Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, February 27
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Indoor Championships
Men's Track and Field Takes on MAC in Mount Pleasant
2/25/2015 3:34:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Eagles will compete in the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships, Feb.27-28
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's track and field team is primed for the 2015 Mid-American Conference Men's Track and Field Indoor Championship, hosted by Central Michigan University. The meet will be a two-day event, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28.
Eastern was picked to improve on their third-place finish last year, tabbed to finish second behind No. 16 Akron by the preseason coaches poll. The Eagles have been making strides this season, moving up to 26th on the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national computer rankings, and are searching for their 15th indoor MAC Championship title in program history.
With the conference's five men's teams coming together in Mount Pleasant, it is time to take a look at how the teams stack up against one another. The following is a preview of each team, based on current conference standings along with a comparison to last year's championship.
Eastern Michigan
The Eagles have had a momentous season in 2015, with multiple Eagles either moving up in the record books or having their names etched into EMU history for the first time. Eastern returns 14 athletes that placed in the top-eight from the third-place team in 2014, while losing eight athletes from last year's roster. Eastern saw success across the board, earning 28 top-eight finishes, with more than half the finishes being a top-four performance. Additionally, EMU had five Eagles crowned MAC champions, all of which return for the 2015 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio-Findlay) has become the premier athlete in the 400m after winning the title both indoor and outdoor last year. Brown kept competing over the summer, winning the Junior National Championship in July, and his training has paid off as his season-best time of 46.26 seconds ranks second all-time in EMU history in addition to being the only sub-47-second time in the MAC and the eighth-fastest mark in the nation. Brown is also a staple of the 4x400m relay team that tops the MAC, though he was not in the lineup that recorded the fastest time of the season in 3:09.12, the third-fastest time in EMU laurels. Matthew Williams (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Vista Del Lago) stepped into Brown's spot at the Meyo Invitational and joined reigning 4x400m MAC champions Cameron Bolton (Missouri City, Texas-Hightower), Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa.-Greater Latrobe Senior), and Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis.-Bradford) to record the mark.
Also returning as a favorite to repeat his championship crown is Donald Scott (Apopka, Fla.-Apopka) in the triple jump. It is safe to say that Scott is the league's most dominant competitor in the event, as he leads the conference by more than four feet with an EMU record mark of 16.70 meters/54 feet 9.50-inches, which is the second-best distance in the nation. Scott has also refined his skill in the long jump over the past season, having won the conference title in the outdoor season and is looking to score highly for the Green and White in the event. Scott currently holds the second-farthest jump in the MAC at 7.53 meters/24 feet 8.50-inches, which is also the second-best mark in EMU history. Scott will be joined by Brown in the long jump, as the sophomore is a proven athlete in both track and field events.
After not submitting any athletes to compete in the 60m dash last year, the Eagles will have three members of the team competing for the championship title. Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio-St. Francis de Sales) holds the top seed for the team in 6.90 seconds, which is the eighth-fastest time in the MAC, and is followed by Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.-George Wythe (Pima CC)) with a seed time of 6.91 seconds, which ranks 10th in the conference. Also running for the Green and White will be Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio-Solon), who holds a season-best time of 6.96 seconds. Brown, Williams, and Bolton will highlight the 200m dash, and the Eagles look to utilize their depth in the 400m to score well. Along with Brown's conference-topping time, Bolton and Elam also rank in the top-10 of the conference at sixth and eighth, respectively.
In the mid-distance 800m run, Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) holds the top time for the Eagles at 1:51.68, good for fifth in the conference. Freshman Stephen Sparks (Lancaster, Ohio-Lancaster) holds down the ninth fastest seed time of 1:53.34, and the pair will also be joined by Waynes as he has worked on increasing his distance from his usual 400 meters to the 800m races as well.
Eastern has every reason to feel confident in the distance events, and it is not just due to the fact that the distance runners recently won their fifth consecutive MAC Cross Country title with a record-low-tying 23 points. The Eagle harriers have only improved during the track season, led by the 2014 MAC Cross Country champion Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee). Fink will be competing in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m, and ranks near the top of the conference in every event. His highest seed is in the 3000m, with the second-fastest time in EMU history at 7:57.14 to top the conference, while his ninth-fastest mile in EMU laurels of 4:02.61 is second in the conference. Fink also ranks sixth in the 5000m in 14:39.88, but his mark was during an early season training run with the goal of running a 14:40.00 for pacing. Nonetheless, the top mark in the 5000m also belongs to an Eagle, as Harry Dixon (Nelson, New Zealand-Nayland College) set a personal record this year of 14:23.14 to hold the MAC standard for the season. Dixon will also be competing in the 3000m, holding the fourth-best time in the MAC at 8:14.15, along with Warren Witchell (Williamston, Mich.-Dansville), who stands at sixth in the conference in 8:16.93. Joining Fink in the mile and the 5000m will be redshirt-freshman Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge (Alderson Broaddus)), who has the sixth-fastest mile mark in the MAC (4:09.86) and the fifth-fastest 5000m time (14:39.72).
The Eagles have at least one athlete in the top-10 of each event, including some breakthrough performances in the throws. The Green and White will look to the consistency of Travis Harris (Walled Lake, Mich.-Walled Lake Central), Quinn Levering (Caledonia, Ohio-River Valley), and Keith Williams (Sherman, Ill-Williamsville) to score in the shot put, as all three rank in the top-10 of the MAC with Harris leading the way at 17.02 meters/55 feet 10.25-inches. In the weight throw, it has been and exciting season for the Eagles thus far. Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky) quickly garnered conference and national attention with a prodigious EMU record-breaking throw in the first meet of the season, and has since improved to 21.39 meters/70 feet 2.25-inches, which ranks second in the MAC behind No. 6 Matthias Tayala of Kent State. Jones also ranks well in national standings, boasting the 16th-farthest throw in the country. Williams and Andrew Wentz (Napoleon, Ohio-Napoleon) will join Jones in the event, as both have posted throws above 18 meters for the first time in their careers this season.
A combination of track and field expertise, EMU has two multi-event athletes that will compete in the heptathlon. Both Solomon Ijah (Murrieta, Calif.-Murrieta Valley) and Levi Selvig (Flushing, Mich.-Flushing) will be competing in the heptathlon this year, which will be the first complete heptathlon for Ijah this season. The redshirt-junior finished third in the event last year, breaking his own EMU record with 5,377 points, and will look to move up in conference placement.
No. 16 Akron
The University of Akron won the 2014 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championship with 140 points, fueled by 33 top-eight finishes throughout the two days of action. Included in those top-eight performances were 17 top-four placements, with six events resulting in the crowning of a MAC champion. The Zips return 13 athletes for 2015's conference meet who placed in the top-eight last year, while losing 14 athletes from last season's roster.
The Zips have been known as a perennial powerhouse in the pole vault. Even with the departure of two of the league's top pole vaulters in Shawn Light and Alex McCune, Akron boasts not only the MAC leader in the event but the national leader and current NCAA record holder, Shawn Barber. The Canadian National Team member holds the nation's standard at 5.90 meters/19 feet 4.25-inches, topping the MAC by more than two feet as teammate Matthew Roland is second in the conference at 5.33 meters/17 feet 5.75-inches.
Akron has also had success in the distance races, having an athlete crowned the MAC champion in the 800m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m last year. While the Zips have lost 800m champion Jake Hiltner to graduation, Clayton Murphy has stepped up to be the premier harrier in the distance, holding the top time in the MAC in 1:47.82. The sophomore will also be looking to reprise his crown in the mile, as also holds the top time ahead of Fink in 4:00.39. Also entering the mix in the 800m and the mile will be Daniel Zupan, who has the third-fastest 800m time at 1:51.35 and the fourth-best time in the conference in the mile (4:08.37). Kyle Cochrun will have to fend off a hungry pack of Eagles in the 3000m and 5000m in order to repeat his titles in both. The senior is currently playing second fiddle in both events (8:06.39/14:27.87), trailing Fink in the 3000m and Dixon in the 5000m.
In the sprints, the Zips are paced by Bryce Cheek in the 60m, who has the second-fastest time in the MAC in 6.82 seconds, while Alante Oliver is the highest seeded competitor in the 200m at 21.44 seconds due to the fact that MAC-leading Wayne Gordon of Kent State is not slated to compete in the event. Akron also has a strong group of 400m runners, led by sophomore Brent Gray with a season-best time of 47.04, good for second in the MAC. Gray, along with Murphy, Miles Baldwin, and Sean Weems, composed the team that recorded the Zips' fastest 4x400m relay of the year, which sits at second behind EMU in the conference at 3:11.72.
In the jumps, Akron suffers the loss of Daryl Baptiste, but gains a fresh talent in Jordan Latimer. The freshman burst onto the national scene with a then-nation-topping mark of 7.69 meters/25 feet 2.75-inches early in the season, and the distance has stood to be the top mark in the MAC this season. Latimer is also a talented high jumper, holding the fourth-highest jump in the MAC at 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches, and he is the highest-seeded heptathlete after amassing 5,394 points earlier in the season, second in the MAC behind reigning MAC champion Mike Morgan, who is not scheduled to compete in the multi-event.
In the throws, Akron lacks an athlete in the top-10 of the conference in the shot put, but it does feature a pair of athletes that perform well in the weight throw. Zachary Shull leads the charge with a season-best throw of 19.41 meters/63 feet 8.25-inches for fifth in the conference, and is joined by Philip Jagers as the eighth-best thrower in the MAC.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo finished fourth last year with 101 points, and return 15 top-eight performers to the roster while losing five. Of the 21 top-eight finishes last year, the Bulls earned five victories to go along with eight other top-four performances. Buffalo was dominant in the field events last season, with former athlete Evan Palmer winning the weight throw, Jonathan Jones claiming the shot put, Chris Reape taking the crown in the high jump, Mike Morgan winning the heptathlon, and the DMR team taking home top honors. Jones and Morgan still top the conference in their respective events, with Jones throwing a season-best and seventh-best in the nation 19.91 meters/65 feet 4-inches and Morgan amassing 5,797 in the heptathlon. However, Morgan is not slated to compete in the event. Instead, he will compete in the high jump as he has the third-best height in the MAC at 2.10 meters/6 feet 10.75-inches, while Reape is ranked fourth at 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches.
Buffalo will turn to Craig Howard in the heptathlon, as the junior placed fourth last season in the event. The Bulls also have three horizontal jumpers on the roster who could score, led by Austin Price in the triple jump, along with Kaishuan Cathley and Austin Ashby. Price is ranked fifth in the MAC in the triple jump at 14.92 meters/48 feet 11.50-inches, while Ashby is 10th in the conference in the long jump (7.06 meters/23 feet 2-inches).
In the sprints, Buffalo will rely upon juniors Darien Johnson and Brian Cummiskey, who rank third and fifth in the MAC in the 60m (6.84/6.85). The Bulls also have strength in the 800m, as Tyler Scheving holds the second spot in the event in 1:49.25 after taking runner-up at last year's championship, as well as the fifth-fastest mile runner in Brian Crimmins (4:09.12).
Central Michigan
The hosting Central Michigan University Chippewas have room for improvement after finishing fifth in the MAC with 42 points. CMU returns nine top-eight performers to its roster, while losing seven. Split evenly between track and field success, the Chips had 15 top-eight finishes last year, six in the top-four. CMU loses its only MAC champion in 60m hurdler Colin Powell, but the Chippewas still feature multiple athletes in the top rankings of the conference.
Leading the way with the only individual conference standard is junior jumps specialist Matt Mueller. Mueller ties for the MAC lead in the high jump, having cleared 2.14 meters/ 7 feet 0.25-inches this season. Central Michigan will also look to Cole Walderzak to score heavily for the team. Last year, Walderzak finished fourth in the weight throw and he currently holds that spot in the conference at 19.59 meters/64 feet 3.25-inches, while also having the third-farthest shot put in the MAC at 17.40 meters/57 feet 1-inch.
In the distance events, the Chippewas have two athletes in the top-10 of the conference. Silas DeKalita ranks fourth in the 5000m (14:38.35), while last year's fourth-place finisher in the event, Nate Ghena, currently ranks eighth in 14:40.93. Central Michigan is also one of the teams to have completed a distance medley relay this season, with the fastest time in the conference at 9:56.8 thanks to Joseph Emmanuel, Malik Vasquez, Scott Cousino, and Ben Wynsma. Vasquez highlights the 400m for the Chips, ranking eighth in the conference in 47.84 seconds, while Wynsma is the go-to mile performer, also eighth in the MAC in 4:11.81.
Kent State
Kent State University dropped the conference title to Akron last year by just eight points, finishing second with 132 points. The Golden Flashes return 15 top-eight performers to the roster, while losing 10. Additionally, Kent State had 32 top-eight finishes, with two victories and an additional 15 top-four placements. Last year's victor in the 200m, Wayne Gordon, is not scheduled to repeat his victory as the junior, despite leading the MAC in both the 60m and the 200m (6.69/20.95), will only be competing for the title in the 60m dash. Battling for the crown with EMU's Jones after finishing second in the weight throw last season is Matthias Tayala, who ranks first in the conference and sixth in the nation with a mark of 22.60 meters/74 feet 1.75-inches. The Golden Flashes also boast the top seed in the 60m hurdles, with William Barnes pacing the conference in 7.78 seconds, as well as the high jump with Roosevelt Dotson tying for first at 2.14 meters/7 feet 0.25-inches.
In the 400m, the Golden Flashes can look to Matthew Tobin or Miles Dunlap to lead the team, as the pair is ranked third and fourth in the conference, respectively (47.27/47.36). Jacob Swords paces the team in the 800m in 1:51.62, good for fourth in the MAC, but Kent State's strengths lie in the shorter distances as there is just one athlete ranked in the conference in the mile and the 3000m.
On the field, Jesse Oxley holds the fourth seed in the pole vault at 5.20 meters/17 feet 0.75-inches, while Michael King is also fourth in the MAC in the shot put at 17.19 meters/56 feet 4.75-inches. In the jumps, Xavier Braxton holds down the seventh spot in the conference at 7.17 meters/23 feet 6.25-inches, and Donovan Tolbert will be the third seed in the triple jump with a season-best mark of 15.20 meters/49 feet 10.50-inches. Competing in the heptathlon, Kyle Tywon will be chasing the title after finishing runner-up last season. The senior comes into the event as the second-ranked athlete with 5,277 points.
Eastern was picked to improve on their third-place finish last year, tabbed to finish second behind No. 16 Akron by the preseason coaches poll. The Eagles have been making strides this season, moving up to 26th on the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national computer rankings, and are searching for their 15th indoor MAC Championship title in program history.
With the conference's five men's teams coming together in Mount Pleasant, it is time to take a look at how the teams stack up against one another. The following is a preview of each team, based on current conference standings along with a comparison to last year's championship.
Eastern Michigan
The Eagles have had a momentous season in 2015, with multiple Eagles either moving up in the record books or having their names etched into EMU history for the first time. Eastern returns 14 athletes that placed in the top-eight from the third-place team in 2014, while losing eight athletes from last year's roster. Eastern saw success across the board, earning 28 top-eight finishes, with more than half the finishes being a top-four performance. Additionally, EMU had five Eagles crowned MAC champions, all of which return for the 2015 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio-Findlay) has become the premier athlete in the 400m after winning the title both indoor and outdoor last year. Brown kept competing over the summer, winning the Junior National Championship in July, and his training has paid off as his season-best time of 46.26 seconds ranks second all-time in EMU history in addition to being the only sub-47-second time in the MAC and the eighth-fastest mark in the nation. Brown is also a staple of the 4x400m relay team that tops the MAC, though he was not in the lineup that recorded the fastest time of the season in 3:09.12, the third-fastest time in EMU laurels. Matthew Williams (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Vista Del Lago) stepped into Brown's spot at the Meyo Invitational and joined reigning 4x400m MAC champions Cameron Bolton (Missouri City, Texas-Hightower), Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa.-Greater Latrobe Senior), and Mason Waynes (Kenosha, Wis.-Bradford) to record the mark.
Also returning as a favorite to repeat his championship crown is Donald Scott (Apopka, Fla.-Apopka) in the triple jump. It is safe to say that Scott is the league's most dominant competitor in the event, as he leads the conference by more than four feet with an EMU record mark of 16.70 meters/54 feet 9.50-inches, which is the second-best distance in the nation. Scott has also refined his skill in the long jump over the past season, having won the conference title in the outdoor season and is looking to score highly for the Green and White in the event. Scott currently holds the second-farthest jump in the MAC at 7.53 meters/24 feet 8.50-inches, which is also the second-best mark in EMU history. Scott will be joined by Brown in the long jump, as the sophomore is a proven athlete in both track and field events.
After not submitting any athletes to compete in the 60m dash last year, the Eagles will have three members of the team competing for the championship title. Wayne Blanchard (Toledo, Ohio-St. Francis de Sales) holds the top seed for the team in 6.90 seconds, which is the eighth-fastest time in the MAC, and is followed by Kevin Snead (Richmond, Va.-George Wythe (Pima CC)) with a seed time of 6.91 seconds, which ranks 10th in the conference. Also running for the Green and White will be Brandon Bolden (Solon, Ohio-Solon), who holds a season-best time of 6.96 seconds. Brown, Williams, and Bolton will highlight the 200m dash, and the Eagles look to utilize their depth in the 400m to score well. Along with Brown's conference-topping time, Bolton and Elam also rank in the top-10 of the conference at sixth and eighth, respectively.
In the mid-distance 800m run, Scott Bradley (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) holds the top time for the Eagles at 1:51.68, good for fifth in the conference. Freshman Stephen Sparks (Lancaster, Ohio-Lancaster) holds down the ninth fastest seed time of 1:53.34, and the pair will also be joined by Waynes as he has worked on increasing his distance from his usual 400 meters to the 800m races as well.
Eastern has every reason to feel confident in the distance events, and it is not just due to the fact that the distance runners recently won their fifth consecutive MAC Cross Country title with a record-low-tying 23 points. The Eagle harriers have only improved during the track season, led by the 2014 MAC Cross Country champion Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio-Maumee). Fink will be competing in the mile, 3000m, and 5000m, and ranks near the top of the conference in every event. His highest seed is in the 3000m, with the second-fastest time in EMU history at 7:57.14 to top the conference, while his ninth-fastest mile in EMU laurels of 4:02.61 is second in the conference. Fink also ranks sixth in the 5000m in 14:39.88, but his mark was during an early season training run with the goal of running a 14:40.00 for pacing. Nonetheless, the top mark in the 5000m also belongs to an Eagle, as Harry Dixon (Nelson, New Zealand-Nayland College) set a personal record this year of 14:23.14 to hold the MAC standard for the season. Dixon will also be competing in the 3000m, holding the fourth-best time in the MAC at 8:14.15, along with Warren Witchell (Williamston, Mich.-Dansville), who stands at sixth in the conference in 8:16.93. Joining Fink in the mile and the 5000m will be redshirt-freshman Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland-Mountain Ridge (Alderson Broaddus)), who has the sixth-fastest mile mark in the MAC (4:09.86) and the fifth-fastest 5000m time (14:39.72).
The Eagles have at least one athlete in the top-10 of each event, including some breakthrough performances in the throws. The Green and White will look to the consistency of Travis Harris (Walled Lake, Mich.-Walled Lake Central), Quinn Levering (Caledonia, Ohio-River Valley), and Keith Williams (Sherman, Ill-Williamsville) to score in the shot put, as all three rank in the top-10 of the MAC with Harris leading the way at 17.02 meters/55 feet 10.25-inches. In the weight throw, it has been and exciting season for the Eagles thus far. Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio-Sandusky) quickly garnered conference and national attention with a prodigious EMU record-breaking throw in the first meet of the season, and has since improved to 21.39 meters/70 feet 2.25-inches, which ranks second in the MAC behind No. 6 Matthias Tayala of Kent State. Jones also ranks well in national standings, boasting the 16th-farthest throw in the country. Williams and Andrew Wentz (Napoleon, Ohio-Napoleon) will join Jones in the event, as both have posted throws above 18 meters for the first time in their careers this season.
A combination of track and field expertise, EMU has two multi-event athletes that will compete in the heptathlon. Both Solomon Ijah (Murrieta, Calif.-Murrieta Valley) and Levi Selvig (Flushing, Mich.-Flushing) will be competing in the heptathlon this year, which will be the first complete heptathlon for Ijah this season. The redshirt-junior finished third in the event last year, breaking his own EMU record with 5,377 points, and will look to move up in conference placement.
No. 16 Akron
The University of Akron won the 2014 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championship with 140 points, fueled by 33 top-eight finishes throughout the two days of action. Included in those top-eight performances were 17 top-four placements, with six events resulting in the crowning of a MAC champion. The Zips return 13 athletes for 2015's conference meet who placed in the top-eight last year, while losing 14 athletes from last season's roster.
The Zips have been known as a perennial powerhouse in the pole vault. Even with the departure of two of the league's top pole vaulters in Shawn Light and Alex McCune, Akron boasts not only the MAC leader in the event but the national leader and current NCAA record holder, Shawn Barber. The Canadian National Team member holds the nation's standard at 5.90 meters/19 feet 4.25-inches, topping the MAC by more than two feet as teammate Matthew Roland is second in the conference at 5.33 meters/17 feet 5.75-inches.
Akron has also had success in the distance races, having an athlete crowned the MAC champion in the 800m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m last year. While the Zips have lost 800m champion Jake Hiltner to graduation, Clayton Murphy has stepped up to be the premier harrier in the distance, holding the top time in the MAC in 1:47.82. The sophomore will also be looking to reprise his crown in the mile, as also holds the top time ahead of Fink in 4:00.39. Also entering the mix in the 800m and the mile will be Daniel Zupan, who has the third-fastest 800m time at 1:51.35 and the fourth-best time in the conference in the mile (4:08.37). Kyle Cochrun will have to fend off a hungry pack of Eagles in the 3000m and 5000m in order to repeat his titles in both. The senior is currently playing second fiddle in both events (8:06.39/14:27.87), trailing Fink in the 3000m and Dixon in the 5000m.
In the sprints, the Zips are paced by Bryce Cheek in the 60m, who has the second-fastest time in the MAC in 6.82 seconds, while Alante Oliver is the highest seeded competitor in the 200m at 21.44 seconds due to the fact that MAC-leading Wayne Gordon of Kent State is not slated to compete in the event. Akron also has a strong group of 400m runners, led by sophomore Brent Gray with a season-best time of 47.04, good for second in the MAC. Gray, along with Murphy, Miles Baldwin, and Sean Weems, composed the team that recorded the Zips' fastest 4x400m relay of the year, which sits at second behind EMU in the conference at 3:11.72.
In the jumps, Akron suffers the loss of Daryl Baptiste, but gains a fresh talent in Jordan Latimer. The freshman burst onto the national scene with a then-nation-topping mark of 7.69 meters/25 feet 2.75-inches early in the season, and the distance has stood to be the top mark in the MAC this season. Latimer is also a talented high jumper, holding the fourth-highest jump in the MAC at 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches, and he is the highest-seeded heptathlete after amassing 5,394 points earlier in the season, second in the MAC behind reigning MAC champion Mike Morgan, who is not scheduled to compete in the multi-event.
In the throws, Akron lacks an athlete in the top-10 of the conference in the shot put, but it does feature a pair of athletes that perform well in the weight throw. Zachary Shull leads the charge with a season-best throw of 19.41 meters/63 feet 8.25-inches for fifth in the conference, and is joined by Philip Jagers as the eighth-best thrower in the MAC.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo finished fourth last year with 101 points, and return 15 top-eight performers to the roster while losing five. Of the 21 top-eight finishes last year, the Bulls earned five victories to go along with eight other top-four performances. Buffalo was dominant in the field events last season, with former athlete Evan Palmer winning the weight throw, Jonathan Jones claiming the shot put, Chris Reape taking the crown in the high jump, Mike Morgan winning the heptathlon, and the DMR team taking home top honors. Jones and Morgan still top the conference in their respective events, with Jones throwing a season-best and seventh-best in the nation 19.91 meters/65 feet 4-inches and Morgan amassing 5,797 in the heptathlon. However, Morgan is not slated to compete in the event. Instead, he will compete in the high jump as he has the third-best height in the MAC at 2.10 meters/6 feet 10.75-inches, while Reape is ranked fourth at 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches.
Buffalo will turn to Craig Howard in the heptathlon, as the junior placed fourth last season in the event. The Bulls also have three horizontal jumpers on the roster who could score, led by Austin Price in the triple jump, along with Kaishuan Cathley and Austin Ashby. Price is ranked fifth in the MAC in the triple jump at 14.92 meters/48 feet 11.50-inches, while Ashby is 10th in the conference in the long jump (7.06 meters/23 feet 2-inches).
In the sprints, Buffalo will rely upon juniors Darien Johnson and Brian Cummiskey, who rank third and fifth in the MAC in the 60m (6.84/6.85). The Bulls also have strength in the 800m, as Tyler Scheving holds the second spot in the event in 1:49.25 after taking runner-up at last year's championship, as well as the fifth-fastest mile runner in Brian Crimmins (4:09.12).
Central Michigan
The hosting Central Michigan University Chippewas have room for improvement after finishing fifth in the MAC with 42 points. CMU returns nine top-eight performers to its roster, while losing seven. Split evenly between track and field success, the Chips had 15 top-eight finishes last year, six in the top-four. CMU loses its only MAC champion in 60m hurdler Colin Powell, but the Chippewas still feature multiple athletes in the top rankings of the conference.
Leading the way with the only individual conference standard is junior jumps specialist Matt Mueller. Mueller ties for the MAC lead in the high jump, having cleared 2.14 meters/ 7 feet 0.25-inches this season. Central Michigan will also look to Cole Walderzak to score heavily for the team. Last year, Walderzak finished fourth in the weight throw and he currently holds that spot in the conference at 19.59 meters/64 feet 3.25-inches, while also having the third-farthest shot put in the MAC at 17.40 meters/57 feet 1-inch.
In the distance events, the Chippewas have two athletes in the top-10 of the conference. Silas DeKalita ranks fourth in the 5000m (14:38.35), while last year's fourth-place finisher in the event, Nate Ghena, currently ranks eighth in 14:40.93. Central Michigan is also one of the teams to have completed a distance medley relay this season, with the fastest time in the conference at 9:56.8 thanks to Joseph Emmanuel, Malik Vasquez, Scott Cousino, and Ben Wynsma. Vasquez highlights the 400m for the Chips, ranking eighth in the conference in 47.84 seconds, while Wynsma is the go-to mile performer, also eighth in the MAC in 4:11.81.
Kent State
Kent State University dropped the conference title to Akron last year by just eight points, finishing second with 132 points. The Golden Flashes return 15 top-eight performers to the roster, while losing 10. Additionally, Kent State had 32 top-eight finishes, with two victories and an additional 15 top-four placements. Last year's victor in the 200m, Wayne Gordon, is not scheduled to repeat his victory as the junior, despite leading the MAC in both the 60m and the 200m (6.69/20.95), will only be competing for the title in the 60m dash. Battling for the crown with EMU's Jones after finishing second in the weight throw last season is Matthias Tayala, who ranks first in the conference and sixth in the nation with a mark of 22.60 meters/74 feet 1.75-inches. The Golden Flashes also boast the top seed in the 60m hurdles, with William Barnes pacing the conference in 7.78 seconds, as well as the high jump with Roosevelt Dotson tying for first at 2.14 meters/7 feet 0.25-inches.
In the 400m, the Golden Flashes can look to Matthew Tobin or Miles Dunlap to lead the team, as the pair is ranked third and fourth in the conference, respectively (47.27/47.36). Jacob Swords paces the team in the 800m in 1:51.62, good for fourth in the MAC, but Kent State's strengths lie in the shorter distances as there is just one athlete ranked in the conference in the mile and the 3000m.
On the field, Jesse Oxley holds the fourth seed in the pole vault at 5.20 meters/17 feet 0.75-inches, while Michael King is also fourth in the MAC in the shot put at 17.19 meters/56 feet 4.75-inches. In the jumps, Xavier Braxton holds down the seventh spot in the conference at 7.17 meters/23 feet 6.25-inches, and Donovan Tolbert will be the third seed in the triple jump with a season-best mark of 15.20 meters/49 feet 10.50-inches. Competing in the heptathlon, Kyle Tywon will be chasing the title after finishing runner-up last season. The senior comes into the event as the second-ranked athlete with 5,277 points.
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