The Eastern Michigan University men's outdoor track and
field team notched its 20th Mid-American Conference Championship
in school history May 12 at the Rider Track at Miami (Ohio)
University.
And they did so in dramatic fashion, winning by the closest
margin in the history of the outdoor meet. The Eagles won
with 182 points to win the title, nipping Akron (181 points)
and defending champ Kent State (178). With the outdoor
title, the Eagles completed a sweep of the 2007 season,
having already claimed the indoor championship in February.
 |
MAC CHAMPS: The Eastern Michigan University
track
team poses with their hardware after capturing
the
2007 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track
and Field
Championships at Miami (Ohio) University's
Rider Track.
The outdoor title was EMU's first
since 2002 and its 20th
overall. Coupled with the
women's softball team winning
the MAC Tournament
the same day, it brought to eight
— a record in
the MAC — conference championships in
one year.
Photo courtesy of Scott Kissell,
ITS Photo, Miami University |
The Eagles came into the final day of competition in third
place, but managed to surpass rivals Kent State University
and Akron University during the 4 x 400 relay — the
day's final event.
Less than a second separated the teams during the 4 x
400-meter relay. The Eagles won in a time of 3:09.15, followed
by Kent State (3:09.87) and Akron (3:09.97). Had Akron
finished at least second in the relay, it would have won
the overall meet. Fred Blackwell, Nathan
Blackwell, Donnie Young and Roy
Shavers comprised the winning Eagle team.
"The 4 x 400-meter relay was very exciting. We
led from start to finish, but the race for second place
came down to the tape when Kent passed Akron in the final
step of the race, giving us the one-point victory," said
EMU Head Coach Brad Fairchild, who was named MAC Coach
of the Year. "In a meet that is decided by one point, you
can look back at every performance as being crucial and
the team came through with lifetime bests in the triple
jump, 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles, 200 meters, 400 meters
and shot put, and nearly lifetime bests in the other events."
With three events remaining, Kent State led the meet with
170 points, followed by Akron with 165 and EMU with 144.
The Eagles made their move, scoring 17 points in the 5,000
meters (taking second, third and sixth), 11 points in the
triple jump (taking third and fourth) and then grabbing
the 10 points for winning the 4 x 400-meter relay, Fairchild
said.
 |
TRIPLE THREAT: Eastern Michigan
University's
Corey Nowitze (above, left)
receives the award
for the Most
Oustanding Track Performance at the
MAC
Championships at Miami (Ohio) University
May
12. Nowitze won the 1,500 meters,
the 3,000-meter
steeplechase and placed
second in the 5,000 meters.
Photo courtesy of
Scott Kissell,
ITS Photo, Miami University. |
Senior Corey Nowitzke (Monroe, Mich.)
was awarded the plaque for Most Outstanding Track Performance
of the meet, leading the Eagles with two victories and
a runner-up effort. Nowitzke won the 3000-meter steeplechase
with a time of 8:56.19 (regional qualifying mark) and the
1500 meters in 3:53.66. He also placed second in the 5,000
meters, with a 14:45.46 finish.
The Eagles won two other events during the three-day meet.
Senior Dave Adamek
took top honors in the shot put with a toss of 61-feet,
4.25 inches, surpassing the regional qualifying mark. EMU
also won the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:09.15,
besting the regional mark. It was this relay that put the
Eagles over the top to win the title.
Five Eagles also supplied critical points by placing
second. Sophomore David Brent finished
runner-up in the 800-meters with a time of 1:52.03. Sophomore
Josh Karanja placed second in both the
1,500 meters (3:55.19) and 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:57.96),
the latter a regional qualifying mark. Junior Eric
Alejandro did the same in the 110-meter hurdles
with a time of 14.13 (regional mark). Shavers took second
in the 200 meters in :21.15 seconds, a regional qualifying
time. Finally, senior Adam
Kring took second in the high jump with a leap
of 6-feet-10.75 inches.
Fairchild also pointed to other key contributions, mentioning
Josh Perrin came back to finish sixth
in the 5,000 meters after not being able to finish the
steeplechase due to a fall and injury; and sprinter Shavers
running six races (including preliminary heats) in two
days, and setting personal bests in all of them.
This outdoor title is EMU's first since 2002 and 20th
overall.
Tracksters perform well at nationals
Corey Nowitze placed fifth overall in the
3,00-meter steeplechase (8:34.42) at the NCAA Outdoor Track
and Field Championships June 8, garnering All-American
honors for the second year in a row. Janice Keppler placed
13th overall in the pole vault (12 feet, 9 1/2 inches),
but did not score.
Nowtize advanced to the finals
by running an 8:39.26, good for second in his heat and
third overall, during preliminary heats. Kepler's
effort of 13 feet, 1.5 inches in the pole vault in the
preliminaries advanced her to the finals.
Three EMU trackmen did not make it out
of the preliminaries at nationals. Dave Adamek finished
15th in the shot put (59 feet, 2.75 inches); Eric Alejandro
finished fourth in his heat and 19th overall in the 400-meter
hurdles (:52.51); and Josh Karanja was 19th overall in
the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminaries (8:52.91).
The four male tracksters and one female
had qualified for nationals by virtue of their performance
at the Mideast Regional Competition May 25-26. For the
men, Adamek took second place in the shot put with a heave
of 62 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Nowitze took third in the steeplechase
(8:38.24) and Karanja placed fifth (8:44.83) in the same
event. Alejandro placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles
(:51.63).
Keppler, the Eagles' lone female representative
at regionals, advanced to nationals by virtue of her fourth-place
performance in the pole vault. Keppler won a three-way
tie for fourth place by vaulting 12 feet, 10 inches. — EMU's
Sports Information Department contributed to this report.
