Outdoor Season Starts for Emporia State Track & Field at USM Distance Festival

Men's Track and Field | 3/14/2024 11:14:00 AM

Emporia State Track & Field 
at
USM Distance Festival
Charles Berkel Memorial Stadium • Leavenworth, Kan. 
Friday, March 15, 2024 • 6:00 p.m.
Live Results: blacksquirreltiming.com
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: FHSU Spring Invite
FHSU Track & Field Facility • Hays, Kan.
Friday, March 22, 2024 • 12:00 p.m.

THE ROAD HOME STARTS NOW  
Emporia State begins the 2024 outdoor track and field season with distance runners going to the USM Distance Festival hosted by Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. The season will end in Emporia with the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships at Welch Stadium at the end of May.

LAST LAP
Emporia State's Travis Morrison earned his second straight All-American honor indoors and this third overall with a sixth-place finish in the men's shot put at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburg, Kan. 
Morrison had his best mark on his first attempt of 17.95m (58-10.75) as he improved one spot over his finish last year at the national meet.
Freshman Mele Taula just missed the finals in her first trip to the national meet. She opened the competition with a 13.37m (43-10.5) before getting her best mark at 14.07m (46-2) on her second attempt. She was in position to make the finals until the final throw of the second flight
The Hornets placed 41st overall in the team standings. It is the 14th time in the last 15 years the Emporia State men have scored at the indoor national meet.
 
THE COACH
Seth Mischke is in his first year as the head coach for the Emporia State track and field programs. After the indoor season, the Hornets have produced two MIAA individual champions and an All-American under his leadership. He spent last year at RMAC member Chadron State. Eagle throwers earned five All-America awards and four RMAC Championships. Prior to Chadron State, Mischke spent 11 seasons as the head track and field coach and assistant cross country coach at Black Hills State University. The Yellow Jackets produced two individual national champions, 18 All-America earners, 18 conference champions, and more than 100 All-RMAC honorees under his guidance. Mischke was the head track and field/cross country coach at St. Cloud State for 12 years. During his tenure at SCSU, the Huskies had 44 All-Americans and one national champion. 

HOW TOUGH IS IT?
The MIAA had seven men's teams finish in the top 30 of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships including the national champions while six womens teams placed in the top 30. The conference had 100 First-Team All-Americans and ten individual national champions crowned at the indoor championships with nine teams scoring in both the men's and women's competition.

HORNET INDOOR QUALIFIERS
Emporia State had 12 provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Championships this season. 
Travis Morrison advanced to the NCAA Championships with a mark of 18.63m (61-1.5) to win the MIAA title in the men's shot put.
Mele Taula made the national championships with a mark of 14.83m (48-8) to win the MIAA Championship in the women's shot put. She was also a provisional qualifier in the weight throw with a mark of 17.55m (57-7) at the Ichabod Invitational to rank 34th nationally.
Ty Anderson was ranked 23rd in the nation after running a 6.76 in the 60m at the MIAA Championships and was ranked 70th in the long jump after going 7.13m (23-4.75) at the MIAA Championships.
Aren Trost scored 4951 points at the MIAA Championships to rank 28th in the nation in the heptathlon while Coby Smith scored 4731 points at the Washburn Open to rank 47th in the multi-event.
Trenden Collins cleared 2.07m (6-9.5) at the Maverick Premier to rank 35th in the high jump in the nation. 
Kingsley Bennett was 37th in the nation after running 6.79 in the MIAA Championships 60m.
Jack Watson ran a converted 48.08 at the Maverick Premier to rank 39th in the 400m.
Carter Cox was ranked 54th nationally in the 200m with a converted time of 21.63 in the 200m at the Maverick Premier.
Watson and Cox teamed with Isaac Tarango and Jake Johnson to run 3:14.39 to rank 43rd in the nation in the 4x400m relay.
 
UP NEXT
The rest of the team will join the distance runners at the FHSU Spring Invite on March 22 in Hays, Kan.