Exciting 2016 UMAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships set to begin Friday
ST. PAUL, Minn.---The College of St. Scholastica has proven to be a track and field powerhouse within the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) winning all six indoor championship events since it was introduced in 2010. The Saints will look to make it seven-straight, but will face a challenge from first-year host and competitor University of Wisconsin-Superior beginning Friday at Lydia S. Thering Fieldhouse in Superior, Wisconsin.
The Saints return a several standout performers from a year ago, but Wisconsin-Superior brings athletes with challenging marks and competitive experience. The University of Minnesota Morris – runner-up a year ago – also has several athletes who should mix into the standings with the two top teams.
Leading the way for the Saints will be reigning 2015 Field Athlete of the Meet Corey Anderson who owns the top seeds in all three jump events. Last year, Anderson set a meet record in the high jump and ranks 47th in Division III this season with a mark of 1.95 meters (6-4.75). He also won the triple jump a year ago.
The top competition between the Saints and the Yellowjackets will come in the throws events where reigning weight throw and shot put champion Jeremy Peterson will look to defend his title. The Saints’ senior currently ranks fourth nationally in the weight throw with a mark of 18.18 meters (59-7.75), while he is seeded second in the shot put behind Wisconsin-Superior’s Thomas Udenberg who ranks 11th nationally with a mark of 16.35 meters (53-7.75) and will challenge for the title.
The distance races should provide fans with entertainment as 2015 UMAC cross country individual champion Charles Corbett headlines multiple events heading into the meet. The Wisconsin-Superior senior standout owns the top seeds in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs. His time of 14:40.41 in the 5,000-meter ranks 15th-best in Division III, while his 3,000-meter clocking of 8:30.41 ranks 26th.
Corbett will be challenged in both distance events by senior teammate Jackson Lindquist and reigning 2015 Field Athlete of the Meet Owen Richardson from Bethany Lutheran College who set a new meet record last season. Lindquist, however, currently edges out Corbett in the mile by nearly a second. Both Yellowjacket runners could make a bid for a new meet record as well.
The sprints should also provide thrilling finishes with intense battles between the Saints’ multi-event stud Kevin Wagner and Minnesota Morris’ Justin Terry. As a sophomore, Wagner will look to defend his crown in the 200-meter dash, but Terry and Bethany Lutheran’s Kevin Harris both hold faster times this season.
In the 60-meter dash, reigning champion Terry owns the top time with Wagner just on his heels entering the meet. Wagner is on pace to set a new meet record in the 60-meter hurdles – his top seed time of 8.44 currently ranks 42nd in all of Division III. In addition to his sprint abilities, Wagner also leads the conference in the pole vault and ranks third in Division III in the heptathlon – an event not held at the UMAC championships.
Junior Kyle Anenson of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul returns to defend his title in the 400-meter run but will face several challengers in the field with higher seeds entering Friday’s meet. St. Scholastica senior Luke McKenzie will also look for another title in the 800-meter run with the top time entering the meet.
In addition to Wisconsin-Superior joining the UMAC meet in 2016, Crown College will also make its first appearance in the championships.
The UMAC Indoor Track and Field Championships are set to begin Friday with running and field events at 6 p.m. Day two of the championships are slated to start at 12 p.m. on Saturday. All meet information including ticket information, meet schedule, meet information and more can be found on the UMAC championship site.
Live results and
scoreboard will be provided by Hero’s Timing. Fans can also keep up with the meet app for smartphones available for download at
www.herostiming.com.
Keep up with all of the tournament action on
Twitter and
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#UMACchamp.
2016 UMAC Championship site