Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, May 14
Muncie, Ind.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Outdoor Championships
Men's Track and Field In Search of 23rd MAC Title
5/13/2015 2:10:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
Eagles will head to Muncie, Ind. for the 2015 MAC Championships
Complete Schedule of Results
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's track and field team is on the hunt to repeat its success from the 2014 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships when it won its 22nd conference outdoor title in program history.
This year, the Green and White will head to Muncie, Ind. as Ball State University will play host to the 2015 MAC Championships Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16. Thursday's action will consist of the first five events of the decathlon beginning at 12:30 p.m. along with the javelin throw at 3:30 p.m. and the 10,000m at 6:45 p.m. On Friday, the hammer throw will start action on the field at 10 a.m., followed by the long jump and shot put while the trials on the track will begin at 1:20 p.m. and will conclude with the 3000m steeplechase at 5:05 p.m. The final day begins with the discus throw and high jump at 11 a.m., followed by the pole vault and triple jump. The 4x100m relay will kick off action on the track at 1 p.m. with the championship sections running until the meet concludes its final event at 4:40 p.m. with the 4x400m relay.
Live results for the meet will be provided through finishtiming.com. For more complete information, please visit the MAC Championship Central pageat mac-sports.com.
With the 2015 MAC Championships just a day away, it is time to take a look at the conference as a whole. The following is a summary of each of the conference's teams based on top competitors this year along with returning contenders from the 2014 championship season.
Eastern Michigan
The Eagles are looking for a repeat of last season, when they won the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships with 198.5 points thanks to 35 top-eight finishes that included seven victories and 15 more finishes in the top-four. Eastern returns 15 athletes to the roster that scored in the top-eight while losing seven either to graduation or redshirt status. Redshirt-sophomore Willy Fink has the chance to reprise his title as MAC MVP from the indoor season as he is heavily favored in multiple events. Fink is the top-ranked athlete in the MAC in the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase, and is also slated to run in the 10,000m run. Fink has run the only sub-14-minute 5000m time in the MAC this year in 13:51.35, which is the third-fastest in EMU history and stands as the 28th-fastest time in the NCAA this year. Also running with Fink in the event will be Warren Witchell and Hlynur Andresson, who rank fifth and sixth in the conference with times of 14:21.86 and 14:24.25, respectively. Witchell will also be joining Fink in the 10,000m as the top-ranked harrier in 29:36.19 along with third-seeded John Knox, who has run a 29:47.05 this year. Though not seeded, Fink is in the same situation as he was a year prior, when he won his collegiate debut in the 10,000m having not run the event during the entire season. Fink is also the top seed in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:53.55, which also ranks 41st in the nation. Andresson will join Fink in the event as the seventh seed in 9:25.12, while Steve Hammond will also enter the lineup as the fourth seed in 9:14.64. Andresson's final event will be the 1500m, in which the Eagles have a strong lineup with five athletes in the conference's top-10 and will send Nick Raymond and Mitch Lenneman to represent the Green and White in the event.
Moving into the 800m, Eastern features 2014 MAC runner-up Scott Bradley with the fourth seed in the 800m in 1:50.06. Joining Bradley will be eighth-seeded Mason Waynes and freshman Stephen Sparks, who sits just outside the MAC top-10 with the 11th-fastest time.
In the sprints, senior Cameron Bolton is looking to repeat his success as the MAC runner-up in both the 100m and 200m dash. Bolton is ranked third in the 200m with a time of 21.14 seconds, while his time of 10.59 that is just one-hundredth of a second off his personal best is good for ninth and ties newcomer Kevin Snead. Both athletes are expected to appear in the 4x100m relay lineup, which holds the second fastest seed in 40.24 seconds. Both relays will be defending their titles at the conference level, as the 4x400m relay is the top seed in 3:07.53. Eastern has multiple athletes that can step in and run legs for the relays, including returning Second Team All-Americans Waynes, Tyler Brown, and Jeff Elam. Brown, the reigning outdoor MAC MVP, will be in search of a repeat victory in the 400m dash. The sophomore has only competed in the event once during the outdoor season, but his time of 46.81 seconds puts him in contention for the title as the second seed in the MAC. Competing alongside Brown in the 400m will be ninth-seeded Jason Ervin and Matthew Williams, who is another Eagle who sits just outside the top-10 at the 11th spot in conference rankings.
Elam has had a stellar season in the 400m hurdles, as the junior currently holds the top time in the MAC in 51.71 seconds, which is just three hundredths of a second off his career record that he set at last year's NCAA East Regional. Two more Eagles rank in the top-10 this year in the 400m hurdles, as Bryce Lindsey has stretched out his hurdle distance this year to set a personal record of 54.31 seconds to rank eighth while newcomer Mark Cooke holds the ninth seed at 54.47 seconds.
In addition to their strength on the track, the Eagles have an equally impressive lineup on the field. Looking to defend his double title in the long jump and triple jump is Donald Scott, who was an All-American First Team selection in 2014 as well as the 2015 indoor season when he finished runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Scott holds a commanding lead over the rest of the conference with a mark of 16.42 meters/53 feet 10.50-inches, breaking his own school record once more this year for a distance that ranks fourth in the nation. He also holds the second-farthest long jump at 7.58 meters/24 feet 10.50-inches, which ranks 35th among NCAA competitors. Rounding out the MAC leaders in the jumps is Ryan Brumfield, who is tied for the top seed in the high jump with a clearance of 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches.
Leading the throws is EMU hammer throw record holder Keith Williams, who ranks third in the conference with a launch of 62.24 meters/204 feet 2-inches and is also the ninth seed in the shot put at 16.31 meters/53 feet 6.25-inches. The shot put is paced by Travis Harris, who has the fourth seed at 17.17 meters/56 feet 4-inches and is looking to improve on an eighth-place finish last season. The javelin throw is led by Solomon Ijah in the third seed at 60.11 meters/197 feet 2-inches, but Ijah's headline performance is the decathlon in which he holds the top mark in the conference at 7,648 and ranks fourth in the nation. Ijah recently broke EMU's decathlon record with that score, setting personal records in every single event on the track as well as two on the field, and is also the MAC champion in the heptathlon from the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships. The Eagles also feature senior Levi Selvig as the fourth-seeded decathlete with 6,627 points who placed third in the hepathlon indoors with the second-best score in Eastern history.
Akron
The University of Akron enters the weekend as the 2015 MAC Indoor champions, and finished runner-up to the Eagles last year with 180.5 points. The Zips garnered 36 top-eight finishes, including 17 in the top-four and five victories, and return 19 of their athletes that placed in the top-eight while losing nine. The name often heard regarding the Zips is five-time MAC pole vault champion Shawn Barber, who is the reigning indoor and outdoor national champion as well as the NCAA record holder indoors. Barber also holds the second-best mark in NCAA history outdoors at 5.91 meters/19 feet 4.75-inches this year, less than three inches shy of the collegiate outdoor record set in 1996. Akron also has Matthew Rowland in the top-10 in the pole vault, sitting at third with a clearance of 5.28 meters/17 feet 3.75-inches. Akron is also strong in the jumps, led by freshman Jordan Latimer with a MAC-best 7.67 meters/25 feet 2-inches in the long jump while three other Zips rank in the top-10. In the triple jump, 2014 runner-up Michael Ohiembor ranks third at 14.95 meters/49 feet 0.75-inches, and is joined by John Dahlstrand and Joseph Oduho in conference standings. In the throws, Akron features senior Bryce Lemon at the top of the conference in the javelin throw at 63.50 meters/208 feet 4-inches, while brother of the 2014 discus champion Reginald Jagers, Phil Jagers, ranks second in the discus with a mark of 55.83 meters/183 feet 2-inches.
On the track, the Zips have a strong middle-distance performer in Clay Murphy, who ranks first in the conference in both the 800m and 1500m. Murphy has clocked a 1:47.81 in the 800m, which is good for 23rd in the nation, and his commanding lead over the conference in the 1500m with a 3:40.69 is good for the 16th-fastest mark in the NCAA this year. Murphy is also a strong competitor in the 5000m with a fourth-best time of 14:15.61, pace by teammate Kyle Cochrun in 14:07.57 for the second-fastest time in the MAC. Rounding out the distance standouts is 2014 MAC champion Daniel Zupan in the 3000m steeplechase, who has posted the second-fastest time behind Fink in 8:59.62.
In the sprints, the Zips have the fastest time in the MAC in the 4x100m thanks to Julius Ruby, DJ Williamson, Anthony Young, and Bryce Cheek, clocking in at 40.13 while their 4x400m relay lineup is just behind the Eagles in 3:07.60 with Sean Weems, Brent Gray, Ohiembor, and Miles Baldwin running the legs. Gray and Baldwin have proven to be strong competitors individually as well this season, as Gray holds the fastest time in the conference in 46.68 seconds while Baldwin's time of 47.09 seconds is good for fourth. Baldwin also appears on the top-10 standings for the 200m at the fifth spot with a time of 21.24 seconds, while Oliver Olante has posted the fastest time for the team in 21.22 seconds for fourth in the MAC. The 100m is led by a tie for fourth in 10.54 seconds, which has been run by both Cheek and Williamson.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo returns 15 of its athletes that placed in the top-eight while losing six. Last year, the Bulls finished fourth with 138 points and had 25 top-eight finishes, 16 of which were in the top-four. Additionally, Buffalo returns two of its 2014 MAC champions. Ranked third in the nation in the shot put is First Team All-American Jonathan Jones, who has a commanding lead over MAC competitors with a throw of 20.70 meters/67 feet 11-inches, nearly 10 feet farther than teammate Devon Patterson's mark of 17.75 meters/58 feet 3-inches that stands as the second-best in the conference. Though he will be competing at the MAC Championships, defending decathlon champion Mike Morgan is slated to compete in five individual events in order to score the most points for the Bulls. The junior took a similar approach during the indoor season and went on to take third at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the heptathlon. Morgan is currently tied for the highest mark in the conference in the high jump with a clearance of 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches, while he also ranks ninth in the 110m hurdles in 14.45 seconds and 10th in the pole vault at 4.70 meters/15 feet 5-inches.
In the sprints, the Bulls are led by junior Ryan Billian, who has the third-fastest 100m time in the MAC at 10.50 seconds and the sixth-fastest 200m mark at 21.28 seconds. Buffalo also has the mid-distance strength of Brian Crimmins to its disposal, who is ranked second in the 800m in 1:48.71 and fifth in the 1500m in 3:48.95. Right behind Crimmins in the MAC rankings in the 800m is Tyler Scheving, who has clocked in at 1:49.02 to rank third in the conference.
Buffalo will look to the duo of Austin Ashby and Austin Price to score in the long jump and triple jump. Ashby holds the third-best long jump in the conference at 7.56 meters/24 feet 9.75-inches, while Billian is also expected to compete in the event as the eighth seed at 7.33 meters/24 feet 0.75-inches. Price sits right behind EMU's Scott in the triple jump, but has a long way to catch up to Eastern's reigning MAC champion as his season-best mark is 15.16 meters/49 feet 9-inches.
Central Michigan
Central Michigan University features 12 athletes that scored in the top-eight at last year's championship and lost five from 2014. The Chippewas used 18 top-eight finishes, including five in the top-five, to take fifth place with 70 points. Central lost its only MAC champion, Scott Parker in the 400m hurdles, to graduation, but still returns many of its top scorers. Leading the pack is Cole Walderzak in the throws, who finished third in both the discus and hammer throw last year as well as garnered a fifth-place finish in the shot put. This year, Walderzak ranks first in the discus with a launch of 56.99 meters/187 feet, while his launch of 63.88 meters/209 feet 7-inches in the hammer is second in the MAC. He sits just outside the top-10 in the shot put, but is Central's top competitor in the event as well. Walderzak is accompanied by teammate Dylan Banagis, who has the third-farthest discus throw at 55.61 meters/182 feet 5-inches and the fourth-seeded hammer throw at 59.35 meters/194 feet 9-inches.
On the track, freshman Lorenzo Wells has been leading the team in the sprints as he ranks fourth in the MAC in the 100m in 10.54 seconds and 10th in the 200m in 21.36 seconds. The Chips also have a solid distance athlete in Nate Ghena, whose strength lies more in the 10,000m as he is seeded fourth with a time of 30:09.71 while also ranking seventh in the 5000m in 14:25.36. In the mix for the title in the 400m hurdles is Ziemowit Dutkiewicz, who has the third-fastest time In 51.84 seconds and seems to have filled the spot left by Parker as the sophomore did not score in the top-eight a season ago.
Kent State
Kent State University finished third in 2014 with 157 points, returning 14 of the athletes that scored in the Golden Flashes' 33 top-eight finishes while losing nine. Three members of the team are defending their titles and currently hold the top time in all their best events. Kent State features the defending national champion in the hammer throw Matthias Tayala, who was named the co-MVP a season ago. Tayala easily leads the conference in the hammer throw with a launch of 71.05 meters/233 feet 1-inch, and he is also in the running to improve on a second-place finish in the discus throw as he is the fourth seed in the event at 53.78 meters/176 feet 5-inches. Finally, Tayala will be competing in the shot put in which he is the seventh seed, while the team is led by Michael King's third-seeded throw of 17.55 meters/57 feet 7-inches that is on pace to reprise his bronze finish in 2014.
In the sprints, Wayne Gordon will be looking for a sweep of the 100m and 200m during his senior season. Gordon is the defending champion in both events, and leads the conference in the 100m in 10.38 seconds and the 200m in 20.81 seconds for a pair of times that rank in the top-50 nationally. The Golden Flashes pack a punch in the sprints, with William Barnes ranking second behind Gordon in both the 100m and 200m in 10.49 and 20.92 seconds. Barnes will also be in the hunt for a repeat title in the 110m hurdles, in which he is the top-seeded athlete in 13.56 seconds, which is tied for the third-fastest in the nation. Kent State also features the second-seeded Miles Dunlap in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.79 seconds, with the senior also appearing on the third-seeded 4x100m and fourth-seeded 4x400 relay lineups.
Miami
Miami University rounds out the MAC teams, and is looking to improve after placing sixth last year with 69 points. The RedHawks had 16 top-eight finishes, including six in the top-four, and return 10 athletes to the roster that placed in the top-eight while losing five. Miami has two athletes that finished runner-up at last year's championships with David Wing in the 10,000m and Peter Stefanski in the high jump. Wing is currently seeded eighth in the 10,000m in 30:43.23, but it is the mid-distance and distance duo of Andrew Dusing and Joe Stewart who could be in stronger contention for a title in their respective events. Dusing ranks second in the conference in the 1500m at 3:47.25, with Stewart not far behind in 3:49.86 for the sixth seed. Also a competitor in the 800m, Dusing holds the fifth seed in 1:50.56, while Stewart is the third-fastest seed in the 5000m in 14:14.10. The RedHawks also have a pair of fifth-ranked athletes in the hurdles, with Same Chester leading the team in the 110m hurdles in 14.31 seconds while Skyler Coburn has clocked a 52.88 in the 400m hurdles.
Stefanski is in a tie for the fifth seed in the high jump at 2.05 meters/6 feet 8.75-inches, and teammate Kenny Glenn is also tied for fifth in the long jump at 7.44 meters/24 feet 5-inches during his rookie season. However, the highest seed for the field events is Tyler Yee in the javelin throw. Yee finished sixth at last year's championships, but is currently ranked second in the MAC with a throw of 62.66 meters/205 feet 7-inches.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University's men's track and field team is on the hunt to repeat its success from the 2014 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships when it won its 22nd conference outdoor title in program history.
This year, the Green and White will head to Muncie, Ind. as Ball State University will play host to the 2015 MAC Championships Thursday through Saturday, May 14-16. Thursday's action will consist of the first five events of the decathlon beginning at 12:30 p.m. along with the javelin throw at 3:30 p.m. and the 10,000m at 6:45 p.m. On Friday, the hammer throw will start action on the field at 10 a.m., followed by the long jump and shot put while the trials on the track will begin at 1:20 p.m. and will conclude with the 3000m steeplechase at 5:05 p.m. The final day begins with the discus throw and high jump at 11 a.m., followed by the pole vault and triple jump. The 4x100m relay will kick off action on the track at 1 p.m. with the championship sections running until the meet concludes its final event at 4:40 p.m. with the 4x400m relay.
Live results for the meet will be provided through finishtiming.com. For more complete information, please visit the MAC Championship Central pageat mac-sports.com.
With the 2015 MAC Championships just a day away, it is time to take a look at the conference as a whole. The following is a summary of each of the conference's teams based on top competitors this year along with returning contenders from the 2014 championship season.
Eastern Michigan
The Eagles are looking for a repeat of last season, when they won the 2014 MAC Outdoor Championships with 198.5 points thanks to 35 top-eight finishes that included seven victories and 15 more finishes in the top-four. Eastern returns 15 athletes to the roster that scored in the top-eight while losing seven either to graduation or redshirt status. Redshirt-sophomore Willy Fink has the chance to reprise his title as MAC MVP from the indoor season as he is heavily favored in multiple events. Fink is the top-ranked athlete in the MAC in the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase, and is also slated to run in the 10,000m run. Fink has run the only sub-14-minute 5000m time in the MAC this year in 13:51.35, which is the third-fastest in EMU history and stands as the 28th-fastest time in the NCAA this year. Also running with Fink in the event will be Warren Witchell and Hlynur Andresson, who rank fifth and sixth in the conference with times of 14:21.86 and 14:24.25, respectively. Witchell will also be joining Fink in the 10,000m as the top-ranked harrier in 29:36.19 along with third-seeded John Knox, who has run a 29:47.05 this year. Though not seeded, Fink is in the same situation as he was a year prior, when he won his collegiate debut in the 10,000m having not run the event during the entire season. Fink is also the top seed in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 8:53.55, which also ranks 41st in the nation. Andresson will join Fink in the event as the seventh seed in 9:25.12, while Steve Hammond will also enter the lineup as the fourth seed in 9:14.64. Andresson's final event will be the 1500m, in which the Eagles have a strong lineup with five athletes in the conference's top-10 and will send Nick Raymond and Mitch Lenneman to represent the Green and White in the event.
Moving into the 800m, Eastern features 2014 MAC runner-up Scott Bradley with the fourth seed in the 800m in 1:50.06. Joining Bradley will be eighth-seeded Mason Waynes and freshman Stephen Sparks, who sits just outside the MAC top-10 with the 11th-fastest time.
In the sprints, senior Cameron Bolton is looking to repeat his success as the MAC runner-up in both the 100m and 200m dash. Bolton is ranked third in the 200m with a time of 21.14 seconds, while his time of 10.59 that is just one-hundredth of a second off his personal best is good for ninth and ties newcomer Kevin Snead. Both athletes are expected to appear in the 4x100m relay lineup, which holds the second fastest seed in 40.24 seconds. Both relays will be defending their titles at the conference level, as the 4x400m relay is the top seed in 3:07.53. Eastern has multiple athletes that can step in and run legs for the relays, including returning Second Team All-Americans Waynes, Tyler Brown, and Jeff Elam. Brown, the reigning outdoor MAC MVP, will be in search of a repeat victory in the 400m dash. The sophomore has only competed in the event once during the outdoor season, but his time of 46.81 seconds puts him in contention for the title as the second seed in the MAC. Competing alongside Brown in the 400m will be ninth-seeded Jason Ervin and Matthew Williams, who is another Eagle who sits just outside the top-10 at the 11th spot in conference rankings.
Elam has had a stellar season in the 400m hurdles, as the junior currently holds the top time in the MAC in 51.71 seconds, which is just three hundredths of a second off his career record that he set at last year's NCAA East Regional. Two more Eagles rank in the top-10 this year in the 400m hurdles, as Bryce Lindsey has stretched out his hurdle distance this year to set a personal record of 54.31 seconds to rank eighth while newcomer Mark Cooke holds the ninth seed at 54.47 seconds.
In addition to their strength on the track, the Eagles have an equally impressive lineup on the field. Looking to defend his double title in the long jump and triple jump is Donald Scott, who was an All-American First Team selection in 2014 as well as the 2015 indoor season when he finished runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Scott holds a commanding lead over the rest of the conference with a mark of 16.42 meters/53 feet 10.50-inches, breaking his own school record once more this year for a distance that ranks fourth in the nation. He also holds the second-farthest long jump at 7.58 meters/24 feet 10.50-inches, which ranks 35th among NCAA competitors. Rounding out the MAC leaders in the jumps is Ryan Brumfield, who is tied for the top seed in the high jump with a clearance of 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches.
Leading the throws is EMU hammer throw record holder Keith Williams, who ranks third in the conference with a launch of 62.24 meters/204 feet 2-inches and is also the ninth seed in the shot put at 16.31 meters/53 feet 6.25-inches. The shot put is paced by Travis Harris, who has the fourth seed at 17.17 meters/56 feet 4-inches and is looking to improve on an eighth-place finish last season. The javelin throw is led by Solomon Ijah in the third seed at 60.11 meters/197 feet 2-inches, but Ijah's headline performance is the decathlon in which he holds the top mark in the conference at 7,648 and ranks fourth in the nation. Ijah recently broke EMU's decathlon record with that score, setting personal records in every single event on the track as well as two on the field, and is also the MAC champion in the heptathlon from the 2015 MAC Indoor Championships. The Eagles also feature senior Levi Selvig as the fourth-seeded decathlete with 6,627 points who placed third in the hepathlon indoors with the second-best score in Eastern history.
Akron
The University of Akron enters the weekend as the 2015 MAC Indoor champions, and finished runner-up to the Eagles last year with 180.5 points. The Zips garnered 36 top-eight finishes, including 17 in the top-four and five victories, and return 19 of their athletes that placed in the top-eight while losing nine. The name often heard regarding the Zips is five-time MAC pole vault champion Shawn Barber, who is the reigning indoor and outdoor national champion as well as the NCAA record holder indoors. Barber also holds the second-best mark in NCAA history outdoors at 5.91 meters/19 feet 4.75-inches this year, less than three inches shy of the collegiate outdoor record set in 1996. Akron also has Matthew Rowland in the top-10 in the pole vault, sitting at third with a clearance of 5.28 meters/17 feet 3.75-inches. Akron is also strong in the jumps, led by freshman Jordan Latimer with a MAC-best 7.67 meters/25 feet 2-inches in the long jump while three other Zips rank in the top-10. In the triple jump, 2014 runner-up Michael Ohiembor ranks third at 14.95 meters/49 feet 0.75-inches, and is joined by John Dahlstrand and Joseph Oduho in conference standings. In the throws, Akron features senior Bryce Lemon at the top of the conference in the javelin throw at 63.50 meters/208 feet 4-inches, while brother of the 2014 discus champion Reginald Jagers, Phil Jagers, ranks second in the discus with a mark of 55.83 meters/183 feet 2-inches.
On the track, the Zips have a strong middle-distance performer in Clay Murphy, who ranks first in the conference in both the 800m and 1500m. Murphy has clocked a 1:47.81 in the 800m, which is good for 23rd in the nation, and his commanding lead over the conference in the 1500m with a 3:40.69 is good for the 16th-fastest mark in the NCAA this year. Murphy is also a strong competitor in the 5000m with a fourth-best time of 14:15.61, pace by teammate Kyle Cochrun in 14:07.57 for the second-fastest time in the MAC. Rounding out the distance standouts is 2014 MAC champion Daniel Zupan in the 3000m steeplechase, who has posted the second-fastest time behind Fink in 8:59.62.
In the sprints, the Zips have the fastest time in the MAC in the 4x100m thanks to Julius Ruby, DJ Williamson, Anthony Young, and Bryce Cheek, clocking in at 40.13 while their 4x400m relay lineup is just behind the Eagles in 3:07.60 with Sean Weems, Brent Gray, Ohiembor, and Miles Baldwin running the legs. Gray and Baldwin have proven to be strong competitors individually as well this season, as Gray holds the fastest time in the conference in 46.68 seconds while Baldwin's time of 47.09 seconds is good for fourth. Baldwin also appears on the top-10 standings for the 200m at the fifth spot with a time of 21.24 seconds, while Oliver Olante has posted the fastest time for the team in 21.22 seconds for fourth in the MAC. The 100m is led by a tie for fourth in 10.54 seconds, which has been run by both Cheek and Williamson.
Buffalo
The University at Buffalo returns 15 of its athletes that placed in the top-eight while losing six. Last year, the Bulls finished fourth with 138 points and had 25 top-eight finishes, 16 of which were in the top-four. Additionally, Buffalo returns two of its 2014 MAC champions. Ranked third in the nation in the shot put is First Team All-American Jonathan Jones, who has a commanding lead over MAC competitors with a throw of 20.70 meters/67 feet 11-inches, nearly 10 feet farther than teammate Devon Patterson's mark of 17.75 meters/58 feet 3-inches that stands as the second-best in the conference. Though he will be competing at the MAC Championships, defending decathlon champion Mike Morgan is slated to compete in five individual events in order to score the most points for the Bulls. The junior took a similar approach during the indoor season and went on to take third at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the heptathlon. Morgan is currently tied for the highest mark in the conference in the high jump with a clearance of 2.09 meters/6 feet 10.25-inches, while he also ranks ninth in the 110m hurdles in 14.45 seconds and 10th in the pole vault at 4.70 meters/15 feet 5-inches.
In the sprints, the Bulls are led by junior Ryan Billian, who has the third-fastest 100m time in the MAC at 10.50 seconds and the sixth-fastest 200m mark at 21.28 seconds. Buffalo also has the mid-distance strength of Brian Crimmins to its disposal, who is ranked second in the 800m in 1:48.71 and fifth in the 1500m in 3:48.95. Right behind Crimmins in the MAC rankings in the 800m is Tyler Scheving, who has clocked in at 1:49.02 to rank third in the conference.
Buffalo will look to the duo of Austin Ashby and Austin Price to score in the long jump and triple jump. Ashby holds the third-best long jump in the conference at 7.56 meters/24 feet 9.75-inches, while Billian is also expected to compete in the event as the eighth seed at 7.33 meters/24 feet 0.75-inches. Price sits right behind EMU's Scott in the triple jump, but has a long way to catch up to Eastern's reigning MAC champion as his season-best mark is 15.16 meters/49 feet 9-inches.
Central Michigan
Central Michigan University features 12 athletes that scored in the top-eight at last year's championship and lost five from 2014. The Chippewas used 18 top-eight finishes, including five in the top-five, to take fifth place with 70 points. Central lost its only MAC champion, Scott Parker in the 400m hurdles, to graduation, but still returns many of its top scorers. Leading the pack is Cole Walderzak in the throws, who finished third in both the discus and hammer throw last year as well as garnered a fifth-place finish in the shot put. This year, Walderzak ranks first in the discus with a launch of 56.99 meters/187 feet, while his launch of 63.88 meters/209 feet 7-inches in the hammer is second in the MAC. He sits just outside the top-10 in the shot put, but is Central's top competitor in the event as well. Walderzak is accompanied by teammate Dylan Banagis, who has the third-farthest discus throw at 55.61 meters/182 feet 5-inches and the fourth-seeded hammer throw at 59.35 meters/194 feet 9-inches.
On the track, freshman Lorenzo Wells has been leading the team in the sprints as he ranks fourth in the MAC in the 100m in 10.54 seconds and 10th in the 200m in 21.36 seconds. The Chips also have a solid distance athlete in Nate Ghena, whose strength lies more in the 10,000m as he is seeded fourth with a time of 30:09.71 while also ranking seventh in the 5000m in 14:25.36. In the mix for the title in the 400m hurdles is Ziemowit Dutkiewicz, who has the third-fastest time In 51.84 seconds and seems to have filled the spot left by Parker as the sophomore did not score in the top-eight a season ago.
Kent State
Kent State University finished third in 2014 with 157 points, returning 14 of the athletes that scored in the Golden Flashes' 33 top-eight finishes while losing nine. Three members of the team are defending their titles and currently hold the top time in all their best events. Kent State features the defending national champion in the hammer throw Matthias Tayala, who was named the co-MVP a season ago. Tayala easily leads the conference in the hammer throw with a launch of 71.05 meters/233 feet 1-inch, and he is also in the running to improve on a second-place finish in the discus throw as he is the fourth seed in the event at 53.78 meters/176 feet 5-inches. Finally, Tayala will be competing in the shot put in which he is the seventh seed, while the team is led by Michael King's third-seeded throw of 17.55 meters/57 feet 7-inches that is on pace to reprise his bronze finish in 2014.
In the sprints, Wayne Gordon will be looking for a sweep of the 100m and 200m during his senior season. Gordon is the defending champion in both events, and leads the conference in the 100m in 10.38 seconds and the 200m in 20.81 seconds for a pair of times that rank in the top-50 nationally. The Golden Flashes pack a punch in the sprints, with William Barnes ranking second behind Gordon in both the 100m and 200m in 10.49 and 20.92 seconds. Barnes will also be in the hunt for a repeat title in the 110m hurdles, in which he is the top-seeded athlete in 13.56 seconds, which is tied for the third-fastest in the nation. Kent State also features the second-seeded Miles Dunlap in the 400m hurdles with a time of 51.79 seconds, with the senior also appearing on the third-seeded 4x100m and fourth-seeded 4x400 relay lineups.
Miami
Miami University rounds out the MAC teams, and is looking to improve after placing sixth last year with 69 points. The RedHawks had 16 top-eight finishes, including six in the top-four, and return 10 athletes to the roster that placed in the top-eight while losing five. Miami has two athletes that finished runner-up at last year's championships with David Wing in the 10,000m and Peter Stefanski in the high jump. Wing is currently seeded eighth in the 10,000m in 30:43.23, but it is the mid-distance and distance duo of Andrew Dusing and Joe Stewart who could be in stronger contention for a title in their respective events. Dusing ranks second in the conference in the 1500m at 3:47.25, with Stewart not far behind in 3:49.86 for the sixth seed. Also a competitor in the 800m, Dusing holds the fifth seed in 1:50.56, while Stewart is the third-fastest seed in the 5000m in 14:14.10. The RedHawks also have a pair of fifth-ranked athletes in the hurdles, with Same Chester leading the team in the 110m hurdles in 14.31 seconds while Skyler Coburn has clocked a 52.88 in the 400m hurdles.
Stefanski is in a tie for the fifth seed in the high jump at 2.05 meters/6 feet 8.75-inches, and teammate Kenny Glenn is also tied for fifth in the long jump at 7.44 meters/24 feet 5-inches during his rookie season. However, the highest seed for the field events is Tyler Yee in the javelin throw. Yee finished sixth at last year's championships, but is currently ranked second in the MAC with a throw of 62.66 meters/205 feet 7-inches.
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