Women's Track and Field | 3/26/2024 7:56:00 PM

Emporia State Track & Field 
hosts ESU Relays
Zola Witten Track/Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Track Events: 9:30 a.m. Field Events: 11:30 a.m.
Live Results: Black Squirrel Timing
Track Heat Sheets | Field Flight Sheets
Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: David Suenram Gorilla Classic
Zola Witten Track/Carnie Smith Stadium • Pittsburg, Kan.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Field Events: 11:00 a.m. Track Events: 1:30 p.m. 

THE TRADITION CONTINUES  
The ESU Relays will welcome 38 teams and nearly 1,000 athletes to Witten Track and Welch Stadium for one of the largest single day midweek track meets in the state of Kansas. Due to continued construction at Welch Stadium in preparation for the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the west side of the stadium will be closed, with all spectators seated on the east side.

LAST LAP
The Hornets had eight event championships, four provisional qualifiers and a pair of top five all-time Emporia State mark at the FHSU Spring Invite in Hays, Kan.
In their first outdoor competition of the season, Emporia State's two All-Americans picked up where they left off indoors with Travis Morrison and Mele Taula winning the men's and women's shot put with provisional qualifying marks.  Taula moved into the top five on the Emporia State all-time list with a mark of 14.62m (47-11.5) to win the women's shot put. She had another provisional qualifier in the women's javelin. In a loaded field her throw of 42.13m (138-3) was good for fifth place.  Morrison went 17.79m (58-4.5) to win the men's shot put.
Antonio Cooper had the other provisional qualifier for the Hornet men.  He was the runner-up with a throw of 52.13m (171-0) in the discus.
Xavier Hall ran a wind aided 14.08 to capture the 110m hurdles championship. It is tied for the third best mark in the event in Emporia State history. He later joined Jack Watson, Braden Lipgens, and Brandon Alexander-Gittens to run 3:25.46 to win the 4x400m relay.
The Emporia State women had four other event champions in addition to Taula.  Clarice Nichols and Jayda Harris combined to sweep the horizontal jumps.  Nichols jumped 5.77m (18-11.25) to win the long jump while Harris went 10.71m (35-1.75) for victory in the triple jump.
Madison Vermetten threw 43.87m (143-11) to win the discus and wrap up the field event titles.
Abigael Reid won the 400m hurdles in a time of 1:03.19 for the only win on the track by the Emporia State women.
 
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. 

OUTDOOR QUALIFIERS
Emporia State has four provisional qualifiers already this season.
Mele Taula has two of the provisional marks. She is second in the nation this spring in teh women's shot put with a throw of 14.62m (47-11.75) at the FHSU Spring Invite.  She is also 18th in the javelin after throwing 42.13m (138-3) also at the FHSU Spring Invite.
Travis Morrison opened the season with a 17.79m (58-4.5) at the FHSU Spring Invite to rank third in the nation in the men's shot put.
Antonio Cooper is currently ranked sixth in the discus with a throw of 52.13m (171-0) at the FHSU Spring Invite.
Emporia State has five other marks that are currently in the top 20 nationally.  Clarice Nichols went 5.11m (18-11.25) in the women's long jump to rank 15th in the nation. Abigael Reid is 18th in the nation with a time of 1:03.19 in the women's 400m hurdles. Madison Vermetten is ranked 19th with a mark of 43.87m (143-11) in the women's discus.
Zach Sulzen Watson went 49.16m (161-3) to rank 19th in the men's discus.  Jake Johnson ran 53.80 in the men's 400m hurdles to rank 20th in the nation. 

HORNETS IN THE TOP THREE OF THE ESU RELAYS FIELD
Emporia State has the top entry mark in two events on Thursday and are ranked in the top three of seven other events.
All-American Travis Morrison has the top entry mark with a career best of 18.71m in the men's shot put. 
Abigael Reid has the top entry mark with a career best of 1:01.17 in the women's 400m hurdles.
Max Neeley has a career best of 4.67m to rank second in the men's pole vault.
Mele Taula is ranked third in two different events.  She is third in the women's shot put with a career best of 14.83m while her career best of 42.13m is also third in the women's javelin.
Ty Anderson is ranked third with a career best wind aided 7.38 in the men's long jump.
Xavier Hall's wind aided 14.08 is ranked third in the men's 110m hurdles.
Jake Johnson has a career best of 53.27 to rank third in the men's 400m hurdles.
Asher Moen is third with a career best of 9:28.61 in the men's 3000m steeplechase.

LAST YEAR'S ESU RELAYS
The Emporia State men placed third and the women were fifth out of over 20 scoring teams at the ESU Relays at the Welch Stadium and Witten Track.  The Hornets beat out six other MIAA teams in the men's competition and four conference foes in the women's standings.  Emporia State also picked up four provisional qualifiers on Saturday.
Megan McManis was second with a provisional qualifier of 3.80m (12-5.50) in the women's pole vault.
Holly Brockmeier also earned a provisional qualifier with a throw of 42.13m (138-3) to place eighth in the women's javelin.
Travis Morrison continued his success outdoors with a provisional qualifier in the men's shot put.
Brock Merz turned in the other provisional qualifier for the Hornets. He ran 53.24 to place third in the men's 400m hurdles.  
Emporia State picked up two engraved batons for wins in the relays.  The women's 4x400m relay of Lauren Carlson, Abigael Reid, Jasmine Hurla and Hollie Marlow ran 3:50.68 to finish in front of Pittsburg State by nearly three seconds.
Caleb Liermann, Corbin Liermann, Treyton Laurance and Jace Reves ran 8:42.40  to win the men's 4x800m relay.

HOW TOUGH IS IT?
The MIAA has three teams ranked in the top 25 of the USTFCCCA National Power Rankings with a total of seven teams ranked out of 140 that are in the rankings.  There are two women's teams in the top 25 and a total of eight association members recognized out of 147 ranked women's teams.  The Hornet men are ranked #30 while the women are #36 this week.
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 women's 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.
 
TRACK TITLE TOWN
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 travel to Southeast Kansas next weekend for the David Suenram Gorilla Classic at Pittsburg State. Field events start at 11:00 a.m. with running events set for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 in Pittsburg, Kan.