Setting the Field

We brought 23 competitors to the Drake Relays this past weekend and overall it was a decent showing. The only people to do open events were Beth Zimmerman and Samia Taylor in the triple jump, and myself in the high jump. Beth had a respectable jump of 12.25m (40’3.25") but that failed to get her into finals. I jumped 2.10m (6’10.75") for the second meet in a row and tied for ninth place.

We also had our men’s and women’s Distance Medley Relay teams break school records this weekend at Drake. On the men’s side the team of Jake Reilly, Tyler Bucholz, Ryan Wier, and John Simons ran a time of 9:57.79, eclipsing the old record of 10:03.87. It was their first time running together all season and on a stage as big as Drake, I would say that’s pretty impressive. The most impressive split came from Tyler, splitting at 46.8 seconds for the 400m leg! On the women’s side the team of Tanaiya Fisher, Erika Hanson, Kristi Schuette, and Elise Sigg ran a time of 11:57.34, beating the old school record of 12:07.18.

And now, here’s a team-by-team preview of this weekend’s Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championships:

For Milwaukee, the conference meet is shaping up to be very interesting. We are looking for our 6th straight indoor and outdoor title! In my opinion it’s going to take a lot to stop us, but I know all the other teams are more than ready to step up to the challenge. Tyler Bucholz is still looking really strong and the favorite to win in both the 200m and 400m dashes. Like I said last week he has set himself up really well to go sub-21 seconds in the 200m and sub-47 seconds in the 400m. John Simons has had himself a great freshman season so far and is looking to "PR" in the 5K this weekend. He has a tough job ahead of him going against some great runners, but he is a good competitor and can step up to the challenge. Another freshman that has a chance to have a big meet and turn some heads is Ryan Weir in the 800m. He’s currently ranked 4th in the event but has the ability to run much faster and make the 800m a good race to watch. In the horizontal jumps, Jake Whitewater among the top triple and long jumpers in the conference. He is going to have great competition in both events. I’m also looking to complete my undefeated Horizon League mark in the high jump, and trying to repeat my indoor performance as long jump champ. Also, with all the relays and other competitors, we are going to be scoring some big points this weekend.

Butler’s biggest strength is their distance team. They have some outstanding runners on their squad, with Kris Gauson being the favorite in the 800m. Rob Mullett, Gauson, and Joe Macdonald the leaders in the 1,500m. Macdonald is also the favorite in the 5K. Madison Roeder and Justin Roeder lead the 10K. Finally, Stephen Lisgo and Mullett lead the 3,000m Steeplechase. Even with all those leading times it’s going to be very hard for them to win the whole meet with only distance runners... but that won’t stop them from trying.

Youngstown State’s strength mainly comes from their throws. They have the top spot in the Shot Put with Aaron Merrill then after him they hold spots 3 through 8. They also have the top two spots in the Discus with Sam Cassano and Paul Yohman, then after them the Penguins hold spots 5 through 8. Finally, in the Hammer Throw, they have spots 1,5, and 6. They also have a decent sprint squad with Adam Kagarise leading the charge. Plus, they have the second-seeded High Jumper in Brain Ehrhardt.

UIC has leaders in the 100m dash, 110m Hurdles, Pole Vault and the Triple Jump. Their stud on the team has to be Andy Wall, who leads the conference in the 110 hurdles and the Triple Jump, plus is ranked 3rd in the high jump. They also have some potential big points coming from their 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams. These guys are a seemingly young team with some potential for the future.

Valpo’s best events come out of the horizontal jumps. Jerrett Mickens leads the long jump and is second in the triple jump going into the meet. They also have Vinnie Liuzzo who leads the conference in the Javelin and Nick Babbitt who is second in the Hammer Throw. They are going to find it hard to pick up points outside of those events.

Loyola is looking to pick up some big points in the 400m hurdles with Tom Andreoni, Ramunas Stanciauskas, and Jon Christ seeded 1,2 and 5 in the event. They also expect some points from Erik Hernandez in the Shot Put and Hammer Throw. Their distance crew looks pretty strong with Josh Stein seeded 3rd in the 5K and 4th in the 1,500m. They also have a good freshman, Declan Murray, seeded 2nd in the 800m.

Detroit’s strength normally comes from their sprints. They don’t have anyone leading any events but they can pick up some sneaky points with a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishes. A person that is always capable of having a great meet and putting up some big points is Lesley Hannah. He is always one of the top 200m and 400m sprinters along with being a top high jumper. Plus he is on all of their relay teams. If he has a good meet... their whole team has a good meet.

There are a ton of athletes unaccounted for in this preview, but I’m just giving you a glimpse. Anything can happen at the conference meet and I’m looking forward for the annual surprises. I have a feeling this year there will be many conference records broken. And, I just want to say good luck to all the teams and I hope everyone does their best. Lets show the nation what the Horizon League can do!