6 feet 8.75-inches, which was a personal best.
In addition, Waldron currently holds a personal best 2.0 meters/6 feet 6.75-inches high jump mark and a 6.80 meters/22 feet 3.75-inches long jump mark. Simmons will provide a wealth of experience in multiple jump events, as he primarily competes as a heptathlete and decathlete for the Eagles. Freshmen Micah Peters (York, Ontario-Vaughn Road Academy), Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio-Bishop Hartley), and Nicholas Herbert (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) will all look to break in to the lineup as well following their first semester of collegiate training.
POLE VAULT
After losing veteran Dylan Stites to graduation, the Green and White will turn to sophomore Brett Lara (Chesterton, Ind.-Chesterton) and freshman Ted Lang (Canton, Mich.-Canton) when it comes to the pole vault. Lara, who competed in a total of nine meets throughout his freshman season, set a personal indoor record of 4.60 meters/15 feet 1-inch at the Notre Dame Invitational, Jan. 24. His outdoor record of 4.46m/14 feet 7.50-inches came at the Hillsdale Gina Relays, Apr. 25, which was good for third-place. Lang took home the regional title in the pole vault during his senior campaign, and will look to continue his success as an Eagle.
THROWS
Jones, a Second Team All-American, returns to the Eagles as one of the top throwers in program history, as he broke a 25-year-old EMU weight throw record multiple times last season. Jones' best mark came at the Elite Throws Competition, Jan. 30, notching a throw of 21.39 meters/70 feet 2.25-inches. Additionally, the Sandusky, Ohio native took 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, March 13, while also earning runner-up honors at the MAC Championships, Feb. 27. In addition to Jones, junior Quinn Levering (Caledonia, Ohio-River Valley) looks to be a solid contributor as well, as he threw in a total of 14 indoor and outdoor meets last year. Sophomores Elijah Albert-Grayer (Canton, Mich.-Salem) and Mike Hierholzer (Medina, Ohio-Medina) looks to build on their freshmen seasons in which both competed at multiple meets. Finally, a trio of freshmen will look to make an impact following their semester of training.
MULTIS
This season, the Eagles' multis group will be led by Simmons, who has a wealth of experience in both the heptathlon and decathlon. He was named First Team All-MAC in both the indoor and outdoor seasons last year, taking home the MAC indoor title in the heptathlon and also shattering EMU's decathlon twice during the outdoor season. Simmons holds the school records in the heptathlon with 5444 points, and the decathlon with 7862 points, and also earned All-American honorable mention honors following his qualification to the NCAA Championships as the third-ranked decathlete. In addition to Simmons, the Green and White will also look to Waldron, who did not compete last season, but participated in both the heptathlon and decathlon in the 2013-14 season. Freshman Alex Jacobs (Delaware, Ohio-Dublin) will provide added depth as he gains experience at the collegiate level.
Following final exams and the winter break, the Eagles will then get into the bulk of their indoor schedule. The first meet in January will be at home, as the Green and White host the EMU Triangular, Jan. 23. Following its only home event of the season, the team then travels to Penn State University for the Penn State National, Jan. 29-30. The following weekend, the Eagles remain on the road and make the trek down to South Bend, Ind. for the very competitive Meyo Invitational, Feb. 5-6.
To close out the regular season, the team will then return to Allendale for the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 12. The final meet before the postseason will take place down the road in Ann Arbor when the team heads to Michigan for the Silverston Invite, Feb. 20. After the regular season slate, the Eagles will look to claim their 15th Mid-American Conference Indoor Championship in program history, as the team travels to Akron for the conference championship, Feb. 26-27. The season will conclude with the NCAA Championships, Mar. 11-12, in Birmingham, Ala.
"The Grand Valley competition will give the staff and athletes a chance to evaluate the work that has occurred this fall before we enter the final exam period and a break from hard training. We are pleased with our training and look forward to seeing the results of our opening meet," said Head Coach John Goodridge.
The opening of the 2015-16 campaign also marks the naming of the team captains for the season. Goodridge announced that seniors Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa.-Greater Latrobe Senior), and Solomon Simmons (Murrieta, Calif.-Murrieta Valley), as well as redshirt juniors Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee) and Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky), will lead the team this year. All five individuals have combined for a number of impressive accomplishments, including breaking program records, winning MAC titles, and earning All-American status at the NCAA Championship.
In addition to the team captains, the Eagles also bring back a large number of experienced returners who will play an important role throughout the year. A large, talented freshmen class will also supplement the returners, as the Green and White look to win their third triple crown -- winning the MAC cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field titles in the same athletic year.
SPRINTS
The sprints group looks to be very strong this season for the Eagles, as the team returns a number of key contributors from a year ago. Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio–Findlay) will look to follow up his Second Team All-American campaign from last season with another strong year. Brown ran the second-fastest 400m in EMU history at the Notre Dame Invitational, Jan. 24, winning in 46.26 seconds. He also finished 15th in the nation in the 400m at the NCAA Championships, March 13, in 47.22 seconds. In the outdoor season, the Findlay, Ohio native took home First Team All-MAC honors after defending his title in the 400m at the 2015 MAC Championships, May 14-16, winning in a season-best 46.19 seconds. Senior Jason Ervin (Farmington Hills, Mich.–Farmington) will also be a key contributor after running on the third-place 4x400m and distance medley relays at the MAC Championships, Feb. 27-28. Ervin also ran a personal-best 1:53.60 in the 800m at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7, and was later named Second Team All-MAC in the outdoor season.
The team also returns the services of a number of other upperclassmen, as seniors Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio–St. Francis De Sales) and Matthew Williams (Moreno Valley, Calif.–Vista Del Lago) will don the green and white for their final season. Redshirt junior Nick James (Troy, Ohio-Troy) and sophomore Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio–Solon) bring even more experience to the sprinters, as both showed improvement throughout all of last season. Finally, freshmen Aitor Ekobo (Madrid, Spain-Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren Secondary School) and Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich.–Clinton) both look to break into the Eagles' ranks as the season progresses.
HURDLES
The Eagles return the senior duo of Elam and Bryce Lindsey (New Middletown, Ohio-Fairfield Senior), both of whom have a wealth of competitive experience from their previous three seasons. Elam ran in twelve meets last year, and was on the winning 4x400m relay in all five appearances throughout the indoor season, including the third-fastest mark in EMU history of 3:09.12 at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 6-7. He also earned First Team All-MAC honors for the indoor season, and Second Team All-MAC honors for the outdoor season in 2013-2014. Lindsey took fourth in the 60m hurdles at the indoor MAC Championships, Feb. 27-28, after matching his personal record of 8.13 seconds in both the prelims and the finals. Additionally, he managed to place third in the 110m hurdles at the MAC Outdoor Championships, May 14-16, with a season-best 14.28 seconds. The Green and White also bring back sophomore Mark Cooke (Edison, N.J.-John P. Stevens) after his solid freshman campaign. The Edison, N.J. native set personal records in all but one of his six outdoor races in the 400m hurdles, and his best time came at the MAC Championships where he went on to finish ninth in 55 seconds. The hurdles group will be rounded out by freshmen Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio-Eastmoor Academy) and Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive). The two Ohio natives both had impressive high school careers and will look to make a difference for the Eagles this season.
MID-DISTANCE
Led by Bradley, the veteran-laden mid-distance group will look to utilize their experience to be an asset for the team this season. Bradley took third in the 800m at the indoor MAC Championships last season, in addition to being named Second Team All-MAC in the outdoor season. Specifically, the Battle Creek native nabbed the runner-up spot at the outdoor conference championships in the 800m. Senior Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis.-Bradford) has experience in both the 400m and 800m., and throughout the 2014-15 outdoor season , Waynes set a personal record in each of his 800m races, displaying his upward trajectory. Rounding out the mid-distance group will be graduate student transfer Joshua Sabo (Akron, Ohio-Revere), who previously ran at Ohio State. During his time in Columbus, Sabo ran in multiple events, including the 800m, 1000m, and 1500m.
DISTANCE
Coming off of their sixth consecutive MAC Cross Country Championship, the distance group looks to be primed for another strong track & field season. Redshirt sophomore Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. - Mason) appears ready to have a big season after taking home the MAC cross country title and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. In addition to Raymond, the Eagles have a plethora of additional distance weapons. Fink posted a strong cross country season in which he finished as the individual runner-up at the MAC Championship and also took home All-Region honors for his performance at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Fink holds the second fastest 3,000m in indoor program history, as well as the third fastest 5,000m in outdoor program history. Both Raymond and Fink will be challenged by a number of their teammates, however, as the Green and White have plenty of depth in the distance group.
Redshirt sophomores Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium-Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge) built upon their first year successes in cross country and will look to do the same in track & field. One new student-athlete to watch will be transfer sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary-Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium), who comes to EMU following a year at Oklahoma City University. Matko, who garnered Second Team All-MAC honors after finishing eighth at the cross country MAC Championships, placed first at the 2014 NAIA Outdoor National Championship in the 10,000 meters while at OCU. The Eagles will also be bolstered by a large freshmen class of distance runners, as they have already gained collegaite experience throughout the cross country season.
JUMPS
Following the graduation of First Team All-American Donald Scott, who will now be coaching the Eagles, the Green and White jumps group will be headlined by Brown, senior James O'Shea (Toledo, Ohio-St. Johns Jesuit), redshirt junior Zach Waldron (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Northview), and Simmons. Brown, who also participates in sprints, has experience in the long jump as well, as he took fourth at the indoor MAC Championships with a mark of 7.18 meters/23 feet 6.75-inches. He bested that distance in the outdoor season and managed to take home fifth-place honors at the MAC Outdoor Championships following his 7.37 meters/24 feet 2.25-inches mark, which was also a personal best. O'Shea has experience in both the long jump and the high jump from last year, where he competed in a total of 13 meets. Throughout the season, he posted five top-10 finishes in the high jump and also took fourth at the MAC Indoor Championships with a jump of 2.05 meters/6 feet 8.75-inches, which was a personal best.
In addition, Waldron currently holds a personal best 2.0 meters/6 feet 6.75-inches high jump mark and a 6.80 meters/22 feet 3.75-inches long jump mark. Simmons will provide a wealth of experience in multiple jump events, as he primarily competes as a heptathlete and decathlete for the Eagles. Freshmen Micah Peters (York, Ontario-Vaughn Road Academy), Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio-Bishop Hartley), and Nicholas Herbert (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) will all look to break in to the lineup as well following their first semester of collegiate training.
POLE VAULT
After losing veteran Dylan Stites to graduation, the Green and White will turn to sophomore Brett Lara (Chesterton, Ind.-Chesterton) and freshman Ted Lang (Canton, Mich.-Canton) when it comes to the pole vault. Lara, who competed in a total of nine meets throughout his freshman season, set a personal indoor record of 4.60 meters/15 feet 1-inch at the Notre Dame Invitational, Jan. 24. His outdoor record of 4.46m/14 feet 7.50-inches came at the Hillsdale Gina Relays, Apr. 25, which was good for third-place. Lang took home the regional title in the pole vault during his senior campaign, and will look to continue his success as an Eagle.
THROWS
Jones, a Second Team All-American, returns to the Eagles as one of the top throwers in program history, as he broke a 25-year-old EMU weight throw record multiple times last season. Jones' best mark came at the Elite Throws Competition, Jan. 30, notching a throw of 21.39 meters/70 feet 2.25-inches. Additionally, the Sandusky, Ohio native took 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships, March 13, while also earning runner-up honors at the MAC Championships, Feb. 27. In addition to Jones, junior Quinn Levering (Caledonia, Ohio-River Valley) looks to be a solid contributor as well, as he threw in a total of 14 indoor and outdoor meets last year. Sophomores Elijah Albert-Grayer (Canton, Mich.-Salem) and Mike Hierholzer (Medina, Ohio-Medina) looks to build on their freshmen seasons in which both competed at multiple meets. Finally, a trio of freshmen will look to make an impact following their semester of training.
MULTIS
This season, the Eagles' multis group will be led by Simmons, who has a wealth of experience in both the heptathlon and decathlon. He was named First Team All-MAC in both the indoor and outdoor seasons last year, taking home the MAC indoor title in the heptathlon and also shattering EMU's decathlon twice during the outdoor season. Simmons holds the school records in the heptathlon with 5444 points, and the decathlon with 7862 points, and also earned All-American honorable mention honors following his qualification to the NCAA Championships as the third-ranked decathlete. In addition to Simmons, the Green and White will also look to Waldron, who did not compete last season, but participated in both the heptathlon and decathlon in the 2013-14 season. Freshman Alex Jacobs (Delaware, Ohio-Dublin) will provide added depth as he gains experience at the collegiate level.
Players Mentioned
Throws
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Distance
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Hurdles
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Sprints
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Sprints
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Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Sprints/Jumps
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Hurdles
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Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
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Hurdles
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Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
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Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Hurdles
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Jumps
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Mid-Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Sprints
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