Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, May 11
Kalamazoo, Mich.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
MAC Outdoor Championships
Photo by: Ashley Huss/ WMU Athletics
Ziegenfuss Sets MAC Record on Day One of MAC Championships
5/11/2017 8:17:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
The Eagles currently sit in first with 43 points
MAC Championships Day One Results
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and the field kicked off the 2017 Outdoor Mid-American Conference Championships today, April 11, in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Eagles currently lead the field with a total of 43 points behind a pair of event titles on the opening day, with one of them coming along with a conference record.
"I am very pleased with our team competitiveness today, and am also very happy for our two individual MAC Champions," remarked Head Coach John Goodridge.
A trio of Eagles finished in the top-five of the 10000m, with two of them securing first and second. Redshirt junior Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. – Mason) edged out fellow redshirt sophomore Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium - Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) for the crown, as the Erie, Mich. native repeated as 10000m MAC champion after clocking in at 30:32.39, while Bouchikhi crossed the finish line in 30:32.97 to take the silver. Also taking part in the race was redshirt junior Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio – Defiance), who secured fourth in 30:46.96.
Freshman Colin Etchen (Edgerton, Ohio – Edgerton), competing in his first outdoor championships, secured a sixth-place finish in the pole vault for the Green and White. Specifically, Etchen notched a mark of 4.50 meters/ 14 feet 9-inches as the long Eagle to compete in the event.
The hammer throw saw two Eagles turn in top-five finishes. Leading the way was redshirt senior Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio – Sandusky), who secured the silver with a season-best launch of 62.00 meters/ 203 feet 5-inches to narrowly edge out the third-place finisher, Dylan Banagis from Central Michigan. Sophomore Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio – Huron) had a solid performance as well, claiming fifth with a mark of 53.53 meters/ 175 feet 7-inches.
The highlight of the day, however, came in the javelin. Despite being the only EMU competitor in the event, sophomore Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa. – Parkland) had a performance for the record books. On his fourth attempt, the Allentown, Pa. native posted an incredible mark of 68.89 meters/ 226 feet, giving him the javelin title for the second year in a row. Not only was his launch a personal-best, but it also further solidified him as the best javelin thrower in program history while also setting a new MAC record, besting Jacob Sunday's previous record of 68.37 meters from 2014. As things currently stand, Ziegenfuss' mark would put him at No. 31 in the NCAA.
Freshman Drew Lament (Lakeview, Ohio – Waynesfield-Goshen) began the decathlon with the 100m dash, securing 10th with a time of 12.77 seconds. However, he bowed out following the opening event, not taking part in the remaining four events on the day.
With day one now in the books, the Eagles will turn their attention to day two, which resumes tomorrow, May 12, at 11 a.m. with the second half of both the decathlon and the hepathlon.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and the field kicked off the 2017 Outdoor Mid-American Conference Championships today, April 11, in Kalamazoo, Mich. The Eagles currently lead the field with a total of 43 points behind a pair of event titles on the opening day, with one of them coming along with a conference record.
"I am very pleased with our team competitiveness today, and am also very happy for our two individual MAC Champions," remarked Head Coach John Goodridge.
A trio of Eagles finished in the top-five of the 10000m, with two of them securing first and second. Redshirt junior Nick Raymond (Erie, Mich. – Mason) edged out fellow redshirt sophomore Lahsene Bouchikhi (Antwerp, Belgium - Stedelijk Lyceum Paardenmarkt Luchthaven) for the crown, as the Erie, Mich. native repeated as 10000m MAC champion after clocking in at 30:32.39, while Bouchikhi crossed the finish line in 30:32.97 to take the silver. Also taking part in the race was redshirt junior Abel Flores (Defiance, Ohio – Defiance), who secured fourth in 30:46.96.
Freshman Colin Etchen (Edgerton, Ohio – Edgerton), competing in his first outdoor championships, secured a sixth-place finish in the pole vault for the Green and White. Specifically, Etchen notched a mark of 4.50 meters/ 14 feet 9-inches as the long Eagle to compete in the event.
The hammer throw saw two Eagles turn in top-five finishes. Leading the way was redshirt senior Anthony Jones (Sandusky, Ohio – Sandusky), who secured the silver with a season-best launch of 62.00 meters/ 203 feet 5-inches to narrowly edge out the third-place finisher, Dylan Banagis from Central Michigan. Sophomore Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio – Huron) had a solid performance as well, claiming fifth with a mark of 53.53 meters/ 175 feet 7-inches.
The highlight of the day, however, came in the javelin. Despite being the only EMU competitor in the event, sophomore Derek Ziegenfuss (Allentown, Pa. – Parkland) had a performance for the record books. On his fourth attempt, the Allentown, Pa. native posted an incredible mark of 68.89 meters/ 226 feet, giving him the javelin title for the second year in a row. Not only was his launch a personal-best, but it also further solidified him as the best javelin thrower in program history while also setting a new MAC record, besting Jacob Sunday's previous record of 68.37 meters from 2014. As things currently stand, Ziegenfuss' mark would put him at No. 31 in the NCAA.
Freshman Drew Lament (Lakeview, Ohio – Waynesfield-Goshen) began the decathlon with the 100m dash, securing 10th with a time of 12.77 seconds. However, he bowed out following the opening event, not taking part in the remaining four events on the day.
With day one now in the books, the Eagles will turn their attention to day two, which resumes tomorrow, May 12, at 11 a.m. with the second half of both the decathlon and the hepathlon.
EMU Individual Results (* denotes a personal-best. # denotes a program record, % denotes a MAC record)
10000m Run
1. Nick Raymond 30:32.39
2. Lahsene Bouchikhi 30:32.97
4. Abel Flores 30:46.96
Pole Vault
6. Colin Etchen 4.50m/ 14-09.00
Alex Jacobs DNS
Hammer Throw
2. Anthony Jones 62.00m/ 203-05
5. Zach Harkey 53.53m/ 175-07
7. Austin Hazek 47.15m/ 154-08
Javelin Throw
1. Derek Ziegenfuss 68.89m/ 226-00*#%
Decathlon 100m Dash
10. Drew Lament 12.77
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Pole Vault
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Throws
/ Men's Track & Field
Multis
/ Men's Track & Field
Distance
/ Men's Track & Field
Javelin
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