Men's Indoor Track and Field | 2/26/2020 10:11:30 AM
Alfred University, Hartwick College, Houghton College, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher and Utica College will compete at the 2020 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29 from the Kerr-Pegula Field House on the campus of Houghton. Friday’s action will start at 3:30 p.m., while Saturday’s events commence at 10:30 a.m. There will be a new league champion crowned.
Live results will be available throughout the two-day event. For more on this year's championship - including entries, results, and updated information - please head to the
Championship Central page.
2020 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2019 Championship Finish)
Utica just missed winning its first Empire 8 title last season and will be a strong contender to earn the crown in 2020. Senior Ka’Sean Washington will be a strong contender for titles in the 60-meter dash, as well as the long and triple jump. Washington, the defending Empire 8 Champion in the triple jump, has the 22nd best mark in the event this season (14.26 meters). He also enters the championship meet with the top leap in the long jump to date among all Empire 8 student-athletes (6.74 meters). Fellow senior Mitchell Marlow, the 2019 Empire 8 Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, enters the championship with the top times in the E8 in both the mile (4:21.77) and 3,000-meters (8:51.48). Junior Kyle Engelhart will also look to contend in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter run. The Pioneers have a strong group of sprinters, including Zuriel Wright, Sei Sei, and Justin Garrett, with Hunter Reed contending in the 800-meters. Senior Kyle Swiecki is Utica’s top contender in the hurdles and can score points in the jumps and pole vault. Classmate Chase Pecoraro is the current E8 leader in the pole vault and will contend in the high jump. In addition to Washington, Utica has several strong contenders in the long and triple jump events, including Jacob Pishkula, Wright and Sei. Throwers Zack Leader, Jacob Barnes, Andrew Mucica and Antwan Kelly are among the current E8 leaders in both events.
St. John Fisher is looking for its third Empire 8 crown in 2020, having also won in 2014-15 and 2017-18. The Cardinals enter the meet with the top performer in 12 of 16 events. Senior Eddie Mahana and junior Kyle Rollins return as the reigning Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year, respectively. Mahana currently has the fifth fastest time nationally in the 60-meter hurdles (8.11 seconds) and 27th best time in the 400-meters (49.85 seconds). He is also the defending E8 Champion in both events. Rollins is the national leader in the high jump (2.15 meters) and is ninth nationally in the triple jump (14.61 meters). He is the two-time defending league champion in the high jump and won the triple jump in 2018. Daniel Norris, Jonah Dean and Grant Stokoe, along with Mahana will look to score big points in the sprint events. Stokoe is also a standout in the middle-distance events, while Bernard Dauost and Andrew Ford will contend in both distance races. Phoenix Palmer is among the E8 leaders in the pole vault, while Ryan Desautels, Chase Corcoran and Leyton Miner give the Cardinals a strong trio in the throws. Corcoran is 33rd nationally in the weight throw (17.14 meters).
Host
Houghton will look for a top-three team finish. Senior Tyler Deuschle, the 2019 E8 Champion in the 5,000-meters, is a strong contender in all three distance events. In addition, teammates Dylan Beckhorn, Dillon Bell, John Vernick, Dominik Sullivan and Dave Russo will also contribute in the distance races. Sprinters Nate Zedomi and Jerome Houston, along with Micah Williams and Malachi Yeager can provide a spark for the Highlanders. Dan Burdo is a strong middle-distance competitor as well. Yeager is also a contender in all three jumps and the pole vault. Caleb Pettit will also look to score points for Houghton in the throws.
Alfred enters the 2020 Empire 8 Championship looking to improve off of last season’s fifth place finish. Angel Blake and George Mecca will look to excel in the sprints and hurdles events, while John Fedison, Kyle Jenkins and Grant Baldwin can contribute in the middle-distance races. Papa Dioum, Daniel Wiener will battle in the jumps, while Saul McCoy is a top contender in both the shot put and weight throw. Waltman is also Hartwick’s top contender in the pole vault
Nazareth is looking for its first Empire 8 indoor track and field title. Connor McCauslin is Nazareth’s top sprinter, while Matt Johnson, Jason Hall, Nathan Bowers, Mike Welch and Calvin Garnes will look to score valuable points in the middle-distance events. Bowers, the 2019 E8 Cross Country Rookie of the Year, will also be a top contender in the distance races. First-year Kaleb Luton, a 2020 E8 Athlete of the Week, is a dual threat in both the 60-meter hurdles and long and triple jump events. Fellow freshman Bryce Florian enters the championship with the second highest vault among all E8 student-athletes.
Hartwick, a second-year program, will compete in its second E8 Championship. Sean Waltman will contend for points in the sprints and hurdles, as will Omar Nelson in the middle-distance races. Mark Garceau enters the meet as the Hawks top distance performer. Waltman is also Hartwick’s best student-athlete in the pole vault. Nate Benjamin will compete for points in the long jump and triple jump, while Azyhkei Allen will compete in the throwing events.
Current 2019-20 Empire 8 Top Performances
60-meter dash – Daniel Norris, St. John Fisher – :7.02
200-meter dash – Jonah Dean, St. John Fisher – :23.06
400-meter dash – Eddie Mahana, St. John Fisher – :49.85
800-meter run – Grant Stokoe, St. John Fisher – 1:57.52
Mile run – Mitchell Marlow, Utica – 4:21.77
3,000-meter run – Mitchell Marlow, Utica – 8:51.48
5,000-meter run – Bernard Daoust, St. John Fisher – 15:25.77
60-meter hurdles – Eddie Mahana, St. John Fisher – :8.11
4 x 400-meter relay – St. John Fisher – 3:25.98
Distance Medley relay – St. John Fisher – 10:48.68
High Jump – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher – 2.15 meters (7’0.5”)
Long Jump – Ka’Sean Washington, Utica – 6.74 meters (22’1.5”)
Triple Jump – Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher – 14.61 meters (47’11.25”)
Pole Vault – Chase Pecoraro, Utica – 4.35 meters (14’3.25”)
Shot Put – Ryan Desautels, St. John Fisher – 14.96 meters (49’1”)
Weight Throw – Chase Corcoran, St. John Fisher – 17.14 meters (56’3”)
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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