Eastern Michigan Athletics
Senior Spotlight: Men's Track and Field
6/5/2020 11:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field, General
EMU Athletics applauds the accomplishments of the Class of 2020
Sean Beckom II Senior Spotlight
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team celebrates the achievements of Taige Bryant (Edmond, Okla.-Edmond Memorial), Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive), Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio-Huron), Carlos Sanchez Juan (Onil, Spain-Ies La Creueta), Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney), and Roderic Wilson (Atlanta, Ga.-Blanche Ely).
During the 2020 indoor campaign, Bryant set a personal-best in the weight throw with a mark of 21.29 meters at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, which stands as the second-longest heave in program history. One week later, he earned a third-place finish in the same event at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 20.60 meters. In all, Bryant finished fourth or higher in the weight throw in eight out of nine meets during the 2019-20 indoor slate, and surpassed the 20-meter plateau five times.
Bryant also earned high marks at the 2019 Outdoor Championships, placing third in the discus throw with a distance of 47.81 meters, while finishing ninth in the hammer throw with a career-best launch of 50.34 meters. Bryant captured an individual title during his sophomore campaign, winning the discus throw at the Toledo Invitational with a personal-best distance of 50.95 meters, May 3-4, 2018. Two weeks earlier, Bryant set a pair of personal-bests at the Don Kleinow Invitational, including a second-place finish in the javelin throw with a toss of 47.61 meters. Bryant graduated in 2019 with a degree in public health.
An accounting major, Douglas finished in the top-five in the 60-meter hurdles at four consecutive MAC Indoor Championships. He placed fifth at the 2019 conference meet with a time of 8.18 seconds, and fourth in 2018 with a personal-best time of 8.08 as EMU captured the indoor title and the second leg of the triple crown. Douglas also finished in fourth place in 2017 with a time of 8.12, and fifth in 2016 as he crossed the line in 8.16.
Douglas captured two individual titles during his time with the Green and White. He claimed first prize in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.10 at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 18, 2019 and won the same event at the Oiler Opener hosted the University of Findlay with a time of 8.13, Dec. 9, 2016.
Harkey earned Second-Team All-MAC honors at the 2020 Indoor Championships after finishing as the runner-up in the weight throw with a personal-best heave of 21.11 meters. The result stands as the third-longest weight throw in program history. On the indoor circuit, Harkey won the weight throw at the GVSU Holiday Open with a mark of 19.74 meters, while setting a personal-best in the shot put at the same meet, Dec. 7, 2018.
During his outdoor career, Harkey won the hammer throw at the Don Kleinow Invitational with a toss of 56.06 meters, and placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 47.40 meters, April 20, 2018. In 2017, Harkey captured the discus throw at the Hillsdale GINA Relays with a mark of 51.40 meters, April 27-29, and won the same event at the Don Kleinow Invitational with a distance of 49.45 meters, April 13. Harkey will graduate with a degree in neuroscience.
Arriving at Eastern in time for the 2018-19 indoor season, Sanchez Juan was responsible for three indoor titles during his first year with the Green and White. He claimed first prize in the long jump at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open with a personal-best leap of 7.41 meters, Jan. 18, 2019. He then went on to win the long jump at the Meyo Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame with a distance of 7.38 meters, Feb. 8, 2019, before winning the same event one week later at the GVSU Big Meet with a mark of 7.12 meters. The following year, Sanchez Juan placed third at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open and Can-Am International, before finishing fifth at the Meyo Invitational, and second at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
Sanchez Juan kicked off his lone outdoor campaign by finishing fourth in the long jump at the Yellow Jacket Invitational with a mark of 7.08 meters, March 15-16, 2019. He went on to place third at the Raleigh Relays (7.27 meters), fourth at the Jesse Owens Classic (7.06 meters), and second at the Len Paddock Open (6.81 meters). Sanchez Juan is currently pursuing a master's degree in exercise physiology.
A nursing major, Wicker was victorious in the 3,000-meter race at the Jack Skoog Open with a time of 9:01.17, Jan. 31. He finished third in both the 5,000-meter run (15:02.92) and 10,000-meter run (31:30.97) at the 2019 Outdoor Championships, after gaining a third-place result in the 3,000-meter run (8:28.30) and a runner-up finish in the 5,000-meter event (14:37.54) at that season's indoor conference meet.
Wicker also shined on the cross country circuit, garnering Second Team All-MAC honors in 2017 after finishing ninth at the conference meet with a time of 25:06.4. In all, Wicker finished in the top-20 at three consecutive MAC Cross Country Championships. In addition to his on-track accomplishments, Wicker is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree for indoor track and field and cross country, and earned a spot on the Outdoor Academic All-MAC Team in 2019.
Wilson, who is majoring in sport management, was responsible for two titles at the Jack Skoog Open, Jan. 31, capturing the 800-meter race with a time of 1:55.90 and running a leg of the 4x400-meter relay that finished in 3:30.74. He also landed a runner-up finish at his home meet, placing second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.02 at the Can-Am International. Jan. 25.
Wilson finished fourth in the 800-meter run at the 2019 Outdoor Championships with a personal-best time of 1:51.93. He also finished fifth at the 2019 Indoor Championships with a mark of 1:53.61, and third at the 2018 indoor meet with a time of 1:54.09. In his first outdoor campaign at EMU, Wilson helped the Eagles finish fourth in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:19.88 at the 2017 Outdoor Championships.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University men's track and field team celebrates the achievements of Taige Bryant (Edmond, Okla.-Edmond Memorial), Frank Douglas (Mansfield, Ohio-Madison Comprehensive), Zach Harkey (Huron, Ohio-Huron), Carlos Sanchez Juan (Onil, Spain-Ies La Creueta), Austin Wicker (Pinckney, Mich.-Pinckney), and Roderic Wilson (Atlanta, Ga.-Blanche Ely).
During the 2020 indoor campaign, Bryant set a personal-best in the weight throw with a mark of 21.29 meters at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, which stands as the second-longest heave in program history. One week later, he earned a third-place finish in the same event at the Mid-American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 20.60 meters. In all, Bryant finished fourth or higher in the weight throw in eight out of nine meets during the 2019-20 indoor slate, and surpassed the 20-meter plateau five times.
Bryant also earned high marks at the 2019 Outdoor Championships, placing third in the discus throw with a distance of 47.81 meters, while finishing ninth in the hammer throw with a career-best launch of 50.34 meters. Bryant captured an individual title during his sophomore campaign, winning the discus throw at the Toledo Invitational with a personal-best distance of 50.95 meters, May 3-4, 2018. Two weeks earlier, Bryant set a pair of personal-bests at the Don Kleinow Invitational, including a second-place finish in the javelin throw with a toss of 47.61 meters. Bryant graduated in 2019 with a degree in public health.
An accounting major, Douglas finished in the top-five in the 60-meter hurdles at four consecutive MAC Indoor Championships. He placed fifth at the 2019 conference meet with a time of 8.18 seconds, and fourth in 2018 with a personal-best time of 8.08 as EMU captured the indoor title and the second leg of the triple crown. Douglas also finished in fourth place in 2017 with a time of 8.12, and fifth in 2016 as he crossed the line in 8.16.
Douglas captured two individual titles during his time with the Green and White. He claimed first prize in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.10 at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 18, 2019 and won the same event at the Oiler Opener hosted the University of Findlay with a time of 8.13, Dec. 9, 2016.
Harkey earned Second-Team All-MAC honors at the 2020 Indoor Championships after finishing as the runner-up in the weight throw with a personal-best heave of 21.11 meters. The result stands as the third-longest weight throw in program history. On the indoor circuit, Harkey won the weight throw at the GVSU Holiday Open with a mark of 19.74 meters, while setting a personal-best in the shot put at the same meet, Dec. 7, 2018.
During his outdoor career, Harkey won the hammer throw at the Don Kleinow Invitational with a toss of 56.06 meters, and placed second in the discus throw with a mark of 47.40 meters, April 20, 2018. In 2017, Harkey captured the discus throw at the Hillsdale GINA Relays with a mark of 51.40 meters, April 27-29, and won the same event at the Don Kleinow Invitational with a distance of 49.45 meters, April 13. Harkey will graduate with a degree in neuroscience.
Arriving at Eastern in time for the 2018-19 indoor season, Sanchez Juan was responsible for three indoor titles during his first year with the Green and White. He claimed first prize in the long jump at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open with a personal-best leap of 7.41 meters, Jan. 18, 2019. He then went on to win the long jump at the Meyo Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame with a distance of 7.38 meters, Feb. 8, 2019, before winning the same event one week later at the GVSU Big Meet with a mark of 7.12 meters. The following year, Sanchez Juan placed third at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open and Can-Am International, before finishing fifth at the Meyo Invitational, and second at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
Sanchez Juan kicked off his lone outdoor campaign by finishing fourth in the long jump at the Yellow Jacket Invitational with a mark of 7.08 meters, March 15-16, 2019. He went on to place third at the Raleigh Relays (7.27 meters), fourth at the Jesse Owens Classic (7.06 meters), and second at the Len Paddock Open (6.81 meters). Sanchez Juan is currently pursuing a master's degree in exercise physiology.
A nursing major, Wicker was victorious in the 3,000-meter race at the Jack Skoog Open with a time of 9:01.17, Jan. 31. He finished third in both the 5,000-meter run (15:02.92) and 10,000-meter run (31:30.97) at the 2019 Outdoor Championships, after gaining a third-place result in the 3,000-meter run (8:28.30) and a runner-up finish in the 5,000-meter event (14:37.54) at that season's indoor conference meet.
Wicker also shined on the cross country circuit, garnering Second Team All-MAC honors in 2017 after finishing ninth at the conference meet with a time of 25:06.4. In all, Wicker finished in the top-20 at three consecutive MAC Cross Country Championships. In addition to his on-track accomplishments, Wicker is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree for indoor track and field and cross country, and earned a spot on the Outdoor Academic All-MAC Team in 2019.
Wilson, who is majoring in sport management, was responsible for two titles at the Jack Skoog Open, Jan. 31, capturing the 800-meter race with a time of 1:55.90 and running a leg of the 4x400-meter relay that finished in 3:30.74. He also landed a runner-up finish at his home meet, placing second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.02 at the Can-Am International. Jan. 25.
Wilson finished fourth in the 800-meter run at the 2019 Outdoor Championships with a personal-best time of 1:51.93. He also finished fifth at the 2019 Indoor Championships with a mark of 1:53.61, and third at the 2018 indoor meet with a time of 1:54.09. In his first outdoor campaign at EMU, Wilson helped the Eagles finish fourth in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:19.88 at the 2017 Outdoor Championships.
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Mid-Distance
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