Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Track To Host Skoog Open
2/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | MTF
Feb. 14, 2000
THE TEAM--The Central Michigan University men's track and field team hosts the Jack Skoog Open on Friday, Feb. 18, beginning at 5 p.m.
THE COACHING STAFF--The CMU men's track and field program is headed up by head coach Jim Knapp, assistant coach Craig Fuller and graduate assistant Greg Halberg. Knapp, who is in his 15th season, led the Chippewas to second-place finishes at both the indoor and outdoor Mid-American Conference championships in 1999 and was named MAC "Coach of the Year" for both seasons. Since 1986, he has coached 31 individual MAC champions and four All-Americans including Greg Richardson and Richie Brinker in 1999. Fuller, who also serves as the Chippewas' head cross country coach, led Central to the MAC cross country championship in 1999. He has helped four CMU athletes to All-American status including Richie Brinker (1997-98) and Ryan Watson (1998). Halberg is in his first season with the Chippewas.
LAST WEEKEND--The Chippewas took second place at the Michigan Intercollegiates on Feb. 12. Eastern Michigan won the meet with 150 points and was followed by CMU (129), Western Michigan (124), Michigan (123), Michigan State (13) and Detroit Mercy (13).
Leading the Chippewas were Nate Parker (Fowlerville/Sr.), Braden Bush (Stanwood/Jr.) and Greg Richardson (Lansing/Sr.) who all turned in first-place finishes. Parker took top honors in the heptathlon with 5,159 points, Bush took first in the 400m in a time of 49.26 while Richardson once again won the 60m hurdles in 7.86. The 4x400m relay team of Emerson Jones (Amherstburg, Ontario/Sr.), Jamell Jefferson (Detroit/Sr.), Jake Lake (Temperance/Fr.) and Ian Searcy (Canton/So.) won in a time of 3:18.58.
Other strong performances were turned in by: Pat Walderzak (Frankenmuth/So.) who finished second in the shot put (55-1 1/2), Jared Biniecki (Canton/Jr.) second in the mile (8:38.30), Jacob Brundage (Stanton/Sr.) third in the 5,000m (14:57.14), Brian Fairchild (Milan/So.) third in the high jump (6-8), Jefferson third in the 600m (1:21.22) and Searcy third in the 800m (1:54.15). The distance medley relay team took second in a time of 10:10.34.
KNAPP ON THE JACK SKOOG OPEN--"This meet will give some people a chance to get involved in some different events to work on different things so they can get ready for the MAC championships in a couple of weeks. It will be nice to not have the pressure of worrying about the score so we can just concentrate of getting better."
KNAPP ON LAST WEEKEND--"I couldn't be more pleased with our guys. They are starting to get the desire and passion that we are going to need at the end of the season. Everything we do is geared towards getting better and we proved that last weekend."
ALL-AROUND ATHLETE--Senior Nate Parker won the seven-event heptathlon at the Michigan Intercollegiates with 5,159 points. Parker, who beat his nearest competitor by 122 points, won with the following marks: 60m (7.35), long jump (21-8 3/4), shot put (41-10 3/4), high jump (6-8), 60m hurdles (8.57), pole vault (14-0) and 1,000m (3:01.27).
UPCOMING--The Chippewas travel to the Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Eastern Michigan University on Feb. 25-26.
