MIAA Championships are this weekend for Emporia State Track & Field

Men's Track and Field | 5/4/2023 10:50:00 PM

Emporia State Track & Field
at MIAA Outdoor Championships
Dwight T. Reed Stadium • Jefferson City, Mo.
Friday, May 5
Heptathlon at 1:30 pm/Decathlon at 2:00 pm
Saturday, May 6
Decathlon at 10:00 am/Heptathlon at 10:30 am/Field at 12:00pm/Track at 4:30 pm
Sunday, May 7
Field at 12:00 pm/Track at 1:30 pm
Live Results: midwesttiming.com Video: The MIAA Network
Ticket Info • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: at Loper Twilight
Kearney HS • Kearney, Neb.
Saturday, May 13, 2023

MEMORIES ARE MADE IN MAY
Emporia State travels to Jefferson City, Mo. to take part in the MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The majority of the meet will be held at Dwight Reed Stadium on the campus of Lincoln University with a portion of the vent across the street at Jefferson City HS.

LAST LAP
Four provisional qualifiers including the third best men's shot put in Emporia State history highlighted the Hornets' day at the Rock Chalk Classic last Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.
Travis Morrison unleashed a personal best throw of 18.71m (61-4.75) on his final throw of the men's shot put to finish second behind Kansas All-American Patrick Larrison. It is the third longest mark in the event in Emporia State history behind national champions Al Feurbach and Jason Stuke. As of Saturday night he is ranked fourth in the nation in NCAA Division II. For his efforts he was named the MIAA Male Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
Brooks Lowe had another provisional qualifier for the Hornets in the javelin. He went 62.12m (203-10) to finish second behind fellow freshman Christopher Young of Barton CC who leads the NJCAA in the event.
Alyssa Conway continued her steady season with another provisional qualifier. Her throw of 56.75m (186-2) was good enough for fifth place in a field that included the 2021 SEC Champion in the event.
Brock Merz had the only provisional qualifier on the oval, running 53.18 to finish fourth in the men's 400m hurdles.

THE COACH
Steven Blocker is in his 12th year as the head coach for the Emporia State men's and women's track and field programs. He served as an assistant with the Hornets beginning in 2009 working primarily with the sprinters, jumpers and multi-event athletes. He has produced 66 All-Americans and 42 MIAA Champions as a head coach after coaching 14 All-Americans, six MIAA Champions and an NCAA Division II National Champion as an assistant at ESU.

ESU AND THE MIAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Last year the Golden Oval of Witten Track at Welch Stadium was the host site for the MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the sixth time since 1997. That is the most times for any track in that time. The Emporia State women have won five team championships, the second most among current league schools, while the men are one of five teams to have won at least two team championships.

LOOK BACK AT THE MIAA
The Hornets had eight All-MIAA performers, six provisional qualifiers, and three marks in the Emporia State all-time top five list at the 2022 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Juwan Johnson finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.50 after running a PR of 10.44 in the prelims on Saturday. He ran 21.44 to place seventh in the 200m and finished the day by splitting 47.00 on the anchor leg of the 4x400m relay team that ran a provisional qualifying mark of 3:11.68 as the foursome of Guy Ramos, Hayden Goodpaster, Jack Watson and Johnson finished in third place.
Travis Morrison threw 16.49m (54-01.25) to finish third in the men's shot put.
Chase Rooney ran 53.60 and edged out Davion Scott by .003 seconds to place fourth with Scott in fifth in the 400m hurdles.
The 4x100m relay team of Watson, Juwan Johnson, Billy Ross Jr., and Ramos ran 41.73 to place fifth.
After finishing fifth in the hammer on Saturday Holly Brockmeir had huge PR in the women's javelin to start the final day.  She threw 45.59m (149-07) to place fifth with the second longest javelin throw in Emporia State history.
Abigael Reid came back after placing fourth in the heptathlon with a provisional qualifier on Saturday to place fifth with a provisional qualifier of 1:01.87 in the 400m hurdles. It is the third best time in Emporia State history. She also led off the 4x400m relay team that placed seventh. She was joined by Jasmine Hurla, Hollie Marlow and Makenzie Owings to run a season's best 3:50.26 to wrap up the meet.
As a team the Emporia State men placed ninth and the women tenth overall.

HOW TOUGH IS IT?
There are six men's teams and seven women's teams ranked in the top 25 of the latest USTFCCCA National Power Rankings with nine men's and eight women's teams in the top 50 of 138 schools ranked. The MIAA makes up eight of the top ten spots in the men's Central Regional Rankings and seven of the top ten in the women's Regional Rankings. The Emporia State men are ranked #40 in the nation and #9 in the region while the Hornet women are #54 nationally and ranked #18 in the region.
MIAA student-athletes have the top ranked mark in the nation in ten events and have a top five mark in 30 of the 42 events on the national championship calendar. The MIAA has a top ten mark in 34 of the 42 events.
The Association has five of the top ranked men's event squads in Division II and three of the top ranked women's event groupings.
The MIAA had six men's teams finish in the top 25 of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships including the national champions while four womens teams placed in the top 25. The conference had 74 First-Team All-Americans and nine national champions crowned at the indoor championships.

ESU OUTDOOR QUALIFIERS
The Hornets have 12 provisional qualifiers heading into this weekend's competition.
Travis Morrison became just the third Emporia State male to go over 61 feet in the men's shot put with his 18.71 (61-4.75) at the Rock Chalk Classic to rank fourth nationally.
Alyssa Conway went a school record 59.31m (194-7) in the women's hammer at the Kansas Relays to rank sixth in the nation.
Brooks Lowe threw 67.39m (221-1) in the men's javelin at the ESU Midwest Classic to rank seventh in the nation.
Abigael Reid has two provisional qualifiers for Emporia State. She is 19th in the women's 400m hurdles after running 1:01.17 at the Gorilla Classic and is 24th in the women's heptathlon with 4,712 points scored at the ESU Relays. She is injured and not expected to compete this weekend.
Megan McManis is ranked 20th in the nation in the women's pole vault after clearing a school record 3.90m (12-9.5) at the Midwest Classic.
Holly Brockmeier is 31st in the women's javelin with her mark of 42.13m (138-3) at the ESU Relays.
The men's 4x100m relay team of Kingsley Bennett, Carter Cox, Jack Watson and Isaac Tarango ran 40.89 at the Midwest Classic to rank 43rd in the nation.
The Hornets have four men qualified in the 400m hurdles. Brock Merz is 27th in the nation with a time of 52.88 at the Midwest Classic. Chase Rooney ran 53.10 at the Midwest Classic to rank 34th nationally.  Davion Scott turned in a 53.24 at the David Suenram Gorilla Classic to rank 39th in the nation.  Jake Johnson is ranked 43rd after running a 53.27 at the Midwest Classic.

HORNET TOP FIVE PERFORMERS
This year's Emporia State team has a combined nine individual marks that are ranked on the Hornet all-time Top Five list including two school record holders.
Alyssa Conway holds the school record in the hammer with a throw of 194-7(59.31m) at the KU Relays this year. She is also tied for fifth in the javelin iwth a mark of 144-5 (44.02m) at the2021 ESU Spring Invite.
Megan McManis set the school record in the women's pole vault when she cleared 12-9.5 (3.90m) at this year's Midwest Classic.
Holly Brockmeier is ranked second in Emporia State history in the women's javelin. She threw 150-1 (45.75m) at last year's NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
Abigael Reid ran 1:01.17 at this year's Gorilla Classic to rank third all-time for Emporia State in the women's 400m hurdles. She scored 4913 points in the heptathlon at last year's MIAA Outdoor Championships to rank fourth in the event.
Travis Morrison is third all-time in the men's shot put with a mark of 61-4.75 (18.71m) set at the 2021 Loper Twilight.
Brooks Lowe's 221-1 (67.39m) in the men's javelin at the Midwest Classic is fifth all-time for Emporia State.
Brock Merz ran 52.88 in the men's 400m hurdles at the Midwest Classic to rank fifth all-time for the Hornets.

EVENT SQUAD RANKINGS
Emporia State has ten event squads ranked in the top 25 nationally - six for the men and four for the women. The event squad rankings take an average of the top four marks in each event and compare them with the other teams in the nation with at least four marks in an event.
The Hornet men's 400m hurdle squad is ranked fifth in the nation with four provisional qualifiers. Brock Merz has a top time of 52.88 followed Chase Rooney at 53.10, Davion Scott at 53.24 and Jake Johnson at 53.27.
Travis Morrison's provisional qualifier of 18.71m (61-4.75) is the top mark of the ninth ranked men's shot put group. Zach Sulzen-Watson, Will Herren and Aren Trost make up the rest of the squad.
Brooks Lowe's provisional qualifier of 67.39m (221-1) leads the men's 11th ranked javelin unit. He is joined by Aidan Hicks, Jett Harvey and Aren Trost.
Xavier Hall and Jake Johnson have both gone under 15 seconds to lead the 13th ranked 110m hurdle squad and are joined by Merz and Trost.
Kingsley Bennett, Carter Cox, Isaac Tarango, and Ty Anderson have all run 11.70 or better to rank 20th in the nation in the men's 100m event.
The foursome of Fabian Nava, Anderson, Josiah Driggers, and Daniel Knapp are ranked 24th in the nation in the men's long jump.
Alyssa Conway's school record and provisional qualifier of 59.31m (194-7) leads the eighth ranked women's hammer group for Emporia State. She is joined by Rachelle Reichert, Holly Brockmeier, and Madison Vermetten.
Abigael Reid's provisional qualifier of 1:01.17 leads the Hornets 16th ranked 400m hurdle group. She is joined by Kennedy Smith, Mary Grace Lassiter and Victoria Pettay.
The Emporia State women's high jump group of Chloe Thakker, Grace Jacobs, Pettay and Reid are ranked 19th in the nation.
Brockmeier has a provisional qualifier 42.13m (138-3) to lead the 22nd ranked women's javelin squad. She is joined by Bonnie Romig, Reid and Pettay.

HORNET INDOOR QUALIFIERS
Emporia State had six provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Championships this season.
Megan McManis cleared a school record 3.98m (13-0.25) at the Steve Miller Invite to rank #12 in the nation in the women's pole vault.
Travis Morrison went 17.42m (57-2) in the men's shot put at the WU Open to rank 16th nationally and become just the third Hornet to go over 57 feet in the event.
The men's 4x400m relay team of Guy Ramos, Jack Watson, Brock Merz and Hayden Goodpaster ran 3:14.94 at the Crimson & Gold Invitational to rank 31st in the nation. Carter Cox took Ramos's spot at the Wendy's PSU Invite and the Hornets ran 3:16.48 to rank 46th nationally.
Abigael Reid is ranked 29th nationally in the women's pentathlon after scoring 3,423 points at the WU Open & Multis.
Brandon Wilkes scored 4,818 points at the Boo Rogers Multis to rank 33rd in the nation in the men's heptathlon.

JUST OVER A YEAR AWAY
Emporia State's Welch Stadium and Zola Witten Track have been selected as the host site for the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.  It will be the fourth and fifth time that Welch Stadium has played host to the national championships.
Welch Stadium previously served as the host site for the National Championships in 1995, 1999 and 2006 with the first meet in 1995 bringing 450 student-athletes to Emporia. The 2024 and 2026 meets are scheduled to bring 754 student-athletes, nearly 200 coaches and over 100 officials to the Flint Hills over the Memorial Day weekend.
The 2024 Championships are scheduled for May 23-25.
During championship week, the NCAA Committee will come to Emporia on Monday with the first practice time available on Tuesday.  Wednesday of championship week will see a variety of coaches and officials meetings before the actual competition begin on Thursday.  The meet will wrap up on Saturday evening.

UP NEXT
The Hornets will send selected athletes to the Loper Twilight Last Chance Meet on Saturday, May 13 in Kearney, Neb.