Eastern Michigan Athletics
Remembering Bob Parks: Week 12
5/25/2021 4:16:00 PM | Men's XC, Men's Track & Field
Paul McMullen signs with EMU, 1989-1991
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- With the loss of reliable harriers George Rodriguez and Mark Pogliano, Head Coach Bob Parks was once again tasked with molding his runners into tough Mid-American Conference competitors. In the preseason polls, fellow league coaches picked Eastern Michigan to finish fifth, which was a fair assessment according to Parks. However, Mark Dailey was back, and they had a fresh face on campus in John Griffiths.
Western Michigan handled EMU in the season's first dual meet, 21-34. Paul Kerbey paced the Green and Gold with a fourth-place finish in 26:36, followed closely behind by Jeff Grainger in fifth (26:45). Despite the solid showing, the Broncos went 1-2-3 for the automatic win.
At the Notre Dame Invitational, Parks' team took ninth out of 16 teams in the Blue Division with 203 points. Kerbey once again led the way for Eastern as he notched 27th in 25:20. The top-five runners for EMU all finished within 30 seconds, but they were too far back in the race. Central Michigan won the division with 75 points while MAC-foe Ohio grabbed third with 110.
The MAC Cross Country Championships were held at Bowling Green State where Parks' runners ultimately finished where they picked, fifth. CMU hoisted the league trophy as it dominated the race with 47 points to Ball State's 72. Dailey earned 16th (32:07) while Scott Hippen was 17th (32:09). With no one in the Green and Gold finishing in the top-12, this was the first time Eastern Michigan did not produce an All-MAC performer. However, there was still a chance to end the season on a high note.
EMU hosted the NCAA regional meet at nearby Huron Golf Course. There, the Mid-American Conference schools overpowered the teams from the Big Ten. Despite being the fifth MAC team to finish the race, Eastern was ninth overall, performing better than six Big Ten schools. As a conference, the MAC saw three schools in the top-four and eight individual runners in the top-15. Dailey achieved a 24th-place finish in 32:06 to earn All-District honors after not making the All-MAC team two weeks earlier. At the NCAA title meet, Eastern Michigan did not have any runners, but future EMU Head Coach John Goodridge pushed his Wake Forest team to third place out of 22 institutions.
Early in the indoor season, the team participated in the nearby Michigan Relays. The Green and Gold came to compete as both its A and B teams bested Michigan's top squad in the mile relay with times of 3:17.72 and 3:18.04, respectively. Eastern Michigan also won the two-mile relay in 7:51.17 with Tom Orr, Jason Hauer, Brandon London, and Jeff Mifsud. Jason Masterson was a double-winner with victories in the weight throw (55'-9.5") and shot put (53'-7.25").
Parks returned to UM weeks later for the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association indoor meet. There, former EMU great Mark Smith introduced Parks to Cadillac, Mich. native Paul McMullen. Parks documented his first interaction with the future EMU legend:
"McMullen said he would like to play college football. He sure looked like a gridder, but distance running, and football usually didn't go together. I promised him that if he ran well during the outdoor season, that I would consider him for some athletic aid. My guess was that he wouldn't run fast enough."
At the EMU Track Classic, Dailey bested Olympian Brian Diemer of Michigan in the mile, walking him down the home stretch to finish 4:04.5-4:04.68. Meanwhile, Kerby PR'd in the 800m race (1:54.21), David Browne took the steeplechase (9:18.15), and Brian Benn notched a win in the long jump (23'-8").
Even though Eastern Michigan came up short twice at the MAC Indoor Invitational in Kalamazoo, Mich., this time was different. EMU dominated not only the track events, but also in the field. Masterson captured the weight throw (58'-6.5"), Benn took the top spot in the long jump (23'-11"), and Anthony McClendon achieved a personal-best triple jump (50'-5") to earn gold. On the track, Dailey won both the mile (4:07.86) and the 800m (1:52.19) while Rogriguez notched a first-place finish in the 5000m run (14:18.98). In the end, the Green and Gold ran away with the meet, totaling 209 points to Western Michigan's 124.
At the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, EMU had a number of student-athletes take on the best in the country. Chuck Wilson made it through the preliminaries to take seventh in the 400m dash (47.64) to give him All-America status. Fellow sprinter Dazel Jules also made it to the finals where he ultimately finished sixth in the 200m dash (21.21) as future Olympian Michael Johnson took home the gold in 20.70.
Dailey and Griffiths gave it their all in a tight 800m race. The two were 1-2 early, however, Olympian Mark Everett was able to pull away from the Green and Gold. Dailey earned the runner-up spot with a 1:49.35 clip as Griffiths achieved bronze in 1:49.90. The final event Eastern competed in was the 4x800 relay. Unfortunately, Dailey and Griffiths were still gassed from the 800 competition thus the team did not run as well as expected. The quartet of Kerbey, Mifsud, Griffiths, and Dailey crossed the finish line in 7:27.75 for seventh, thus concluding the indoor season.
EMU opened up the outdoor season with a limited group showing at the Alabama Relays. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., Eastern had a solid showing all around. Masterson paced the field in the hammer throw with a launch of 177'-3" while Morris Ellis was the runner-up in the decathlon with 7190 points. On the track, Wilson turned in a time of 46.28 in the 400m dash and later helped the sprint medley relay team to a first-place finish (3:18.47). The distance medley relay team also dominated the meet with a 9:52.54 time.
The team then traveled north to Athens, Ohio for the Ohio University Invitational. Despite the cold weather, the Green and Gold managed to place in every event except the discus and javelin throws. The team took three of the top-four spots in the 1500m race with Dailey leading the way in 3:52.63. EMU topped all schools with 187 points to runner-up Western Michigan's 161.
In the past few years, Eastern Michigan had great success at the league's outdoor championships. However, Ball State and Western Michigan were itching to pull off an upset. According to Parks, the Cardinals even showed up in shirts reading "no giveaway this year." On the first day of the competition, Park's runners were solid in the prelims as only three failed to make it to the finals. In the decathlon, Ellis finished second with 7407 points, a personal-record.
Dailey and Griffiths both had great meets in their own right. The pair went 1-2 in the 1500m run in 3:49.63 and 3:50.50, respectively. Dailey went on to win the 800m in 1:49.9 while Griffiths notched a steeplechase victory in 9:06.36. Wilson defended his 400m dash title by winning in 46.66 and also earned solid points with a fourth-place finish in the 200m dash (21.43). In the field, Mark Smith also defended his pole vault title with a clearance of 16'-5.75".
Parks and Co. held off BSU and WMU as they tallied 197.5 points to the Cardinals' 138.5 and Broncos' 118. Eastern only failed to place in the discus, hammer, and javelin. The victory was Eastern Michigan's fifth-straight MAC outdoor title and its eighth in nine seasons. The NCAA outdoor meet was held in Durham, N.C. in 1990 where EMU did not perform as well as hoped for. Jules did not make it through the prelims in the 100 and 200 despite strong numbers. Wilson narrowly missed out on making the finals in the 400m as he ran a 45.95 and earned All-America honors. Dailey ran a solid 1:48.09 in the 800 for fourth in his heat, but did not advance. Lastly, Ellis dropped out of the decathlon late in the competition.
Although the NCAAs had not gone as planned, there was hope for big things to come soon. McMullen signed with Eastern Michigan after almost enrolling at Central Michigan, thus Parks was receiving a solid and cocky middle-distance runner. Then, after not landing one of their prospects from New York, the coach recommended looking at Greg Rhymer. Rhymer was another strong middle-distance runner who quickly signed after visiting the campus. Later, Parks contacted Westland John Glenn's Head Coach Richard Gordon about runner Carl Lowe. After much discussion, the long, talented sprinter decided to come to EMU. Last but not least, Parks was able to land another high-caliber recruit from Suriname. Mirielle Sankatsing, a runner on Eastern Michigan's women's track & field team originally from Suriname, recommended that Parks talk to Tommy Asinga. The 1988 Olympian ultimately decided to come to Ypsilanti, Mich. after Iowa State did not offer him any aid. Thus, Parks was about to have a loaded middle-distance squad that would dominate the MAC and gain national attention in the coming years.
With the return of all harrieres minus Griffiths, Parks' cross country team was tabbed to finish second in the Mid-American Conference. Two notable pick-ups ready to race for EMU were two Brits: Dominic Middleton and Clive Bonelle. Hippen, who missed most of the last cross country season, won the 24th annual EMU Open in 20:38, 22 seconds faster than second-place teammate Grainger.
Dailey made his cross country debut in a dual meet against a tough Western Michigan team in Kalamazoo, Mich. A Bronco took first in the 8K race, however the Green and Gold went 2-3-5-6-8 for the win. Middleton notched a second-place finish in 25:13 while Dan Liedel was third in 26:03. Dailey rounded out the top-five for a strong opening to the season.
Miami held the MAC title race with a course consisting of a 5K loop to be run twice. Parks had purposely not had his runners compete in a 10K race prior saying "I decided not to have us race this distance during the regular season, figuring that we might be better off mentally, just running it blind." Another gamble came as Todd Lippin came into Parks' office and convinced him to put him in the lineup. Both gambles paid off.
Hippen led the way for Eastern as he notched fourth in 31:54 after making moves late in the race. Meanwhile, Dailey and Liedel finished eighth (32:22) and ninth (32.23), respectively. Middleton just managed to make the All-MAC team as he was 12th in 32:31. Lippin came in 22nd to give EMU enough of an edge to defeat Ball State, 53-56.
The team improved from their championship performance as they took on the best in Midwest at the NCAA regional meet, held on Purdue University's golf course. Parks' group once again paced the MAC and finished sixth overall with 158 points. Middleton bounced back from his performance in Miami to achieve a 17th-place finish in 31:56 while Hippen was 18th in 31:57. Both were named All-Regional as their season came to a close.
Parks and Co. ventured west early on in the indoor season for the Western Michigan Invitational in a nine-team field. No team scores were kept, but Eastern Michigan dominated as it captured 9-of-17 event titles. Noteworthy victories include: Middleton (5000m - 14:54.80), Dailey (4:11.8), Asinga (400m - 48.8), and Hippen (3000m - 8:24.71).
Later in the season, Eastern hosted the EMU Classic against local competition, a few Canadian schools, and even had West Virginia visit Bowen Field House for the first time. On the track, Tiberia Patterson ran a PR of 7.35 in the 55m high hurdles while Asinga once again won the 400m dash in 48.70. Meanwhile, Hippen also achieved a career-high in the mile in 4:06.45 for third, behind former national champion John Sherer and Olympian Brian Diemer.
The Green and Gold dominated the MAC indoor invitational as they put up 215 points to Western Michigan's 93. Parks' team took first in 10-of-16 events, including going 1-2 in eight of them. Lippin and Jason Jeske earned first (14:38.32) and second (14:44.58) in the 5000m, respectively. In the field, EMU swept the long jump with Tony Barton (24'-1.75"), Benn (24'-1.5"), and Tim Halstead (23'-3.25").
Parks' team continued to display their athleticism at the NCAA championships in Indianapolis. Wilson made it to the finals in the 400m dash where he finished third in 46.75. Dailey and Ole Miss's George Kersh took off in the 800 race with Kersh taking home the gold in 1:46:19 as Dailey was runner-up in 1:46.84. Both times broke the NCAA meet record of 1:47.26, set by Olympian and former EMU great, Earl Jones in 1985. In the end, Eastern earned 14 points to tie with Ole Miss for ninth overall.
To start the outdoor slate, Parks took members of the team to the University of Arizona for the Willie Williams Invitational. Parks decided to take the trip to the Grand Canyon State as his daughter Sue Parks, now the Director/Head Coach of Eastern Michigan's cross country and track & field teams, was coaching the Wildcats' women's teams. Against Southwestern competition, the Green and Gold captured the 4x400m relay with the quartet of Brian Chadwick, Dailey, Asinga, and Wilson. Wilson later won the 400m dash while Dailey was victorious in the 1500m run.
From there, the team flew to Alabama where the team burned up the track at the Alabama Relays. On the plane ride over, Parks watched Eastern's basketball team compete in the "Sweet Sixteen" against powerhouse North Carolina. In Alabama, Wilson blew away the competition in the 400m dash with a 45.93 clip, a varsity record that also qualified him for the NCAAs. Additionally, Dailey produced a 3:46.36 time in the 1500m to set a new meet record.
The MAC outdoor title meet was hosted by Ball State that season in Muncie, Ind. Before the events started, EMU triple jumper Will Harber cut his knee practicing in the parking lot of the motel thus taking him out of the competition. Despite the blow, the Green and Gold were able to hold their own without him. At the end of the first day, Parks' squad trailed by five points, a better start than most years. Jeske was runner-up in the 10,000m race (30:24.3) while Masterson grabbed bronze in the hammer throw (181'-9").
On Friday, Barton earned the long jump crown with a leap of 24'-7.75". Also winning in the field was Mark Smith who notched his third-straight MAC outdoor pole vault title at a height of 16'-6". Overall, the field events went well all things considered, and the final two days looked promising as an entourage of runners qualified for the finals in their respective events. On Saturday, the Green and Gold won four events, including Dailey capturing his third-straight MAC outdoor 1500m crown in 3:51.65. Wilson produced a stadium-record 46.18 clip in the 400m for first while freshman Asinga claimed his first MAC victory in the 800m in 1:49.20. The team handled their business the rest of the way to eclipse 175 points to Miami's 131 for the Triple Crown.
At the NCAA title meet in Eugene, Ore., Asinga proved to be an elite freshman as he finished second in the 800m race with a career-high time of 1:46.79. Meanwhile, Wilson ran a solid 45.57 in the 400m dash for bronze. Sadly, Dailey did not advance to the finals in the 800 despite running a faster time than Asinga. Additionally, Patterson narrowly missed making the finals in the high hurdles.
Be sure to follow along in the following weeks as we continue to take a deep dive into Bob Parks' legacy at Eastern Michigan University.
Western Michigan handled EMU in the season's first dual meet, 21-34. Paul Kerbey paced the Green and Gold with a fourth-place finish in 26:36, followed closely behind by Jeff Grainger in fifth (26:45). Despite the solid showing, the Broncos went 1-2-3 for the automatic win.
At the Notre Dame Invitational, Parks' team took ninth out of 16 teams in the Blue Division with 203 points. Kerbey once again led the way for Eastern as he notched 27th in 25:20. The top-five runners for EMU all finished within 30 seconds, but they were too far back in the race. Central Michigan won the division with 75 points while MAC-foe Ohio grabbed third with 110.
The MAC Cross Country Championships were held at Bowling Green State where Parks' runners ultimately finished where they picked, fifth. CMU hoisted the league trophy as it dominated the race with 47 points to Ball State's 72. Dailey earned 16th (32:07) while Scott Hippen was 17th (32:09). With no one in the Green and Gold finishing in the top-12, this was the first time Eastern Michigan did not produce an All-MAC performer. However, there was still a chance to end the season on a high note.
EMU hosted the NCAA regional meet at nearby Huron Golf Course. There, the Mid-American Conference schools overpowered the teams from the Big Ten. Despite being the fifth MAC team to finish the race, Eastern was ninth overall, performing better than six Big Ten schools. As a conference, the MAC saw three schools in the top-four and eight individual runners in the top-15. Dailey achieved a 24th-place finish in 32:06 to earn All-District honors after not making the All-MAC team two weeks earlier. At the NCAA title meet, Eastern Michigan did not have any runners, but future EMU Head Coach John Goodridge pushed his Wake Forest team to third place out of 22 institutions.
Early in the indoor season, the team participated in the nearby Michigan Relays. The Green and Gold came to compete as both its A and B teams bested Michigan's top squad in the mile relay with times of 3:17.72 and 3:18.04, respectively. Eastern Michigan also won the two-mile relay in 7:51.17 with Tom Orr, Jason Hauer, Brandon London, and Jeff Mifsud. Jason Masterson was a double-winner with victories in the weight throw (55'-9.5") and shot put (53'-7.25").
Parks returned to UM weeks later for the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association indoor meet. There, former EMU great Mark Smith introduced Parks to Cadillac, Mich. native Paul McMullen. Parks documented his first interaction with the future EMU legend:
"McMullen said he would like to play college football. He sure looked like a gridder, but distance running, and football usually didn't go together. I promised him that if he ran well during the outdoor season, that I would consider him for some athletic aid. My guess was that he wouldn't run fast enough."
At the EMU Track Classic, Dailey bested Olympian Brian Diemer of Michigan in the mile, walking him down the home stretch to finish 4:04.5-4:04.68. Meanwhile, Kerby PR'd in the 800m race (1:54.21), David Browne took the steeplechase (9:18.15), and Brian Benn notched a win in the long jump (23'-8").
Even though Eastern Michigan came up short twice at the MAC Indoor Invitational in Kalamazoo, Mich., this time was different. EMU dominated not only the track events, but also in the field. Masterson captured the weight throw (58'-6.5"), Benn took the top spot in the long jump (23'-11"), and Anthony McClendon achieved a personal-best triple jump (50'-5") to earn gold. On the track, Dailey won both the mile (4:07.86) and the 800m (1:52.19) while Rogriguez notched a first-place finish in the 5000m run (14:18.98). In the end, the Green and Gold ran away with the meet, totaling 209 points to Western Michigan's 124.
At the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, EMU had a number of student-athletes take on the best in the country. Chuck Wilson made it through the preliminaries to take seventh in the 400m dash (47.64) to give him All-America status. Fellow sprinter Dazel Jules also made it to the finals where he ultimately finished sixth in the 200m dash (21.21) as future Olympian Michael Johnson took home the gold in 20.70.
Dailey and Griffiths gave it their all in a tight 800m race. The two were 1-2 early, however, Olympian Mark Everett was able to pull away from the Green and Gold. Dailey earned the runner-up spot with a 1:49.35 clip as Griffiths achieved bronze in 1:49.90. The final event Eastern competed in was the 4x800 relay. Unfortunately, Dailey and Griffiths were still gassed from the 800 competition thus the team did not run as well as expected. The quartet of Kerbey, Mifsud, Griffiths, and Dailey crossed the finish line in 7:27.75 for seventh, thus concluding the indoor season.
EMU opened up the outdoor season with a limited group showing at the Alabama Relays. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., Eastern had a solid showing all around. Masterson paced the field in the hammer throw with a launch of 177'-3" while Morris Ellis was the runner-up in the decathlon with 7190 points. On the track, Wilson turned in a time of 46.28 in the 400m dash and later helped the sprint medley relay team to a first-place finish (3:18.47). The distance medley relay team also dominated the meet with a 9:52.54 time.
The team then traveled north to Athens, Ohio for the Ohio University Invitational. Despite the cold weather, the Green and Gold managed to place in every event except the discus and javelin throws. The team took three of the top-four spots in the 1500m race with Dailey leading the way in 3:52.63. EMU topped all schools with 187 points to runner-up Western Michigan's 161.
In the past few years, Eastern Michigan had great success at the league's outdoor championships. However, Ball State and Western Michigan were itching to pull off an upset. According to Parks, the Cardinals even showed up in shirts reading "no giveaway this year." On the first day of the competition, Park's runners were solid in the prelims as only three failed to make it to the finals. In the decathlon, Ellis finished second with 7407 points, a personal-record.
Dailey and Griffiths both had great meets in their own right. The pair went 1-2 in the 1500m run in 3:49.63 and 3:50.50, respectively. Dailey went on to win the 800m in 1:49.9 while Griffiths notched a steeplechase victory in 9:06.36. Wilson defended his 400m dash title by winning in 46.66 and also earned solid points with a fourth-place finish in the 200m dash (21.43). In the field, Mark Smith also defended his pole vault title with a clearance of 16'-5.75".
Parks and Co. held off BSU and WMU as they tallied 197.5 points to the Cardinals' 138.5 and Broncos' 118. Eastern only failed to place in the discus, hammer, and javelin. The victory was Eastern Michigan's fifth-straight MAC outdoor title and its eighth in nine seasons. The NCAA outdoor meet was held in Durham, N.C. in 1990 where EMU did not perform as well as hoped for. Jules did not make it through the prelims in the 100 and 200 despite strong numbers. Wilson narrowly missed out on making the finals in the 400m as he ran a 45.95 and earned All-America honors. Dailey ran a solid 1:48.09 in the 800 for fourth in his heat, but did not advance. Lastly, Ellis dropped out of the decathlon late in the competition.
Although the NCAAs had not gone as planned, there was hope for big things to come soon. McMullen signed with Eastern Michigan after almost enrolling at Central Michigan, thus Parks was receiving a solid and cocky middle-distance runner. Then, after not landing one of their prospects from New York, the coach recommended looking at Greg Rhymer. Rhymer was another strong middle-distance runner who quickly signed after visiting the campus. Later, Parks contacted Westland John Glenn's Head Coach Richard Gordon about runner Carl Lowe. After much discussion, the long, talented sprinter decided to come to EMU. Last but not least, Parks was able to land another high-caliber recruit from Suriname. Mirielle Sankatsing, a runner on Eastern Michigan's women's track & field team originally from Suriname, recommended that Parks talk to Tommy Asinga. The 1988 Olympian ultimately decided to come to Ypsilanti, Mich. after Iowa State did not offer him any aid. Thus, Parks was about to have a loaded middle-distance squad that would dominate the MAC and gain national attention in the coming years.
With the return of all harrieres minus Griffiths, Parks' cross country team was tabbed to finish second in the Mid-American Conference. Two notable pick-ups ready to race for EMU were two Brits: Dominic Middleton and Clive Bonelle. Hippen, who missed most of the last cross country season, won the 24th annual EMU Open in 20:38, 22 seconds faster than second-place teammate Grainger.
Dailey made his cross country debut in a dual meet against a tough Western Michigan team in Kalamazoo, Mich. A Bronco took first in the 8K race, however the Green and Gold went 2-3-5-6-8 for the win. Middleton notched a second-place finish in 25:13 while Dan Liedel was third in 26:03. Dailey rounded out the top-five for a strong opening to the season.
Miami held the MAC title race with a course consisting of a 5K loop to be run twice. Parks had purposely not had his runners compete in a 10K race prior saying "I decided not to have us race this distance during the regular season, figuring that we might be better off mentally, just running it blind." Another gamble came as Todd Lippin came into Parks' office and convinced him to put him in the lineup. Both gambles paid off.
Hippen led the way for Eastern as he notched fourth in 31:54 after making moves late in the race. Meanwhile, Dailey and Liedel finished eighth (32:22) and ninth (32.23), respectively. Middleton just managed to make the All-MAC team as he was 12th in 32:31. Lippin came in 22nd to give EMU enough of an edge to defeat Ball State, 53-56.
The team improved from their championship performance as they took on the best in Midwest at the NCAA regional meet, held on Purdue University's golf course. Parks' group once again paced the MAC and finished sixth overall with 158 points. Middleton bounced back from his performance in Miami to achieve a 17th-place finish in 31:56 while Hippen was 18th in 31:57. Both were named All-Regional as their season came to a close.
Parks and Co. ventured west early on in the indoor season for the Western Michigan Invitational in a nine-team field. No team scores were kept, but Eastern Michigan dominated as it captured 9-of-17 event titles. Noteworthy victories include: Middleton (5000m - 14:54.80), Dailey (4:11.8), Asinga (400m - 48.8), and Hippen (3000m - 8:24.71).
Later in the season, Eastern hosted the EMU Classic against local competition, a few Canadian schools, and even had West Virginia visit Bowen Field House for the first time. On the track, Tiberia Patterson ran a PR of 7.35 in the 55m high hurdles while Asinga once again won the 400m dash in 48.70. Meanwhile, Hippen also achieved a career-high in the mile in 4:06.45 for third, behind former national champion John Sherer and Olympian Brian Diemer.
The Green and Gold dominated the MAC indoor invitational as they put up 215 points to Western Michigan's 93. Parks' team took first in 10-of-16 events, including going 1-2 in eight of them. Lippin and Jason Jeske earned first (14:38.32) and second (14:44.58) in the 5000m, respectively. In the field, EMU swept the long jump with Tony Barton (24'-1.75"), Benn (24'-1.5"), and Tim Halstead (23'-3.25").
Parks' team continued to display their athleticism at the NCAA championships in Indianapolis. Wilson made it to the finals in the 400m dash where he finished third in 46.75. Dailey and Ole Miss's George Kersh took off in the 800 race with Kersh taking home the gold in 1:46:19 as Dailey was runner-up in 1:46.84. Both times broke the NCAA meet record of 1:47.26, set by Olympian and former EMU great, Earl Jones in 1985. In the end, Eastern earned 14 points to tie with Ole Miss for ninth overall.
To start the outdoor slate, Parks took members of the team to the University of Arizona for the Willie Williams Invitational. Parks decided to take the trip to the Grand Canyon State as his daughter Sue Parks, now the Director/Head Coach of Eastern Michigan's cross country and track & field teams, was coaching the Wildcats' women's teams. Against Southwestern competition, the Green and Gold captured the 4x400m relay with the quartet of Brian Chadwick, Dailey, Asinga, and Wilson. Wilson later won the 400m dash while Dailey was victorious in the 1500m run.
From there, the team flew to Alabama where the team burned up the track at the Alabama Relays. On the plane ride over, Parks watched Eastern's basketball team compete in the "Sweet Sixteen" against powerhouse North Carolina. In Alabama, Wilson blew away the competition in the 400m dash with a 45.93 clip, a varsity record that also qualified him for the NCAAs. Additionally, Dailey produced a 3:46.36 time in the 1500m to set a new meet record.
The MAC outdoor title meet was hosted by Ball State that season in Muncie, Ind. Before the events started, EMU triple jumper Will Harber cut his knee practicing in the parking lot of the motel thus taking him out of the competition. Despite the blow, the Green and Gold were able to hold their own without him. At the end of the first day, Parks' squad trailed by five points, a better start than most years. Jeske was runner-up in the 10,000m race (30:24.3) while Masterson grabbed bronze in the hammer throw (181'-9").
On Friday, Barton earned the long jump crown with a leap of 24'-7.75". Also winning in the field was Mark Smith who notched his third-straight MAC outdoor pole vault title at a height of 16'-6". Overall, the field events went well all things considered, and the final two days looked promising as an entourage of runners qualified for the finals in their respective events. On Saturday, the Green and Gold won four events, including Dailey capturing his third-straight MAC outdoor 1500m crown in 3:51.65. Wilson produced a stadium-record 46.18 clip in the 400m for first while freshman Asinga claimed his first MAC victory in the 800m in 1:49.20. The team handled their business the rest of the way to eclipse 175 points to Miami's 131 for the Triple Crown.
At the NCAA title meet in Eugene, Ore., Asinga proved to be an elite freshman as he finished second in the 800m race with a career-high time of 1:46.79. Meanwhile, Wilson ran a solid 45.57 in the 400m dash for bronze. Sadly, Dailey did not advance to the finals in the 800 despite running a faster time than Asinga. Additionally, Patterson narrowly missed making the finals in the high hurdles.
Be sure to follow along in the following weeks as we continue to take a deep dive into Bob Parks' legacy at Eastern Michigan University.
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