Eastern Michigan Athletics
Five Eagles Garner USTFCCCA All-Academic Honors
7/17/2020 10:42:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Eastern tops the competition in the Mid-American Conference with five honorees
NEW ORLEANS, La. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University men's track team had five student athletes named 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Track & Field All-Academic Athletes by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA), the organization announced Thursday, June 16. The honorees include redshirt senior Taige Bryant (Edmond, Okla.-Edmond Memorial), juniors Owen Day (Ottawa, Ontario-International School of Dusseldorf), Chukwusom Enekwechi (Valley Stream, N.Y.-Jamaica Gateway to the Sciences (Monroe College)), Owen Richardson (Basingstoke, England-The Costello School), and sophomore Baldvin Magnusson (Akureyri, Iceland-Hull University).
The Eagles top the Mid-American Conference with five student-athletes earning the honor. Kent State was close behind with four. Akron saw three honorees, while Central Michigan had one.
To be named an All-Academic Athlete by the USTFCCA, the student-athlete must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.25, have completed two semesters as the institution, and have finished the most recent indoor season ranked in the top 96 in any championship individual event, or in the top 48 in any championship relay event.
Bryant closed out the indoor season ranked 23rd in the nation in the weight throw. The redshirt senior, who graduated with a degree in Health administration, competed in the weight throw at nine meets for the Eagles in 2019-20. He finished third at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 20.60 meters, Feb. 28-29. He also recorded a career-best at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, as he placed third overall with a toss of 21.29 meters. Bryant finished in third place at the GVSU Big Meet with a mark of 20.38 meters, Feb. 14, and was the runner-up at the Jack Skoog Open with a distance of 20.42 meters, Jan. 31.
Day, who finished the year ranked 80th in the 800-meters, garnered First-Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season after winning the mile run at the conference meet for the third year in a row with a time of 4:06.86. He also captured the 800m run for the second time in three years as he crossed the finish line in 1:51.38. The Ottawa, Ontario native set a personal-best in the 800m run at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14, finishing sixth overall with a time of 1:50.77. He finished 10th in the mile run at the Meyo Invitational with a time of 4:14.09, Feb. 7-8, after he won his season debut in the 800m run at the Can-Am International with a time of 1:52.26, Jan 25.
Ending his junior campaign 38th in the NCAA in shot put, Enekwechi earned Second-Team All-MAC honors after finishing runner-up in the shot put at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 17.08 meters, Feb. 28-29. He set a personal best in the weight throw at the Silverston Invitational with a distance of 19.05 meters, Feb. 21, and placed second in the shot put (17.66 meters) and sixth in the weight throw (19.01 meters) at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14. Enekwechi finished in sixth place in the shot put at the Meyo Invitational with a distance of 17.46 meters, Feb. 7-8, and won the shot put title at the Can-Am International with a personal-best distance of 18.66 meters. He also won the shot put at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open with a distance of 16.84 meters, and finished fourth in th wight throw with a mark of 16.65 meters.
In the 400-meter races, Richardson ranked 87th among all NCAA Division I athletes. The Basingstoke, England product was named MAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week by the league office, Jan. 14. He also earned Second-Team All-MAC honors after helping the Eagles finish second in the 4x400m relay at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 28-29. Richardson placed fourth in the 200m dash (21.30) and third in the 400m dash (47.38) at the conference meet. He won the 200m dash at the GVSU Big Meet with a time of 21.37, while placing fifth in the 60m dash with a personal-best time of 6.88, Feb. 14. Richardson also won the 200m dash (21.71) and the 4x400m relay (3:22.75) at the Can-Am International, Jan. 25, after he also claimed first prize in the 200m dash (21.29) and 400m dash (47.62) at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 11.
Ranking 62nd in the country in 3000-meters, Magnusson was named First-Team All-MAC after winning the 3000m run (8:18.44) and 5000m run (14:25.25) at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 28-29. He also placed fifth in the mile run at the conference meet with a personal-best time of 4:10.10. Magnusson was the runner-up in the 5000m run with a personal-best time of 14:14.14 at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14, and came in second place in the 3000m run with a personal-best time of 8:03.28 at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 7-8. He won the mile in his season debut with a time of 4:11.11 at the Can-Am International, Jan. 25.
The Eagles top the Mid-American Conference with five student-athletes earning the honor. Kent State was close behind with four. Akron saw three honorees, while Central Michigan had one.
To be named an All-Academic Athlete by the USTFCCA, the student-athlete must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.25, have completed two semesters as the institution, and have finished the most recent indoor season ranked in the top 96 in any championship individual event, or in the top 48 in any championship relay event.
Bryant closed out the indoor season ranked 23rd in the nation in the weight throw. The redshirt senior, who graduated with a degree in Health administration, competed in the weight throw at nine meets for the Eagles in 2019-20. He finished third at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 20.60 meters, Feb. 28-29. He also recorded a career-best at the Silverston Invitational, Feb. 21, as he placed third overall with a toss of 21.29 meters. Bryant finished in third place at the GVSU Big Meet with a mark of 20.38 meters, Feb. 14, and was the runner-up at the Jack Skoog Open with a distance of 20.42 meters, Jan. 31.
Day, who finished the year ranked 80th in the 800-meters, garnered First-Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season after winning the mile run at the conference meet for the third year in a row with a time of 4:06.86. He also captured the 800m run for the second time in three years as he crossed the finish line in 1:51.38. The Ottawa, Ontario native set a personal-best in the 800m run at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14, finishing sixth overall with a time of 1:50.77. He finished 10th in the mile run at the Meyo Invitational with a time of 4:14.09, Feb. 7-8, after he won his season debut in the 800m run at the Can-Am International with a time of 1:52.26, Jan 25.
Ending his junior campaign 38th in the NCAA in shot put, Enekwechi earned Second-Team All-MAC honors after finishing runner-up in the shot put at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships with a distance of 17.08 meters, Feb. 28-29. He set a personal best in the weight throw at the Silverston Invitational with a distance of 19.05 meters, Feb. 21, and placed second in the shot put (17.66 meters) and sixth in the weight throw (19.01 meters) at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14. Enekwechi finished in sixth place in the shot put at the Meyo Invitational with a distance of 17.46 meters, Feb. 7-8, and won the shot put title at the Can-Am International with a personal-best distance of 18.66 meters. He also won the shot put at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open with a distance of 16.84 meters, and finished fourth in th wight throw with a mark of 16.65 meters.
In the 400-meter races, Richardson ranked 87th among all NCAA Division I athletes. The Basingstoke, England product was named MAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week by the league office, Jan. 14. He also earned Second-Team All-MAC honors after helping the Eagles finish second in the 4x400m relay at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 28-29. Richardson placed fourth in the 200m dash (21.30) and third in the 400m dash (47.38) at the conference meet. He won the 200m dash at the GVSU Big Meet with a time of 21.37, while placing fifth in the 60m dash with a personal-best time of 6.88, Feb. 14. Richardson also won the 200m dash (21.71) and the 4x400m relay (3:22.75) at the Can-Am International, Jan. 25, after he also claimed first prize in the 200m dash (21.29) and 400m dash (47.62) at the SVSU Doug Hansen Open, Jan. 11.
Ranking 62nd in the country in 3000-meters, Magnusson was named First-Team All-MAC after winning the 3000m run (8:18.44) and 5000m run (14:25.25) at the MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, Feb. 28-29. He also placed fifth in the mile run at the conference meet with a personal-best time of 4:10.10. Magnusson was the runner-up in the 5000m run with a personal-best time of 14:14.14 at the GVSU Big Meet, Feb. 14, and came in second place in the 3000m run with a personal-best time of 8:03.28 at the Meyo Invitational, Feb. 7-8. He won the mile in his season debut with a time of 4:11.11 at the Can-Am International, Jan. 25.
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