VIDEO: CAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Pre-Championship Webcast
Salisbury has been the team to beat in the CAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship, as the Sea Gulls have captured conference hardware every year since the meet was added to the CAC lineup in 2012. The Sea Gulls won handily in each of the first three years of the event, but Christopher Newport gave them a run for their money last winter, with Salisbury winning by just a 17-point margin.
Senior standout Luke Campbell and the Sea Gulls will aim for a five-peat this Sunday at the Freeman Center on the campus of Christopher Newport. Campbell will look to add to his already-impressive trophy case that already features two indoor national titles, two CAC Indoor Athlete of the Year awards, and eight CAC gold medals.
This year's meet will feature some of the most talented athletes in the history of the championship, as numerous CAC standouts rank at or near the top of Division III in their respective events entering the weekend.
For the second straight year, the CAC championship will feature seven teams with Penn State Harrisburg now in its second year of varsity track & field competition.
Below is a brief look at each team entering the 2016 championship:
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT enters the CAC Championships looking to build upon last season's performance, which saw the Captains place second during both the indoor and outdoor league meets. Led by head coach Tyler Wingard, CNU features a well-balanced group of competitors. Freshman Jonathan Graham broke the CAC pole vault record this season and is a three-time Field Athlete of the Week honoree, while Jeff Dover and Ryan Scott have each collected a weekly Track award. Meanwhile, Billy Rabil currently ranks first in the CAC in the mile, and Grayson Reid stands atop the league in the 5000. CNU's Distance Medley Relay also enters the conference title meet ranked first in the CAC.
FROSTBURG STATE enters the 2016 CAC Indoor Championships with a total of 11 top-10 marks in the league this winter while senior thrower J.R. Loweryholds the CAC's best efforts in the both the shot put and weight throw. Head coach Dale Luy is expecting his men's squad to move up in the standings with talent and depth in nearly every event. Lowery set a CAC and Frostburg record a week ago in the shot put (16.77m) and he also holds the league's best mark in the weight throw (16.33m). Sophomore Collin Schultz enters the championships with the conference's second-best high jump (1.92m) and he will look to recapture the CAC title that he earned as a freshman en route to being named the CAC's Rookie of the Year.
MARY WASHINGTON will look to some new faces as well as some veterans to compete in this year's CAC Championship. The Eagles will rely on seniorsChris Anderson, Nick Eghtessad, Ian Granger, Tate Houff, Matt Parker and Kevin Speray to lead a young group at this year's meet.
Under the direction of head coach Danielle Lynch, PENN STATE HARRISBURG will aim to improve on its point total from last year's championship. The Lions are in just their second year of varsity track & field, with last season's indoor meet serving as their first taste of track & field championship competition. Freshman Jalil Clayton enters the meet with the top high jump mark in the conference this season at 6'-4.75", while senior Josiah Owheand freshman Jared Alpaugh rank second and third in the long jump, respectively.
SALISBURY enters the 2016 indoor conference championships with some of the top times in the league so far this season, including senior Luke Campbell's CAC-leading 200-meter dash (22.41 seconds), 400-meter dash (49.07 seconds), and 60-meter hurdles (8.00 seconds). The Sea Gulls also hold the top time in the 4x400-meter dash in the league with a time of 3:21.17, set by Campbell, junior Jerel Madison, and sophomores Zach Schmelzand Eric Halton. In the field events, sophomore Matthew Adedeji holds the top jump in the triple jump (44' 9.75") in the CAC.
WESLEY enters the CAC Indoor Championships with several individuals who have posted impressive marks in their respective events. Several Wolverines will look to set meet records in their events, including Anthony Simpson in sprints, Roland Attoh-Okine in hurdles, and De'Vaughn Trader in jumps. Dominic McAnulty could also compete for a CAC record in the 400m. DaJahn Lowery, Greg Taylor, Patrick Schlosser, and the rest of the Wolverines will hope to turn heads this weekend as they look to improve on last season's fourth place team finish.
YORK enters the 2016 CAC Indoor Championships looking to improve on last year's third place finish at CNU. Spartan head coach Stephen LoBianco will look to an experienced group of athletes to lead the Green and White at the championships. Senior Alex Palescandolo will headline the throwing group that should have a chance to accumulate points for the Spartans. York boasts a stong group of returning pole vaulters as Kevin Landis, Darris Rodrigues and Andrew Jeffers give the Spartans a three-prong threat in the event. Another strength for the Spartans will be in the distance events asGrant Dell, Ryan Aug, Matt Hayes, Alex Smith and Andy MacGibbon provide York with the ability to score in various distance and mid-distance events. Senior sprinters Darnell Tillman and Ryan Banta give the Green and White a presence in those events.