STATE FARM ESU RELAYS ON FOR THIS WEEKEND

Emporia State Track & Field
hosts State Farm ESU Relays
Witten Track/Welch Stadium • Emporia, Kan.
Saturday, April 2, 2016 • 12:00 p.m. (complete schedule)
Complete Notes in pdf • Live Results
Up Next: MIAA-NSIC Challenge • April 7-9, 2016
Herschel Neil Track/Bearcat Stadium • Maryville, Mo.

A TRADITION UNLIKE ANY OTHER
Emporia State's Witten Track and Welch Stadium will play host to over 1,100 athletes from 27 schools to the State Farm ESU Relays this weekend. The Hornet track and field teams hold their annual reunion weekend during the ESU Relays as they welcome back student-athletes from the storied tradition of Emporia State track and field.

LAST TIME OUT
Emporia State sent six athletes to the Pittsburg State Wendy's Classic and came away with two provisional qualifiers on Friday in Pittsburg, Kan.
Morgan Brant made her 2016 debut after redshirting during the indoor season and hit a provisional qualifier in the high jump.  She cleared 5-07.25 (1.71m) to finish second in the meet and rank third in the nation.
Elizabeth Costello had the other provisional qualifier for the Hornets.  She threw 132-08 (40.43m) to place fourth in the javelin and moved into the top 35 in the nation.
Alec Garcia had the top mark for the Hornet men, placing sixth in both the shot and the discus for Emporia State.

THE COACH
Steven Blocker is in his fifth year as the head coach for the Emporia State track and field/cross country 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 37 All-Americans and 19 MIAA Champions in his first four years as head coach after coaching 14 All-Americans, six MIAA Champions and an NCAA Division II National Champion as an assistant for the Hornets.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Emporia State's men are ranked #90 and the women #65 in this week's USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Team Rankings. The USTFCCCA system ranks all teams with athletes on the Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS) and are complied by mathematical formulae based on the national performance list.

LAST YEAR'S RELAYS
In a meet that saw 65 provisional marks eclipsed including five automatic qualifiers, five meet and one stadium record the Emporia State track and field teams placed third in the men's competition and fourth among the women at the State Farm ESU Relays. There were nearly 700 athletes representing 21 schools and club teams.
The Hornets combined for seven of the provisional marks, three event championships and five runner up finishes.
Andrew Etheridge was the top collegiate finisher in the 110m hurdles with a provisional qualifying time of 14.26 to finish second overall.
A trio of Hornets placed fourth in their events with provisional qualifying marks for the men.   Kyle Pfizenmaier threw 206-1 (62.82m) as the second collegiate finisher in the javelin. Tre Dickerson moved onto the national qualifiers list with a triple jump of 47-09.75 (14.57m) to place fourth.  Samuel Saidi had the other provisional mark for the men, clearing 6-08.75 (2.05m) for the best mark among the collegiate high jumpers.
The Hornet men also got first place finishes from Donald Wilcox in the long jump and the 4x800m relay team.
Peyton Weiss had the top provisional mark for the Emporia State women. She jumped 19-00.75 (5.81m) to finish third in the long jump and rank 13th nationally.
The javelin duo of Sara Dunkin Beam and Elizabeth Costello both hit provisional marks in a loaded field.  In a loaded field Costello threw 140-1 (42.71m) to place sixth and Dunkin Beam went 135-8 (41.36m) to place eighth.
Emily Schoenfeld picked up the lone individual title for the Emporia State women. She ran 11:54.99 to win the 3000m steeplechase.

UP NEXT
Emporia State is scheduled to compete in the MIAA-NSIC Challenge on April 7 through April 9 at Northwest Missouri State.  The meet begins with multi-events on Thursday and will conclude with the majority of the meet on Saturday in Maryville, Mo.

WHO'S ALREADY PROVISIONALLED OR IS CLOSE
Only six athletes have competed outdoors so far for Emporia State and two of them have already hit provisional qualifying marks.  
Morgan Brant made her 2016 debut at the Pitt State Wendy's Invitational after redshirting during the indoor season and hit a provisional qualifier in the women's high jump.  She cleared 5-07.25 (1.71m) to finish second in the meet and rank third in the nation.
Elizabeth Costello had the other provisional qualifier for the Hornets.  She threw 132-08 (40.43m) to place fourth in the javelin is 31st in the nation.
Alec Garcia has not hit the provisional mark but is ranked 17th in the nation in both the men's shot put and discus.  He threw 158-03 (48.24m) in the discus and 51-11.00 (15.82m) in the shot at the Wendy's Invitational.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE INDOOR SEASON
The Hornets have set three school records and set 13 other top-five all-time Emporia State marks this season.  
The foursome of Parker Evans, Wyatt Sander, Luke Stenzel and Taysean Goodwin ran 3:11.59 to better the Emporia State school record and earn All-American honors in the 4x400m relay.  Goodwin, Sander, Colin Coleman and Thomas Laroche  ran a 3:13.71 at the MIAA Championships and shattered the MIAA record of 3:16.74 set by Southeast Missouri State in 1984.  The old Emporia State mark was 3:15.72 set by Shawn Fairbanks, Justin Stigge, Nick Beck and Kip Wilson at the 2001 Iowa State Open.
Taysean Goodwin broke his own school record in the 400m with a 47.53 at the MIAA Championships and would eventually finish ninth in the nation. He originally broke Duke Tibbs one year old record in the 400m with a time of 47.53 at the Gorilla Classic on February 12.  Tibbs old mark was 48.02 at the 2015 Sevigne Husker Invite.  
Stenzel broke a nearly 50 year old school record in the 600y run.  He ran a 1:10.43 at the MIAA Championships to surpass Val Scheirling's 1:11.34 set at the Kansas State Relays in 1967.  
LaRoche is ranked second at Emporia State in the 800m with a time of 1:51.72 at the Gorilla Classic which trails Cory Cole's 1:51.07 set at the 1999 Iowa State Open.
Coleman is ranked second all-time for the Hornets in the 200m with a 21.62 at the Sevigne Husker Invite, behind Josh Schuler's time of 21.14 at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
Goodwin is ranked third in the 200m with a non-converted time of 21.65 at the Gorilla Classic. He ran 21.85 at the Jayhawk Classic which converts to a 21.47 for track size.
Tibbs ran the fifth fastest 200m at Emporia State when he turned in a 21.84 in the prelims of the MIAA Championships before reinjuring his leg.
The distance medley relay team of Cole Bosley, LaRoche, Sander, and Daniel Claassen is ranked third at Emporia State.  They ran a 10:05.37 at the MIAA Championships.
Sarah Hines has turned in the best mark for the Emporia State women this year.  Her time of 8.61 at the Steve Miller Open ranks second all-time at Emporia State in the 60m hurdles. Nikki Wetstein set the standard with an 8.56 at the 2014 UCMO Invite.
Lindsay Poague is right behind Hines in the 60m hurdles with a 8.92 at this year's MIAA Championships.
Monica Howard is ranked third in the pentathlon with 3,42 points set at the MIAA Championships.
Carrie Kellie moved into the top five in the women's triple jump.  Her mark of 38-11.50 (11.87m) at the MIAA Championships ranks third all-time at Emporia State.
A pair of pole vaulters are tied for fourth all-time at Emporia State.  Catalina Bissell and Alison Meeth both cleared 11-02.25 (3.41m) at the Gorilla Classic with Meeth matching the effort at the Steve Miller Open.
In addition to the six athletes that competed at the National Championships, the Hornets had several other athletes hit the provisional mark.
Taysean Goodwin qualified 12th in the men's 200m with a time of 21.47 but did not declare for the event in Pittsburg so he could concentrate on the 400m and 4x400m relay.
Morgan Gilliland was ranked 37th nationally with a mark of 45-01.75 (13.76m) in the women's shot put at the Gorilla Classic.
Alec Garcia had a mark of 52-07.25 in the men's shot put at the MIAA Championships that was ranked 39th in the nation.
Parker Evans ran a 48.73 at the MIAA Championships in the men's 400m to rank 50th nationally.
Kayla Henault was ranked 53rd in the nation with a shot put mark of 43-09.75 (13.35m) at the Steve Miller Open.