Eastern Michigan Athletics
Remembering Bob Parks: Week 13
6/2/2021 2:50:00 PM | Men's XC, Men's Track & Field
3200m Relay Team wins the NCAA title, 1991-1993
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After loading up on talent in the offseason, Head Coach Bob Parks looked to have another shot at the Triple Crown. Parks' harriers were picked to win in the Mid-American Conference in the coaches preseason poll after winning the title the previous year. The only runner lost from the year before was Scott Hippen, a reliable runner during his time with the program.
At the 24th annual EMU Open, Dominic Middleton finished first in 19:46.4, winning by over 20 seconds. Mark Dailey (6th) and Todd Lippin (7th) finished soon after in 20:25 and 20:36, respectively. Weeks later, the group traveled to Kalamazoo for a double-dual meet with Ball State and Western Michigan. On the tough Arcadia course, Dailey managed to take second in 25:12 while four other Eagles notched top-10 spots to secure the double-victory, defeating BSU, 20-39, and WMU, 22-34.
The team then ventured to the Notre Dame Invitational to take on more solid Midwestern competition. Clive Bonelle paced EMU in the 8K race in 24:56 for 11th place while several others earned top-25 spots. There was only a 25-second gap between Eastern's top-five five runners as it placed third with 95 points, behind Notre Dame (75) and Malone (89).
The MAC cross country title race was held on a frigid and windy day in Kent, Ohio. Despite the poor weather, Parks' group achieved a score of 30 as they dominated the course. Dailey crossed the finish line in 31:15 for the runner-up spot with Bonelle (31:20) and Mark Kessler (31:24) following closely behind for a 2-3-4 finish. Dan Liedel grabbed eighth (31:39), the same place he finished the year prior. Unfortunately, the Eagles did not bring this momentum into the regional meet as they failed to qualify for the NCAAs. EMU did outrace the rest of the MAC as it took eighth out of 36 teams, but it was not enough to advance. Bonelle paced the Green and Gold as he notched 17th in 31:43.
To kick off the 1992 indoor track & field season, Eastern Michigan hosted the EMU Invitational where Tommy Asinga was the star of the meet. Asinga recorded an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:49.9 in the 800m for first, took the 600-yard run in 1:10.6, then came back with a 48.5 split to anchor the 4x400m relay team (3:18.5). Asinga improved his times at the WMU Relays by hitting 1:49.8 in the 800 and sprinting in a 47.8-second clip in the 1600m relay. Also in Kalamazoo, Jason Masterson registered a school-record weight throw of 61'-4.25" for the event title while Middleton captured the 3000m run in 8:20.4.
At the Notre Dame Invitational, Asinga clinched an automatic qualifying mark as he crossed the finish line in 1:47.4 for the third-fastest time in program history. Middleton continued to improve as he PRd in the 3000m while Paul McMullen produced a mile time of 4:16.56.
The final tune-up before the MAC indoor meet was the EMU Classic where Masterson once again won the weight throw competition with a heave of 60'-8.75". The quartet of Kurt Bartel, Rick Carr, Middleton, and Bonelle earned gold in the 3200m relay in 7:47.99 while Agustin Tello, Arno Nortan, Carl Lowe, and Asinga took the 1600 in 3:17.5.
Eastern dominated the indoor league meet, tallying 189 points to runner-up Central Michigan's 116. Rich Palmer won the long jump with a bound of 23'-7.5" while teammate Will Harber grabbed the triple jump crown at 50'-7.5". On the track, the Eagles, who have become middle-distance juggernauts, swept the 800m and mile races. Furthermore, Parks' runners won the 3000m (Middleton - 8:17.5) and the 5000m (Jason Jeske - 14:37.8).
Parks took Asinga and Middleton to the NCAAs in Indianapolis where both put on a solid showing. Asinga placed sixth in the 800m race in 1:47.70 while Middleton set a school record in the 5000m race by achieving a 13:49.16 time to also take sixth.
EMU opened up the outdoor season in Oxford, Ohio, for the Ohio University Invitational where 26 out of the 30 Eagles in attendance scored. The team went 1-2-3 in the 400 and 800 and notched victories in two relays to score 215 points to runner-up Kent State. In the mitten, Parks' group faced off against Central Michigan and Western Michigan in a double-dual meet in Mount Pleasant, Mich., defeating both squads. The Green and Gold went 1-2 in the 200, 800, 5000, and steeplechase for the victory.
In preparation for MACs, the team went to Des Moines, Iowa for the famous Drake Relays. Eastern took home the title in the 4x800 with Carl Warren, McMullen, Greg Rhymer, and Asinga in 7:27.18. Asinga came back to win the 800m invitational race in 1:49.34 while Rhymer was fourth in the college division with a time of 1:53.96.
The Eagles took care of business at the MAC Outdoor Championships in Toledo, Ohio as they finished with 149.5 points to Western's 135.5 for EMU's seventh-straight league outdoor title and the 10th in the past 11 years. In the second-to-last race of the day, Middleton (14:34.39) and Jeske (14:34.68) went 1-2 in the 500m race to help secure the trophy. Also on the track, McMullen captured the 1500 in a flashy 3:50.25 clip. Eric Repress had a busy outdoor competition as he ran a PR 51.58 for fifth in the intermediate hurdles and ran a leg in a pair of relays.
Asinga moved on to the NCAA title meet in Austin, Texas, where he competed in the 800m race. He ultimately recorded a time of 1:48.55, not quite fast enough to make it to the finals, thus ending EMU's outdoor track & field season.
The Eagles were once again picked to finish first in the MAC coaches' preseason cross country poll. The team had lost three All-MAC runners in Dailey, Kessler, and Liedel, but still returned a strong team led by Middleton and Warren, and others. Eastern Michigan opened up the season at the University of Detroit Invitational held at Cass Benton Park in Northville, Mich. There, Bonelle set a four-mile course record in 20:01 first while Warren and Jeff Grainger were third (20:32) and fourth (20:35), respectively.
In a triple-dual meet against Ball State, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan, the Green and Gold topped them all. At the Cardinal Hills course in Muncie, Ind., Middleton and Warren went 1-2 with four other harriers finishing in the top-15. Despite the rain, there was only a 1:19 gap between the team's first six finishers, a good sign for things to come.
Eastern then took on Big Ten competition at the Forest Acres Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich. as it took on Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. The Eagles ran great, taking three of the first four positions as Middleton paced the group in 24:36. However, the Wolverines put seven runners between Parks' third and fourth to secure the victory with 34 points to the Eagles' 38.
The MAC title race was held at the Cardinals Hills course that year, which was great for EMU having run on it recently. The meet was fairly one-sided as Middleton (24:12) and Bonelle (24:25) went 1-2 and placed four in the top-seven. Parks' also saw likely the best 7-man finish in his coaching career as all seven crossed the finish line for a top-20 placement. This was also the first time since 1976 that an Eastern harrier captured the individual title.
The seasoned group moved on to the NCAA regional race in Bloomington, Ind. where Parks' team remained resilient. The Eagles grabbed fourth overall with 115 points to give them a shot at qualifying for the national championship meet with Middleton placing eighth in 31:24.7. The next-best MAC institution was Ohio University who took 13 on the hilly course.
EMU made the big dance as an at-large bid given its sound body of work throughout the season, the first time it had been there since 1985. The race was held on the same course as the regional meet, which helped the Green and Gold harriers. The Eagles ultimately ran decent, but not as well as hoped for. Middleton narrowly missed out on achieving All-American status by crossing the finish line in 28th (31:43.4) on the 10K course. Bonelle was 72nd in 32:32, running a tough race despite being under the weather that week. The team finished 17th overall in the team standings with 375 points to wrap up the fall.
Early on in the indoor season, the tracksters took on the Wolverines and others at the Michigan Relays. There, Middleton and Tiberia Patterson both recorded NCAA provisional marks. Middleton produced a time of 8:07.38 in the 3000m race while Patterson registered a 7.38 clip in the 55m high hurdles. Other victories included Bonelle in the mile (4:08.47) and Richard Palmer in the triple jump (46'-9.75").
The Eagles won nine events at the EMU Classic in preparation for the MAC Invitational meet. Inside Bowen Field House, McMullen PR'd in the 800 in 1:51.23 while Asinga captured the 400 invitational in 48.68. Also on the track, both the shuttle hurdle relay team, 800m relay, and 1600m relay.
Parks' group had little trouble winning the indoor league meet, putting up 166.3 points to Western's 143.3. Kevin Lawson was solid for the Green and Gold as he notched victories in the 55m dash (6.31) and 200m dash (21.14) with the 200 time being a new meet, field house, and varsity record. Also on the track, Eastern went 1-2-4 in the mile led by McMullen (4:09.48) and 1-3-4 in the 800 with Asinga hitting 1:50.57. In the field, football star Eddie Nwagbaraocha took the shot put with a distance of 52'-8.25" while Joe Grassman cleared 15'-11" in the pole vault for fourth.
The NCAA Indoor Championships were once again held in Indianapolis where three individuals and a relay squad from Parks' team made the trip. Lawson unfortunately was disqualified for a lane violation in the 200m race. His time of 21.30 would have made the final. Middleton ran tough in the 3000m race, ultimately rounding out the top-10 in 8:18.27. Asinga was a formidable force in the 800m, notching a fourth-place finish in 1:50.30. But there was still hope for the 3200m relay team.
Going into the 4x800m race, Parks knew that he had an intimidating group of runners who served as elite middle-distance specialists that could hang with anyone in the country. In the prelims, the Eagles ran 7:27.54 for second in their heat behind George Mason (7:26.37). Florida and Villanova were regarded as the teams to beat, but the Green and Gold had other plans. Lowe ran the first leg and managed to create some separation before handing the baton off to McMullen. McMullen ran the first 400m in 54 seconds, trailing Florida, then picked up his pace to eclipse a split of 1:47.4 as he pulled away from the Gators. Rhymer had a 20-yard lead after the handoff and took off with a split 1:50.1 as Florida attempted to close in. Asinga clocked in at 55 seconds in his first lap but sprinted the last section to win by .82 over UF, running a total time of 7:19.13 as a team.
The team carried this momentum into the outdoor season as the Eagles won 10-of-13 running events at the Ohio University Invitational. In Athens, Ohio, Eastern edged Kent State, 195.5-182.5. Parks' group placed in all events except the hammer and shot put, but were outscored in the throwing event 2-56. On the track, Lawson won the 100 (10.5) and 200 (21.4), Asinga clinched the 400 title (47.9), and Jeske captured the 5000 (14:39.6).
Later in the season, the team trekked to Kalamazoo for a quadrangular against CMU, MSU, and WMU. The Eagles edged the Broncos 78-75 for the victory, going 1-2 in both the 400m and 800m races. McMullen ran 4:00.0 flat in the former while Rhymer earned gold in the latter with a 1:55.0 time. In the field, Palmer launched himself 47-5.25" (1st) in the triple jump and 23'-2.75" (2nd) in the long jump.
Prior to the beginning of the Drake Relays, Coach Parks was inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame for his efforts and performances as a student-athlete and coach. The trip would mark his 29th time at the relays, and perhaps his team's best showing. The Eagles won four events against a large pool of competition with Patterson in the 110m hurdles, McMullen in the 1500m, the 3200m relay, and the sprint medley relay.
At the MAC Outdoor Championships, the team had a solid showing on the first day by earning 18 points in the 10,000m race with Middleton (1st - 30:19.01) and Jeske (3rd - 30:24.74). However, the second day of competition did not go so great. While many tracksters qualified for the finals, the field participants underperformed, resulting in a 62.5-35 Miami lead over EMU heading into the third day.
Asinga captured his third 800m MAC crown in 1:51.24 while Middleton won the 5000m in 14:52.99 to keep Eastern Michigan in the competition. However, upsets and subpar performances resulted in EMU falling to Miami, 137-159. Despite failing to win the MAC title, Eastern had four tracksters qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In New Orleans, La., Middleton, a Brit, did not handle the southern heat well as he didn't make it past the preliminary round with a 5000m time of 14:59.82. Asinga and Rhymer both had decent outings in the 800 but failed to make it to the finals. Lastly, McMullen was strong in the 1500m race as earned eighth in 3:42.15 to conclude the 1993 outdoor season.
At the 24th annual EMU Open, Dominic Middleton finished first in 19:46.4, winning by over 20 seconds. Mark Dailey (6th) and Todd Lippin (7th) finished soon after in 20:25 and 20:36, respectively. Weeks later, the group traveled to Kalamazoo for a double-dual meet with Ball State and Western Michigan. On the tough Arcadia course, Dailey managed to take second in 25:12 while four other Eagles notched top-10 spots to secure the double-victory, defeating BSU, 20-39, and WMU, 22-34.
The team then ventured to the Notre Dame Invitational to take on more solid Midwestern competition. Clive Bonelle paced EMU in the 8K race in 24:56 for 11th place while several others earned top-25 spots. There was only a 25-second gap between Eastern's top-five five runners as it placed third with 95 points, behind Notre Dame (75) and Malone (89).
The MAC cross country title race was held on a frigid and windy day in Kent, Ohio. Despite the poor weather, Parks' group achieved a score of 30 as they dominated the course. Dailey crossed the finish line in 31:15 for the runner-up spot with Bonelle (31:20) and Mark Kessler (31:24) following closely behind for a 2-3-4 finish. Dan Liedel grabbed eighth (31:39), the same place he finished the year prior. Unfortunately, the Eagles did not bring this momentum into the regional meet as they failed to qualify for the NCAAs. EMU did outrace the rest of the MAC as it took eighth out of 36 teams, but it was not enough to advance. Bonelle paced the Green and Gold as he notched 17th in 31:43.
To kick off the 1992 indoor track & field season, Eastern Michigan hosted the EMU Invitational where Tommy Asinga was the star of the meet. Asinga recorded an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:49.9 in the 800m for first, took the 600-yard run in 1:10.6, then came back with a 48.5 split to anchor the 4x400m relay team (3:18.5). Asinga improved his times at the WMU Relays by hitting 1:49.8 in the 800 and sprinting in a 47.8-second clip in the 1600m relay. Also in Kalamazoo, Jason Masterson registered a school-record weight throw of 61'-4.25" for the event title while Middleton captured the 3000m run in 8:20.4.
At the Notre Dame Invitational, Asinga clinched an automatic qualifying mark as he crossed the finish line in 1:47.4 for the third-fastest time in program history. Middleton continued to improve as he PRd in the 3000m while Paul McMullen produced a mile time of 4:16.56.
The final tune-up before the MAC indoor meet was the EMU Classic where Masterson once again won the weight throw competition with a heave of 60'-8.75". The quartet of Kurt Bartel, Rick Carr, Middleton, and Bonelle earned gold in the 3200m relay in 7:47.99 while Agustin Tello, Arno Nortan, Carl Lowe, and Asinga took the 1600 in 3:17.5.
Eastern dominated the indoor league meet, tallying 189 points to runner-up Central Michigan's 116. Rich Palmer won the long jump with a bound of 23'-7.5" while teammate Will Harber grabbed the triple jump crown at 50'-7.5". On the track, the Eagles, who have become middle-distance juggernauts, swept the 800m and mile races. Furthermore, Parks' runners won the 3000m (Middleton - 8:17.5) and the 5000m (Jason Jeske - 14:37.8).
Parks took Asinga and Middleton to the NCAAs in Indianapolis where both put on a solid showing. Asinga placed sixth in the 800m race in 1:47.70 while Middleton set a school record in the 5000m race by achieving a 13:49.16 time to also take sixth.
EMU opened up the outdoor season in Oxford, Ohio, for the Ohio University Invitational where 26 out of the 30 Eagles in attendance scored. The team went 1-2-3 in the 400 and 800 and notched victories in two relays to score 215 points to runner-up Kent State. In the mitten, Parks' group faced off against Central Michigan and Western Michigan in a double-dual meet in Mount Pleasant, Mich., defeating both squads. The Green and Gold went 1-2 in the 200, 800, 5000, and steeplechase for the victory.
In preparation for MACs, the team went to Des Moines, Iowa for the famous Drake Relays. Eastern took home the title in the 4x800 with Carl Warren, McMullen, Greg Rhymer, and Asinga in 7:27.18. Asinga came back to win the 800m invitational race in 1:49.34 while Rhymer was fourth in the college division with a time of 1:53.96.
The Eagles took care of business at the MAC Outdoor Championships in Toledo, Ohio as they finished with 149.5 points to Western's 135.5 for EMU's seventh-straight league outdoor title and the 10th in the past 11 years. In the second-to-last race of the day, Middleton (14:34.39) and Jeske (14:34.68) went 1-2 in the 500m race to help secure the trophy. Also on the track, McMullen captured the 1500 in a flashy 3:50.25 clip. Eric Repress had a busy outdoor competition as he ran a PR 51.58 for fifth in the intermediate hurdles and ran a leg in a pair of relays.
Asinga moved on to the NCAA title meet in Austin, Texas, where he competed in the 800m race. He ultimately recorded a time of 1:48.55, not quite fast enough to make it to the finals, thus ending EMU's outdoor track & field season.
The Eagles were once again picked to finish first in the MAC coaches' preseason cross country poll. The team had lost three All-MAC runners in Dailey, Kessler, and Liedel, but still returned a strong team led by Middleton and Warren, and others. Eastern Michigan opened up the season at the University of Detroit Invitational held at Cass Benton Park in Northville, Mich. There, Bonelle set a four-mile course record in 20:01 first while Warren and Jeff Grainger were third (20:32) and fourth (20:35), respectively.
In a triple-dual meet against Ball State, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan, the Green and Gold topped them all. At the Cardinal Hills course in Muncie, Ind., Middleton and Warren went 1-2 with four other harriers finishing in the top-15. Despite the rain, there was only a 1:19 gap between the team's first six finishers, a good sign for things to come.
Eastern then took on Big Ten competition at the Forest Acres Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich. as it took on Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. The Eagles ran great, taking three of the first four positions as Middleton paced the group in 24:36. However, the Wolverines put seven runners between Parks' third and fourth to secure the victory with 34 points to the Eagles' 38.
The MAC title race was held at the Cardinals Hills course that year, which was great for EMU having run on it recently. The meet was fairly one-sided as Middleton (24:12) and Bonelle (24:25) went 1-2 and placed four in the top-seven. Parks' also saw likely the best 7-man finish in his coaching career as all seven crossed the finish line for a top-20 placement. This was also the first time since 1976 that an Eastern harrier captured the individual title.
The seasoned group moved on to the NCAA regional race in Bloomington, Ind. where Parks' team remained resilient. The Eagles grabbed fourth overall with 115 points to give them a shot at qualifying for the national championship meet with Middleton placing eighth in 31:24.7. The next-best MAC institution was Ohio University who took 13 on the hilly course.
EMU made the big dance as an at-large bid given its sound body of work throughout the season, the first time it had been there since 1985. The race was held on the same course as the regional meet, which helped the Green and Gold harriers. The Eagles ultimately ran decent, but not as well as hoped for. Middleton narrowly missed out on achieving All-American status by crossing the finish line in 28th (31:43.4) on the 10K course. Bonelle was 72nd in 32:32, running a tough race despite being under the weather that week. The team finished 17th overall in the team standings with 375 points to wrap up the fall.
Early on in the indoor season, the tracksters took on the Wolverines and others at the Michigan Relays. There, Middleton and Tiberia Patterson both recorded NCAA provisional marks. Middleton produced a time of 8:07.38 in the 3000m race while Patterson registered a 7.38 clip in the 55m high hurdles. Other victories included Bonelle in the mile (4:08.47) and Richard Palmer in the triple jump (46'-9.75").
The Eagles won nine events at the EMU Classic in preparation for the MAC Invitational meet. Inside Bowen Field House, McMullen PR'd in the 800 in 1:51.23 while Asinga captured the 400 invitational in 48.68. Also on the track, both the shuttle hurdle relay team, 800m relay, and 1600m relay.
Parks' group had little trouble winning the indoor league meet, putting up 166.3 points to Western's 143.3. Kevin Lawson was solid for the Green and Gold as he notched victories in the 55m dash (6.31) and 200m dash (21.14) with the 200 time being a new meet, field house, and varsity record. Also on the track, Eastern went 1-2-4 in the mile led by McMullen (4:09.48) and 1-3-4 in the 800 with Asinga hitting 1:50.57. In the field, football star Eddie Nwagbaraocha took the shot put with a distance of 52'-8.25" while Joe Grassman cleared 15'-11" in the pole vault for fourth.
The NCAA Indoor Championships were once again held in Indianapolis where three individuals and a relay squad from Parks' team made the trip. Lawson unfortunately was disqualified for a lane violation in the 200m race. His time of 21.30 would have made the final. Middleton ran tough in the 3000m race, ultimately rounding out the top-10 in 8:18.27. Asinga was a formidable force in the 800m, notching a fourth-place finish in 1:50.30. But there was still hope for the 3200m relay team.
Going into the 4x800m race, Parks knew that he had an intimidating group of runners who served as elite middle-distance specialists that could hang with anyone in the country. In the prelims, the Eagles ran 7:27.54 for second in their heat behind George Mason (7:26.37). Florida and Villanova were regarded as the teams to beat, but the Green and Gold had other plans. Lowe ran the first leg and managed to create some separation before handing the baton off to McMullen. McMullen ran the first 400m in 54 seconds, trailing Florida, then picked up his pace to eclipse a split of 1:47.4 as he pulled away from the Gators. Rhymer had a 20-yard lead after the handoff and took off with a split 1:50.1 as Florida attempted to close in. Asinga clocked in at 55 seconds in his first lap but sprinted the last section to win by .82 over UF, running a total time of 7:19.13 as a team.
The team carried this momentum into the outdoor season as the Eagles won 10-of-13 running events at the Ohio University Invitational. In Athens, Ohio, Eastern edged Kent State, 195.5-182.5. Parks' group placed in all events except the hammer and shot put, but were outscored in the throwing event 2-56. On the track, Lawson won the 100 (10.5) and 200 (21.4), Asinga clinched the 400 title (47.9), and Jeske captured the 5000 (14:39.6).
Later in the season, the team trekked to Kalamazoo for a quadrangular against CMU, MSU, and WMU. The Eagles edged the Broncos 78-75 for the victory, going 1-2 in both the 400m and 800m races. McMullen ran 4:00.0 flat in the former while Rhymer earned gold in the latter with a 1:55.0 time. In the field, Palmer launched himself 47-5.25" (1st) in the triple jump and 23'-2.75" (2nd) in the long jump.
Prior to the beginning of the Drake Relays, Coach Parks was inducted into the Drake Relays Coaches Hall of Fame for his efforts and performances as a student-athlete and coach. The trip would mark his 29th time at the relays, and perhaps his team's best showing. The Eagles won four events against a large pool of competition with Patterson in the 110m hurdles, McMullen in the 1500m, the 3200m relay, and the sprint medley relay.
At the MAC Outdoor Championships, the team had a solid showing on the first day by earning 18 points in the 10,000m race with Middleton (1st - 30:19.01) and Jeske (3rd - 30:24.74). However, the second day of competition did not go so great. While many tracksters qualified for the finals, the field participants underperformed, resulting in a 62.5-35 Miami lead over EMU heading into the third day.
Asinga captured his third 800m MAC crown in 1:51.24 while Middleton won the 5000m in 14:52.99 to keep Eastern Michigan in the competition. However, upsets and subpar performances resulted in EMU falling to Miami, 137-159. Despite failing to win the MAC title, Eastern had four tracksters qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In New Orleans, La., Middleton, a Brit, did not handle the southern heat well as he didn't make it past the preliminary round with a 5000m time of 14:59.82. Asinga and Rhymer both had decent outings in the 800 but failed to make it to the finals. Lastly, McMullen was strong in the 1500m race as earned eighth in 3:42.15 to conclude the 1993 outdoor season.
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