RHIT Tabbed by Coaches to Claim Sixth-Straight HCAC Men’s Outdoor Title

GREENWOOD, IN – TheRose-Hulman men’s track and field team has been selected as the unanimous front runner to win the 2013 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor championship. In a poll of the ten HCAC head coaches, the Engineers received 100 total points and all ten first place votes.

Defiance College will strive for its first title in school history, as the Yellow Jackets totaled a second-best 84 points.  Franklin College placed third in the poll with 83 points and Manchester University finished fourth with 71 points.  Anderson University finished fifth with 62 points and was followed by Hanover College (45 points), Bluffton University (38), College of Mount St. Joseph (32), Earlham College (25), and Transylvania University (10).

Rose-Hulman has claimed the last five HCAC outdoor championships and earned a third straight indoor crown this past February.  The Engineers return a host of All-HCAC members from last year’s title squad and will look for similar success this winter. The Engineers will look to replace last year’s Most Outstanding Track Athlete, losing Sutton Coleman to graduation. Senior Collin Crowson (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) set a new HCAC record in the pole vault last spring, earning All-HCAC honors with a leap of 4.88 meters.  Senior Travis Stallings (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) also earned All-HCAC honors a year ago, earning a first place finish in the long jump (6.88 meters).

Defiance earned a second place finish at last year’s outdoor championship meet and will try for their first conference track and field title this spring.  The Yellow Jackets look to receive great production from senior Tom Postema (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) during the outdoor season.  Postema earned All-HCAC honors last spring and was named the HCAC’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete for his efforts.  Postema set a new conference record in the discus throw last spring with a heave of 54.96 metersand also earned the title in the hammer throw (54.68 meters).Postema is coming off a successful indoor season where he qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in weight throw and shot put.

Franklin finished fourth at last spring’s HCAC outdoor meet and placed second at the indoor championships in February.  The Grizzlies will turn to senior Georard Mitchell (Indianapolis, Ind./Howe) to lead the way in the sprints and field events. Mitchell placed second in the 100 meter dash, fourth in the 200 meters, second in the long jump, third in the triple jump, and was a member of the winning 4-x-100 meter relay team last spring.

The 2013 HCAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships are set for Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27.  The event will be hosted by Manchester University.

The 2013 men’s outdoor track and field season gets underway this weekend.

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