Men's Indoor Track and Field | 3/19/2020 9:57:52 AM
The St. John Fisher College duo of senior Eddie Mahana and junior Kyle Rollins both earned Athlete of the Year awards for the second consecutive season, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2019-20 Men’s Indoor Track and Field All-Conference awards on Thursday, March 19. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Mahana was named the Empire 8 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. He recorded the fastest time regionally and third fastest nationally in the 60-meter hurdles after recording a meet record time of 8.02 seconds at the Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Championship on Feb. 28 at Houghton. Mahana enjoyed another banner Empire 8 Championship meet, also winning the 400-meter dash (50.20 seconds), while helping lead Fisher’s 4 x 400-meter relay team to victory in 3:25.13.
Mahana was set to compete in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships for the third straight season. He was an All-American in this same event last year during the indoor season and was a two-time All-American (110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles) at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Rollins, the 2020 Empire 8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet, earned his second straight Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Year award. Previously, Rollins garnered All-Atlantic Region honors in both the high jump and triple jump. Rollins had the best high jump performance in the region and was second overall in Division III, after a program-best tying effort of 2.15 meters, set at the 2020 Brockport Multi meet on Feb. 8. The defending outdoor national champion in the high jump, Rollins placed fourth in the high jump at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship and was runner-up last year. Overall, Rollins is a four-time All-American in the event.
Rollins also had the third best triple jump in the region and ninth best performance nationally at 14.61 meters, also set in Brockport on Feb. 8. He earned E8 Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet honors after winning the high jump, long jump and triple jump at the league championship on Feb. 28-29 at Houghton. He was looking to earn All-American honors in both jumping events at the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Utica’s Zuriel Wright was named the 2019-20 Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Rookie of the Year. Wright enjoyed an excellent performance at the 2019-20 Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship at Houghton on Feb. 28-29, recording three personal bests. Wright finished second overall to earn All-Empire 8 second team honors in the long jump, with a leap of 6.81 meters. He was fifth overall in the triple jump, recording a leap of 13.55 meters and crossed the finish line of the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.22 seconds. Wright was named the Empire 8 Field Athlete of the Week on Feb. 17.
St. John Fisher head coach Mike Henchen and his staff was named the 2020 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Cardinals won their third Empire 8 Indoor Track & Field Championship in program history and second in the last three years. St. John Fisher was ranked 13th nationally in the most recent USTFCCCA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Rating Index. Overall, the Cardinals and had 11 different student-athletes earn All-Conference honors.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2019-20 Men's Indoor Track & Field Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
To be named an E8 All-Conference selection, a student athlete must have finished in the top two of an event at the Conference's Championship Meet. Winners of the event are named to the First Team, while the Second Team is comprised of the runner-up from each event.
2019-20 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track & Field Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year: Eddie Mahana, Sr., St. John Fisher
Field Athlete of the Year: Kyle Rollins, Jr., St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Zuriel Wright, Fr., Utica
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by Head Coach Mike Henchen
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Saul McCoy, Jr., Alfred
Nate Benjamin, Sr., Hartwick
Micah Williams, Fr., Houghton
Josh Tomaka, So., Nazareth
Zachary Briggs, Jr., St. John Fisher
Andrew Mucica, Sr., Utica
2019-20 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship All-Conference Selections
60-Meter Dash
First Team: Daniel Norris, Sr., St. John Fisher – :7.01
Second Team: Ka’Sean Washington, Sr., Utica – :7.20
60-Meter Hurdles
First Team: Eddie Mahana, Sr., St. John Fisher – :8.02 (E8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Kyle Rollins, Jr., St. Johhn Fisher – :8.48
200-Meter Dash
First Team: Daniel Norris, Sr., St. John Fisher - :22.55
Second Team: Eddie Mahana, Sr., St. John Fisher - :22.62
400-Meter Dash
First Team: Eddie Mahana, Sr., St. John Fisher – :50.20
Second Team: Jonah Dean, Fr., St. John Fisher – :50.97
800-Meter Run
First Team: Grant Stokoe, So., St. John Fisher – 1:57.46
Second Team: Dan Burdo, Sr., Houghton – 1:57.51
Mile
First Team: Mitchell Marlow, Sr., Utica – 4:27.29
Second Team: Grant Stokoe, So., St. John Fisher – 4:28.88
3,000-Meters
First Team: Mitch Marlow, Sr., Utica – 8:50.21
Second Team: Nathan Bowers, Fr., Nazareth – 8:59.36
5,000-Meters
First Team: Mitchell Marlow, Sr., Utica – 15:33.43
Second Team: Andrew Ford, So., St. John Fisher – 15:40.18
4 x 400-Meter Relay
First Team: Jonah Dean, Fr., Zach Kennedy, Sr., Grant Stokoe, So., Eddie Mahana, Sr., St. John Fisher – 3:25.13
Second Team: Micah Williams, Fr., Dan Burdo, Sr., Aldo Rico, So., Nate Zedomi, Jr., Houghton – 3:27.06
Distance Medley Relay
First Team: Josh Tomaka, So., Mike Welch, Fr., Chris Celecki, Jr., Jason Hall, Sr., Nazareth – 10:58.37
Second Team: Aldo Rico, So., Alex Haines, So., Christian Arbour, Sr., Dave Russo, So., Houghton – 11:08.56
Pole Vault
First Team: Chase Pecoraro, Sr, Utica – 4.25 meters
Second Team: Phoenix Palmer, Fr., St. John Fisher – 4.20 meters
High Jump
First Team: Kyle Rollins, Jr., St. John Fisher – 2.04 meters
Second Team: Savion Joyles, Fr., St. John Fisher – 1.89 meters
Long Jump
First Team: Kyle Rollins, Jr., St. John Fisher – 6.93 meters
Second Team: Zuriel Wright, Fr., Utica – 6.81 meters
Triple Jump
First Team: Kyle Rollins, Jr., St. John Fisher – 14.52 meters (Meet Record)
Second Team: Ka’Sean Washington, Sr., Utica – 14.18 meters
Shot Put
First Team: Ryan Desautels, Jr., St. John Fisher – 14.77 meters
Second Team: Saul McCoy, Jr., Alfred – 14.60 meters
Weight Throw
First Team: Chase Corcoran, Jr., St. John Fisher – 16.38 meters
Second Team: Ryan Desautels, Jr., St. John Fisher – 15.55 meters
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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