Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: Brett Dunbar
Eagles Qualify Nine to NCAA East Regional
5/19/2016 4:47:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
The Green and White will have competitors in seven events
NCAA Release
INDIANAPOLIS (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team will be sending a large contingent of student-athletes to the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Fla., May 26-28, announced today, May 19, by the NCAA. The Eagles qualified a total of nine student-athletes to the meet, where they will fight for a spot at the NCAA Championships, June 8-11.
Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio – Findlay) earned a spot for the second straight season, and will be representing the Green and White in the 400m dash. The junior secured the No. 31 seed after posting a time of 46.55 during the season.
The Eagles will have a pair of runners in the 3000m steeplechase, led by redshirt junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio – Maumee). Fink holds the No. 16 seed with a season-best mark of 8:48.80, while sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary - Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium) sits at No. 42 with a time of 8:57.01. This marks the third straight season in which Fink has qualified for regionals, while it will be Matko's first appearance. Additionally, Fink will also take part in the 5000m, where he holds an impressive No. 6 seed after notching a mark of 13:43.06 at the Mt. SAC Relays, April 14.
Eastern will have two runners in the 10000m, as redshirt sophomores Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. – Mason) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland - Mountain Ridge) both qualified. Raymond will head into the competition as the No. 27 seed with a time of 29:30.06, while Andresson is just behind him at No. 33 after posting a mark of 29:36.71. This marks the first time that both have qualified in their careers.
Also earning a spot at the event for the second time is senior Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa. – Grater Latrobe Senior), who qualified in the 400m hurdles. Elam earned a top-15 seed, coming in at No. 14 after an impressive time of 51.04 during the season.
Like the 3000m steeplechase and the 10000m, the Eagles will have two throwers competing in the hammer throw. Redshirt senior Keith Williams (Sherman, Ill. – Williamsville), who holds the EMU record in the event, will compete as the No. 33 seed with a season-high throw of 64.28 meters/ 210 feet 11-inches. Also taking part in the event will be redshirt junior Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio – Sandusky). Jones, who is also one of the top hammer throwers in EMU history, nabbed the No. 44 seed with a mark of 62.56 meters/ 205 feet 3-inches. This will be Williams' third time at the NCAA East Regional, while it will be Jones' first appearance.
Freshman Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa. – Parkland) qualified after an impressive freshman season in which he won the javelin throw at the Mid-American Conference Championships and was named MAC Field Freshman of the Year. Ziegenfuss nabbed the No. 25 seed in the javelin with a season-best throw of 67.44 meters/ 221 feet 3-inches, which was also an EMU record.
Finally, redshirt senior Solomon Simmons (Murrieta, Calif. – Murrieta Valley), the top decathlete in program history, already punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships, where he enters as the No. 13 seeded decathlete.
For a complete list of participants, please click here.
INDIANAPOLIS (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team will be sending a large contingent of student-athletes to the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Fla., May 26-28, announced today, May 19, by the NCAA. The Eagles qualified a total of nine student-athletes to the meet, where they will fight for a spot at the NCAA Championships, June 8-11.
Junior Tyler Brown (Findlay, Ohio – Findlay) earned a spot for the second straight season, and will be representing the Green and White in the 400m dash. The junior secured the No. 31 seed after posting a time of 46.55 during the season.
The Eagles will have a pair of runners in the 3000m steeplechase, led by redshirt junior Willy Fink (Maumee, Ohio – Maumee). Fink holds the No. 16 seed with a season-best mark of 8:48.80, while sophomore Csaba Matko (Racalmas, Hungary - Szechenyi Istvan Gimnazium) sits at No. 42 with a time of 8:57.01. This marks the third straight season in which Fink has qualified for regionals, while it will be Matko's first appearance. Additionally, Fink will also take part in the 5000m, where he holds an impressive No. 6 seed after notching a mark of 13:43.06 at the Mt. SAC Relays, April 14.
Eastern will have two runners in the 10000m, as redshirt sophomores Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. – Mason) and Hlynur Andresson (Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland - Mountain Ridge) both qualified. Raymond will head into the competition as the No. 27 seed with a time of 29:30.06, while Andresson is just behind him at No. 33 after posting a mark of 29:36.71. This marks the first time that both have qualified in their careers.
Also earning a spot at the event for the second time is senior Jeff Elam (Latrobe, Pa. – Grater Latrobe Senior), who qualified in the 400m hurdles. Elam earned a top-15 seed, coming in at No. 14 after an impressive time of 51.04 during the season.
Like the 3000m steeplechase and the 10000m, the Eagles will have two throwers competing in the hammer throw. Redshirt senior Keith Williams (Sherman, Ill. – Williamsville), who holds the EMU record in the event, will compete as the No. 33 seed with a season-high throw of 64.28 meters/ 210 feet 11-inches. Also taking part in the event will be redshirt junior Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio – Sandusky). Jones, who is also one of the top hammer throwers in EMU history, nabbed the No. 44 seed with a mark of 62.56 meters/ 205 feet 3-inches. This will be Williams' third time at the NCAA East Regional, while it will be Jones' first appearance.
Freshman Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa. – Parkland) qualified after an impressive freshman season in which he won the javelin throw at the Mid-American Conference Championships and was named MAC Field Freshman of the Year. Ziegenfuss nabbed the No. 25 seed in the javelin with a season-best throw of 67.44 meters/ 221 feet 3-inches, which was also an EMU record.
Finally, redshirt senior Solomon Simmons (Murrieta, Calif. – Murrieta Valley), the top decathlete in program history, already punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships, where he enters as the No. 13 seeded decathlete.
For a complete list of participants, please click here.
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