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Cobbers Host MIAC Outdoor Championship Meet
Posted: May 11, 2012

Cobbers Host MIAC Outdoor Championship Meet

 May 11-- For the first time in eight years Concordia will host the MIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet. Fans can keep up-to-date on all the latest previews, news, schedules and results at the official MIAC Championship Meet blog.

MIAC Track & Field Championship Meet Blog

Preview courtesy of Matt Higgins – MIAC Office

MOORHEAD, Minn. — After several surprises a year ago, it's tough to make predictions about the 2012 MIAC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. Saint John's ended St. Thomas' three-year reign atop the conference in one of the closest competitions in recent memory.

The Johnnies were the champ a year ago with a total of 141 points, just four better than Hamline, and SJU was one of five MIAC teams to finish with 100 points or more in an extremely close race at the top. However, the Tommies were bit by the injury bug and were not in triple digits, scoring 77 points and finishing sixth.

Among the big questions heading into this weekend's championship meet in Moorhead is whether or not the Tommies are back in top form and ready to retake the title. Can Saint John's defend? Will Hamline leap to the top spot? Or will Gustavus, Bethel, St. Olaf or another surprise contender make a push for the crown? Will the host Cobbers or Augsburg, Carleton, Saint Mary's or Macalester make a leap into the upper ranks of the standings? As the answers unfold Friday and Saturday, the excitement is expected to be at an all-time high.

Looking at the top returning individuals, there is talent across the board again at the 2012 Championships. St. Thomas was dominant at the indoor championships in March, and with its top three athletes healthy and in the lineup, the Tommies are one of the top contenders for the outdoor title as well. Senior Mike Hutton is seeded first in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run, and he ranks second in the nation in the 800 after winning the national title in the event in the indoor season.

Eyo Ekpo and Ben Sathre are also expected to star for the Tommies. Sathre – the 2011 cross country national champion – has the top time in the 5,000-meter run and the No. 2 time in the 10,000-meter run and is ranked in the top 10 nationally in both. Meanwhile, Ekpo is seeded first in the high jump and second in the triple jump, and was the MIAC champ in the triple in 2010. St. Thomas is already off to a strong start after Maxwell Dunne claimed the MIAC decathlon champion last weekend as UST swept the top three places.

The defending-champion Johnnies have one athlete - Chase Myhran – seeded first heading into the meet. Myhran has the conference's top distance in the long jump this season. However, the Johnnies used a deep, talented lineup to claim the 2011 championship, and have plenty of proficient athletes back to help in the title defense.

Gustavus also returns a talented crew, headlined by Blair Riegel. Last year, Riegel claimed MIAC titles in the 100-yard dash and the long jump, and he returns as the top seed in the 100 and the triple jump, and the No. 2 seed in the long jump. Steve Goskreutz enters with the conference's top time in both the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles, and Josh Owens – the MIAC record holder – leads the field in the pole vault.

Hamline's hopes of moving into the top spot in the team standings are bolstered by top-notch talent in the distance and throwing events. Brennan McKeag is the defending shot put champ, and he enters the 2012 meet as the top seed in the shot and the hammer throw. He ranks in the top 20 in the nation in both events. Jack Diechert returns for the Pipers at the defending champion and the No. 2 seed in the 1,500-meter run, and senior Devin Monson appears set for a pair of memorable showdowns with Sathre in the 5K and 10K. Monson is ranked fourth in Division III in the 10K and enters as the top seed, and he's second in the 5K with the 11th-fastest time in the nation.

Bethel returns a pair of defending champions in Jordon Spronk and Anthony Puckett. Spronk claimed both the 200- and 400-meter dash titles at the 2011 MIAC meet, and he enters the 2012 meet ranked third in the 400, but isn't seeded in the 200. Puckett was the 2011 pole vault champion, and he returns to defend his title seeded fourth.

Other athletes to watch this weekend include St. Olaf's Brian Saksa, who has the conference's top time and the No. 9 time in all of Division III in the 1,500-meter run. Augsburg sprinter Rick Wolke enters the meet as the favorite in the 200, Marcus Huderle of Carleton has the MIAC's top time in the steeplechase this season, and the hometown fans will be closely watching the javelin, where Concordia's Connor Johnson is seeded first.

The 2012 MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will begin Friday in Moorhead with field events starting at 1 p.m. and running events beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday's field events will start at 11:30 a.m. with running events scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The meet's final event will begin Saturday at 5:15 p.m., and a short awards ceremony will follow to honor the men's and women's team champions.