Men's Indoor Track and Field | 1/12/2022 10:48:35 AM
St. John Fisher College will look to earn its third straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2021 men’s indoor track and field season ramps up this month. The Empire 8 Championship will take place at Utica College on Friday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, Feb. 26. Below are two athletes to watch from each institution.
Athletes to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Institution)
George Mecca, Alfred, Jr., Middle Distance, Derby, NY/Eden – Mecca earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2021 Outdoor Championships and will be a contender for individual honors in both the 400- and 800-meters during the indoor season.
Neil Peters, Alfred, Jr., Sprints/Jumps, Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton – Peters is a standout in the sprint events for the Saxons and will compete for a league title in the 60-meter dash.
Ross Arvin, Hartwick, So., Throws, Richmondville, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville – Arvin is expected to excel in the throwing events for the Hawks this season as he makes his NCAA debut.
Omar Nelson, Hartwick, Sr., Middle Distance, Oneonta, NY/Oneonta – Nelson specializes in the 800-meter run and has also been a part of Hartwick’s 4 x 400-meter and distance medley relay teams.
Dave Russo, Houghton, Sr., Distance, Depew, NY/Depew – Russo is a standout in the 5,000-meters and currently has the 36th fastest time nationally in the event this season. He will also look to lead Houghton’s distance medley relay team.
Malachi Yeager, Houghton, Sr., Sprints/Jumps, Tennyson, IN/Heritage Hills – Yeager is a dual standout in both the 60-meters and jumping events. He was fourth in the high jump and sixth in the long jump at the 2020 E8 Championships and sixth in the long jump last season.
Kaleb Luton, Nazareth, Jr., Hurdles/Jumps, Amherst, NY/Sweet Home – Luton currently has the second fastest time among all Division III student-athletes in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.18 seconds in 2021-22. He is the defending E8 Outdoor Champion in the 110-meter hurdles and will also be a strong contender in both the long and triple jump events.
Connor McCauslin, Nazareth, Jr., Sprints/Hurdles, Albany, NY/Colonie – McCauslin is the defending Empire 8 Indoor Champion in both the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles. He begins 2021-22 with the 25th fastest time nationally in the 60-meter hurdles (8.55).
John Coddington, Russell Sage, Jr., Throws, Amsterdam, NY/Broadalbin-Perth – Coddington has already broken Russell Sage’s school records in both the weight toss and shot put this season and is ranked 38th nationally (14.01 meters) in the shot put and 44th in the weight throw (15.12 meters).
Dominic Nova, Russell Sage, So., Middle Distance, Rensselaer, NY/Columbia – Nova was the 2021 Empire 8 Indoor Rookie of the Meet, earning runner-up honors (All-Empire 8 second team accolades) in both the 800-meters and mile run.
Jonah Dean, St. John Fisher, Jr., Sprints, Webster, NY/Webster Thomas – Dean is the defending Empire 8 Indoor Champion in both the 200- and 400-meter events and is a contender in the 60-meters as well. Overall, he is a seven-time All-Empire 8 selection.
Kyle Rollins, St. John Fisher, Gr., Jumps, Groveland, NY/Geneseo, NY – Rollins is perhaps the most decorated track and field athlete in Empire 8 history. Rollins, who is the two-time defending Division III National Champion in the high jump will look to become the first five-time E8 Indoor Champion in the high jump. He swept all three jumping events during both the 2021 E8 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Rollins, the 2018 Empire 8 Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year, is the three-time reigning Field Athlete of the Year.
Daijon Richards, Utica, So., Sprints, Mount Vernon, NY/Mount Vernon – Richards was the 2021 Empire 8 Outdoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year and Co-Track Athlete of the Meet. He is a standout in the sprint events.
Zuriel Wright, Utica, Jr., Jumps, Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial – Wright was the 2020 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Rookie of the Year. He was the runner-up in the long jump in 2020 and was third in the high jump last spring. In addition, Wright currently has the seventh best performance in the high jump (2.01 meters) in Division III this season.
Final Spring 2021 Empire 8 Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championship Results
St. John Fisher – 213 Points – League Champions
Nazareth – 143
Utica – 59
Houghton – 53
Russell Sage – 18
Alfred – 10
^ Hartwick did not compete during the Spring 2021 season.
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
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