Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, December 4
Allendale, Mich.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
GVSU Holiday Open
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Chloe Smith
Men’s Track and Field Emerges with Dominating Season-Opening Victory
12/5/2015 2:31:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
The Green and White took home the team title by a wide margin while a number of Eagles had stellar days
Complete Results
ALLENDALE, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team began its 2015-16 season with a dominating team victory at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Opener, Dec. 4, in Allendale, Mich. The Eagles took home the overall title with 133 points over second place Loyola (80) and third place Lewis (70).
Overall, the Eagles claimed victories in four events, as well as three runner-up spots. The Green and White saw the 300m dash program record, which was set in 1989 by Chuck Wilson, bested by nearly a quarter of a second, as well as the third quickest 5000m time in program history. Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio - Findlay) shattered the previous 300m dash record of 33.75 by turning in a time of 33.52 and besting the field by over half a second. In addition, redshirt junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio - Maumee) crossed the 5000m finish line in 13:56.55, jumping ahead of Gordon Minty and taking the third fastest spot in EMU history for the event.
The team began the day with the 60m dash, with freshman Aitor Ekobo (Madrid, Spain - Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren Secondary School) and sophomore Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio - Solon) qualifying to the finals. In the finals, Ekobo managed to take fourth in 7.01 while Bolden was just behind him in fifth at 7.02. Shortly thereafter, the Green and White nabbed first, third, and fifth in the 200m dash, with sophomore Mark Cooke (Edison, N.J. - John P. Stevens) taking top honors in 22.01 while senior Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa. - Greater Latrobe Senior) and freshman Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich. - Clinton) took third and fifth, respectively.
From there, Brown then went on to break the 300m program record in 33.52, while Underwood managed to nab the tenth-place spot in the event as well. The 400m dash saw Cooke take home third place honors in 49.13, while freshman Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio - Eastmoor Academy) made his Eagle debut. The 600m run saw more success for the Green and White, as senior Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis. - Bradford) took home the silver with a time of 1:21.71. Additionally, sophomore Tom Jozwiak (Southgate, Mich. - Thomas J. Anderson) nabbed seventh in the 800m, setting a new personal record by shaving nearly four seconds off his previous best time.
The mile run saw the Eagles take home three spots in the top-10, as sophomore Nick McFarland (Hillsborough, N.J. - Hillsborough), junior Caleb Hess (Owosso, Mich. - Owosso), and senior Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich. - Lakeview) placed fifth, seventh, and tenth, respectively. The Eagles swept the top-two spots in the 3000m run, as sophomore Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis. - River Falls) took home the gold with a time of 8:27.99. Just behind him was graduate student Josh Sabo (Akron, Ohio - Revere), as he crossed the finish line in 8:31.44 to nab second.
The 5000m run was littered with Green and White participants who set personal records, as the Eagles placed five runners in the top-10. Fink nabbed the top spot after running the third-fastest time in program history, while sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary - Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium) finished fourth in 14:20.44 in his Eagle debut. Additionally, fellow sophomores Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland - Mountain Ridge) and Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium / Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) took sixth and seventh, both besting their previous personal bests.
Qualifying to the 60m hurdles finals was senior Bryce Lindsey (New Middletown, Ohio - Fairfield Senior), as he took home fifth-place honors in 8.39. In the 4x400m relay, the Green and White took both fifth and sixth, as the team of Lindsey, Bradley, junior Nick James (Troy, Ohio - Troy), and senior Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio - St. Francis De Sales) posted a time of 3:23.13, while the group of Ekobo, Bolden, freshman Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio - Madison Comprehensive), and Barber crossed in 3:28.16.
Moving onto the jumps, the team was represented by fellow freshmen Micah Peters (York, Ontario - Vaughn Road Academy) and Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio - Bishop Hartley), as well as senior James O'Shea (Toledo, Ohio - St. Johns Jesuit) in the high jump. Peters was the top finisher of the three, as he posted a mark of 1.93 meters/ 6 feet 4 inches which was good for eighth. The long jump saw more success for Brown, as he took home the silver with a mark of 6.85 meters/ 22 feet 5.75 inches. To close out the meet, the Eagles took home both third and fourth-place in the triple jump, as Hart and Peters posted marks of 13.88 meters/45 feet 6.5 inches and 13.72 meters/ 45 feet 0.25 inches, respectively.
Head Coach John Goodridge liked what he saw from his squad, saying "The staff can now evaluate today's results and plan future training accordingly. It was certainly exciting for Tyler Brown to set a new school records in the 300-meters and for Willy Fink to move to number three in the 5000-meters on our all time list."
The team will now have a month and a half long hiatus, as their next meet will come in January. The team will play host to their only home meet of the year, as the EMU Triangular will take place Saturday, Jan. 23.
EMU Individual Results (* signifies a personal record, # denotes EMU record, Q is a finals qualifying mark)
60m Dash prelims
4. Bolden, Brandon 7.00Q
5. Ekobo, Aitor 7.00Q
10. Blanchard, Wayne 7.07
21. James, Nick 7.16
60m Dash
4. Ekobo, Aitor 7.01*
5. Bolden, Brandon 7.02
200m Dash
1. Cooke, Mark 22.01*
3. Elam, Jeff 22.19
5. Underwood, Tyler 22.64*
18. Douglas, Frank 23.20*
300m Dash
1. Brown, Tyler 33.52*#
10. Underwood, Tyler 36.25*
400m Dash
3. Cooke, Mark 49.13
17. Barber, Elijah 52.07*
600m Run
2. Waynes, Mason 1:21.71
8. Elam, Jeff 1:24.61
800m Run
7. Jozwiak, Tom 1:59.89*
Mile Run
5. McFarland, Nick 4:16.50*
7. Hess, Caleb 4:20.51
10. Bradley, Scott 4:24.43*
14. Blackwell, Roman 4:32.02*
15. Saporito, David 4:35.25*
3000m Run
1. Lenneman, Mitch 8:27.99*
2. Sabo, Josh 8:31.44*
5000m Run
1. Fink, Willy 13:56.66*
4. Matko, Csaba 14:20.44*
6. Andresson, Hlynur 14:23.06*
7. Bouchikhi, Lahsene 14:26.80*
10. Knox III, John 14:34.79*
13. Raymond, Nick 14:53.10
15. Flores, Abel 14:55.49*
30. O'Flahrity, Morgan 15:53.03*
31. Beck, Adam 15:53.54*
32. Keaton, Alec 15:57.36*
60m Hurdles prelims
5. Lindsey, Bryce 8.32Q
12. Douglas, Frank 8.79*
60m Hurdles finals
5. Lindsey, Bryce 8.39
4x400m Relay
5. Lindsey, Bradley, James, Blanchard 3:23.13
6. Ekobo, Bolden, Douglas, Barber 3:28.16
High Jump
8. Peters, Micah 1.93m/6-04.00*
10. O'Shea, James 1.88m/6-02.00
12. Hart, Cameron 1.88m/6-02.00*
Long Jump
2. Brown, Tyler 6.85m/22-05.75
11. Herbert, Nick 6.37m/20-10.75*
Triple Jump
3. Hart, Cameron 13.88m/45-06.50*
4. Peters, Micah 13.72m/45-00.25*
7. Herbert, Nick 12.99m/42-07.50*
ALLENDALE, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team began its 2015-16 season with a dominating team victory at the Grand Valley State University Holiday Opener, Dec. 4, in Allendale, Mich. The Eagles took home the overall title with 133 points over second place Loyola (80) and third place Lewis (70).
Overall, the Eagles claimed victories in four events, as well as three runner-up spots. The Green and White saw the 300m dash program record, which was set in 1989 by Chuck Wilson, bested by nearly a quarter of a second, as well as the third quickest 5000m time in program history. Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio - Findlay) shattered the previous 300m dash record of 33.75 by turning in a time of 33.52 and besting the field by over half a second. In addition, redshirt junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio - Maumee) crossed the 5000m finish line in 13:56.55, jumping ahead of Gordon Minty and taking the third fastest spot in EMU history for the event.
The team began the day with the 60m dash, with freshman Aitor Ekobo (Madrid, Spain - Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren Secondary School) and sophomore Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio - Solon) qualifying to the finals. In the finals, Ekobo managed to take fourth in 7.01 while Bolden was just behind him in fifth at 7.02. Shortly thereafter, the Green and White nabbed first, third, and fifth in the 200m dash, with sophomore Mark Cooke (Edison, N.J. - John P. Stevens) taking top honors in 22.01 while senior Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa. - Greater Latrobe Senior) and freshman Tyler Underwood (Clinton, Mich. - Clinton) took third and fifth, respectively.
From there, Brown then went on to break the 300m program record in 33.52, while Underwood managed to nab the tenth-place spot in the event as well. The 400m dash saw Cooke take home third place honors in 49.13, while freshman Elijah Barber (Columbus, Ohio - Eastmoor Academy) made his Eagle debut. The 600m run saw more success for the Green and White, as senior Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis. - Bradford) took home the silver with a time of 1:21.71. Additionally, sophomore Tom Jozwiak (Southgate, Mich. - Thomas J. Anderson) nabbed seventh in the 800m, setting a new personal record by shaving nearly four seconds off his previous best time.
The mile run saw the Eagles take home three spots in the top-10, as sophomore Nick McFarland (Hillsborough, N.J. - Hillsborough), junior Caleb Hess (Owosso, Mich. - Owosso), and senior Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich. - Lakeview) placed fifth, seventh, and tenth, respectively. The Eagles swept the top-two spots in the 3000m run, as sophomore Mitch Lenneman (River Falls, Wis. - River Falls) took home the gold with a time of 8:27.99. Just behind him was graduate student Josh Sabo (Akron, Ohio - Revere), as he crossed the finish line in 8:31.44 to nab second.
The 5000m run was littered with Green and White participants who set personal records, as the Eagles placed five runners in the top-10. Fink nabbed the top spot after running the third-fastest time in program history, while sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary - Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium) finished fourth in 14:20.44 in his Eagle debut. Additionally, fellow sophomores Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland - Mountain Ridge) and Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium / Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) took sixth and seventh, both besting their previous personal bests.
Qualifying to the 60m hurdles finals was senior Bryce Lindsey (New Middletown, Ohio - Fairfield Senior), as he took home fifth-place honors in 8.39. In the 4x400m relay, the Green and White took both fifth and sixth, as the team of Lindsey, Bradley, junior Nick James (Troy, Ohio - Troy), and senior Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio - St. Francis De Sales) posted a time of 3:23.13, while the group of Ekobo, Bolden, freshman Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio - Madison Comprehensive), and Barber crossed in 3:28.16.
Moving onto the jumps, the team was represented by fellow freshmen Micah Peters (York, Ontario - Vaughn Road Academy) and Cameron Hart (Columbus, Ohio - Bishop Hartley), as well as senior James O'Shea (Toledo, Ohio - St. Johns Jesuit) in the high jump. Peters was the top finisher of the three, as he posted a mark of 1.93 meters/ 6 feet 4 inches which was good for eighth. The long jump saw more success for Brown, as he took home the silver with a mark of 6.85 meters/ 22 feet 5.75 inches. To close out the meet, the Eagles took home both third and fourth-place in the triple jump, as Hart and Peters posted marks of 13.88 meters/45 feet 6.5 inches and 13.72 meters/ 45 feet 0.25 inches, respectively.
Head Coach John Goodridge liked what he saw from his squad, saying "The staff can now evaluate today's results and plan future training accordingly. It was certainly exciting for Tyler Brown to set a new school records in the 300-meters and for Willy Fink to move to number three in the 5000-meters on our all time list."
The team will now have a month and a half long hiatus, as their next meet will come in January. The team will play host to their only home meet of the year, as the EMU Triangular will take place Saturday, Jan. 23.
EMU Individual Results (* signifies a personal record, # denotes EMU record, Q is a finals qualifying mark)
60m Dash prelims
4. Bolden, Brandon 7.00Q
5. Ekobo, Aitor 7.00Q
10. Blanchard, Wayne 7.07
21. James, Nick 7.16
60m Dash
4. Ekobo, Aitor 7.01*
5. Bolden, Brandon 7.02
200m Dash
1. Cooke, Mark 22.01*
3. Elam, Jeff 22.19
5. Underwood, Tyler 22.64*
18. Douglas, Frank 23.20*
300m Dash
1. Brown, Tyler 33.52*#
10. Underwood, Tyler 36.25*
400m Dash
3. Cooke, Mark 49.13
17. Barber, Elijah 52.07*
600m Run
2. Waynes, Mason 1:21.71
8. Elam, Jeff 1:24.61
800m Run
7. Jozwiak, Tom 1:59.89*
Mile Run
5. McFarland, Nick 4:16.50*
7. Hess, Caleb 4:20.51
10. Bradley, Scott 4:24.43*
14. Blackwell, Roman 4:32.02*
15. Saporito, David 4:35.25*
3000m Run
1. Lenneman, Mitch 8:27.99*
2. Sabo, Josh 8:31.44*
5000m Run
1. Fink, Willy 13:56.66*
4. Matko, Csaba 14:20.44*
6. Andresson, Hlynur 14:23.06*
7. Bouchikhi, Lahsene 14:26.80*
10. Knox III, John 14:34.79*
13. Raymond, Nick 14:53.10
15. Flores, Abel 14:55.49*
30. O'Flahrity, Morgan 15:53.03*
31. Beck, Adam 15:53.54*
32. Keaton, Alec 15:57.36*
60m Hurdles prelims
5. Lindsey, Bryce 8.32Q
12. Douglas, Frank 8.79*
60m Hurdles finals
5. Lindsey, Bryce 8.39
4x400m Relay
5. Lindsey, Bradley, James, Blanchard 3:23.13
6. Ekobo, Bolden, Douglas, Barber 3:28.16
High Jump
8. Peters, Micah 1.93m/6-04.00*
10. O'Shea, James 1.88m/6-02.00
12. Hart, Cameron 1.88m/6-02.00*
Long Jump
2. Brown, Tyler 6.85m/22-05.75
11. Herbert, Nick 6.37m/20-10.75*
Triple Jump
3. Hart, Cameron 13.88m/45-06.50*
4. Peters, Micah 13.72m/45-00.25*
7. Herbert, Nick 12.99m/42-07.50*
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