Competitive UMAC Men's Indoor Championship set to start Friday

Competitive UMAC Men's Indoor Championship set to start Friday

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SUPERIOR, Wis.---The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship is set to get underway at the University of Wisconsin-Superior Friday as the host squad looks to hold on to their reign atop the conference that has been established since joining the conference five years ago. The Yellowjackets won the 2019 meet by a large margin, but several other teams should challenge them for the first title of the new decade when the meet concludes Saturday afternoon. 
 
Notables
  • Wisconsin-Superior has won the last three UMAC men's track and field indoor team championships. In 2019, the Yellowjackets won just four total events but used depth to tally 221 points for a 61-point victory. 
  • C.J. Pillath of the University of Wisconsin-Superior spent several weeks of the 2020 indoor season as the nation's top thrower in the weight throw. His mark of 19.17 meters (62-10.75) currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division III. Pillath is the reigning UMAC Field Athlete of the Meet. 
  • Keegan Rich of Bethany Lutheran College is the only other returning athlete to this year's meet that won a major award last year. He was selected Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has continued to shatter his own program records this year. 
  • The College of St. Scholastica tops five of the running events heading into the meet and boasts the top three sprinters in the 60-meter dash.The Saints have not won an indoor championship since 2016. 

Top Performers by Event | Men's Honor Roll |
* indicates 2019 event champion
Event School Name Time/Mark
60-meter dash St. Scholastica Samuel Eben Ebai 6.99
200-meter dash St. Scholastica Jericho Peterson 23.11
400-meter dash St. Scholastica Jericho Peterson 52.12
800-meter run Wisconsin-Superior Eddie Carlson 2:03.40
Mile run Wisconsin-Superior Eddie Carlson 4:26.64
3,000-meter run St. Scholastica Isaac Boedigheimer 8:52.25
5,000-meter run St. Scholastica Isaac Boedigheimer 15:18.31
60-meter hurdles Bethany Lutheran Keegan Rich 8.78
High jump Wisconsin-Superior Brett Goplen 1.80m (5-10.75)
Pole vault Minnesota Morris Zion Zaloudek 3.96m (12-11.75)
Long jump Bethany Lutheran Keegan Rich 6.62m  (21-8.75)
Triple jump Bethany Lutheran Jake Marzinske 13.93m (45-8.5)
Weight throw Wisconsin-Superior C.J. Pillath* 19.17m (62-10.75)
Shot Put Wisconsin-Superior C.J. Pillath* 16.02m (52-6.75)


Important Meet Information and Links
  • Location: University of Wisconsin-Superior, Lydia Therig Fieldhouse (Marcovich Wellness Center)
  • Friday, Feb. 28 - 2:30 p.m. field events start, 3:30 p.m. running events start
  • Saturday, Feb. 29 - 11 a.m. field events start, 12 p.m. running events start
  • Championships Site
  • Team Previews |
  • Meet Program 
 

Team Previews
| BLC | CC | CSS | NCU | UMM | UNW | UWS |

Bethany Lutheran College
Michael Dunn | 5th season |
 
2019 Championships
| 5th | 60 points |
 
Performers to Watch
  • Keegan Rich, So. | 2019 UMAC Indoor Triple Jump Champion| Indoor: 2019 All-UMAC in Triple Jump and 60m hurdles |2020: Broke his own school record in the 60m hurdles and Long Jump|
  • Jake Marzinske, Fy. |2020: Broke the school record in the Triple Jump|
  • Jakin Anderson, So. | Current UMAC: 800 (8th), Mile (8th), 3K (6th), 5K (7th), DMR (1st) |
  • Ryan McCue, Jr. | Current UMAC: 400 (6th), 800 (2nd), Mile (11th), 60h (6), DMR (1st) |
  • Dylan Kennedy, Fy. |Current UMAC: 200 (14th), 400 (4th), 800 (6th) |
 
Need to Know
Marzinske and Rich continue to break their own school records in triple jump, long jump, and 60m hurdles
 

College of St. Scholastica
Todd Bouchie | 4th Season |
 
 
2019 Championships
| 2nd | 160 points |
 
Performers to Watch
  • Isaac Boedigheimer, Jr. | 2018 & 2019 All-UMAC; 2018 5000m UMAC Champion | 2019: 1st- Distance Medley Championship Team; 2nd-3000m, 5000m, 4x400m relay  |2020: 1st-3000m, 1st-5000m; 2nd-Mile |
  • Samuel Eben Ebai Jr., Fr. | 2019: N/A|2020: 1st-60m; 3rd-200m|
  • Jericho Peterson, Fr. | 2019: N/A|2020: 1st-200m, 1st-400m|
  • Malcolm Lumsden, Sr. | 2019 All-UMAC | 2019 USTFCCCA All-Region in the 60m Dash | 2019: 2nd-60m |2020: 2nd-60m, 2nd-200m|
  • Michael Petron, Jr. | 2019: 3rd-60m |2020: 3rd-60m|
 
Need to Know
The Saints own the top marks in the 60m, 200m and 400m dashes. CSS has not swept those events at a UMAC Championship since 2013.

 

Crown College
Bill Braunger | 5th Season |

2019 Championships
| 6th | 16 points |

Performers to Watch

  • Nic Knutson, Fy. | Current UMAC - Pole Vault (3rd), 3,000m (22nd) |
  • Michael Gregoria, Fy. | Current UMAC - 800m (24th) |
  • Robert Watson, Fy. | Current UMAC - 60 Hurdles (5th) |
  • Colten Pausch, Fy.| Current UMAC - 60m (28th) |
  • Tyler Davis, Fy. | Current UMAC - Mile (36th) |
 
 
North Central University
Michael Knipe | 2nd season |
 
2019 Championships
| NA | NA |
 
Performers to Watch
  • Tian Elder, Sophomore |Currently has run a 7.20 60 yd dash|
 

University of Minnesota Morris
Josh Kuusisto | 1st Season |
 
2019 Championships
| 3rd | 106 points |
 
Performers to Watch
  • Trent Merkins, SR. | 2018 & 2019 All-UMAC | 2019 UMAC Championships: Shot put (Second) | 2020 UMAC Rankings: Shot Put (Second), Weight Throw (Fourth); Ranks 23rd nationally in the shot put |
  • Ryan Anderson, SR. | 2019 All-UMAC |2019 UMAC Championships: Mile (First), 800m (Second) |2020 UMAC Rankings: 800m (Fourth) Mile (Fourth) 3k (Second) |
  • Andrew Stanek JR. | 2019 All-UMAC | 2020 UMAC Rankings: 800m (Fifth) 400m (Ninth) |
  • Zion Zaloudek, JR. | 2019 UMAC Championships: Pole Vault (Fourth) | 2020 UMAC Rankings: Pole Vault (First)|
  • Alex Boyd, JR. | 2019 All-UMAC | 2019 UMAC Championships: Weight Throw (Second) Shot Put (Third) |2020 UMAC Rankings: Shot Put (Fifth) Weight Throw (Sixth) |


 

University of Northwestern
Steve Thiessen | 28th season |
 
2019 Championships
| 4th | 63 points |
 
Performers to Watch
  • Darrell Myles, Jr. | 2019: 60m (6th), 200m (15th), Long Jump (9th) |Current UMAC: 60m (5th), Long Jump (6th), Triple Jump (4th) |
  • Josiah Otis, Jr. | 2019: Pole Vault (5th), Long Jump (17th) | 2020: Pole Vault (2nd)|
  • Travaris Ricks, Fr. | 2020: Long Jump (2nd) |
  • Kyle Meinke, Jr. | 2019: Shot Put (8th), Weight Throw (4th) |2020: Weight Throw (2nd) |
  • Felipe Ramirez, Jr. | 2019: Shot Put (3rd) |2020: Shot Put (3rd) |
 

University of Wisconsin-Superior
Glen Drexler | 10th Season  |
 
2019 Championships
| 1st | 221 points |
Postseason: CJ Pillath qualified for nationals in weight throw – placed 9th
 
Performers to Watch
  • CJ Pillath, Sr. | All-UMAC (2019, 2017); Field Athlete of the Meet (2019, 2017) | 2019 National Qualifier; USTFCCCA All-Region | Won nine events in 2019 |Holds top spot in the UMAC in both weight throw and shot put; Ranked in top three in weight throw and top 20 in shot put in NCAA Division III |
  • Michael Knaack, Fy. |
  • Lennon Shimon, So. | All-UMAC (2019) | 2019 Meet Highlights: 4x200M Relay (1st); 60M Dash (6th); 200M Dash (7th); 400M Dash (5th)|
  • Isiah Arntson, So. | All-UMAC (2019) | 2019 Meet Highlights: 800M (4th); 4x400M Relay (1st); DMR (2nd) |
  • Eddie Carlson, Jr. | All-UMAC (2018) |
 
Need to Know
Despite winning just four events, the Yellowjackets amassed 221 points and won the UMAC championship by 61 points.