Men’s Track and Field Ranked Second in HCAC Preseason Poll

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Defiance College men's track and field team received a second-place ranking with 89 points in the 2011 HCAC Preseason Coaches Poll,  released by the conference office on Wednesday. Defiance also had five athletes placed on the Preseason Athletes-to-Watch list. [Release]

Rose-Hulman was unanimously picked to defend its HCAC Championship title, receiving 100 points and all ten of the first place votes, while Franklin (76), Anderson (71), Mount St. Joseph (57), Manchester (51), Earlham (39), Hanover (34), Transylvania (19) and Bluffton (14) comprised the three through nine spots.

Reigning HCAC Indoor Most Outstanding Field Athlete, Austin Trivett, headlined DC's quintet of HCAC Athletes to Watch, along with Ryan Perry, Josh Beaverson, Justin Perkins and Tyler Anderson.

Trivett will look to defend his individual titles in the pole vault and high jump after placing first in both events at the HCAC Indoor Championships in February. He should also be among the best in the conference in the long jump and 110-meter hurdles, after placing second on the HCAC's performances list in both events last season.

Perry was tagged as an athlete to watch for the second-straight season, and will lead DC's sprinters in his final season with the Yellow Jackets. The senior sprinter posted the fifth-fastest 100-meter dash time in the conference last season, and led the Jackets' 4x100-meter relay team to a third-place finish at the 2010 HCAC Championships.

Beaverson was among the top throwers in the conference during the 2011 indoor season, posting the sixth-best weight throw and fifth-best shot put performances in the conference. The junior thrower will look to continue that momentum outdoors, where he was the HCAC's sixth-leading hammer thrower one year ago. Beaverson currently ranks sixth in school history in the hammer throw and third in the discus.

Perkins will lead DC's distance runners, and look to defend his title as the HCAC's 3,000-meter steeplechase champion. Last season, Perkins outpaced all other runners in the steeplechase by nearly 15 seconds and claimed the top spot in DC's record books with a time of 9:22.67. The junior should also place among the top in the conference in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter run.

Anderson will push Trivett in the pole vault, and likely give Defiance the top one-two punch in the pole vault this season. The sophomore athlete showed steady improvement during the indoor season, before vaulting into a three-way tie for first place on the HCAC's performances list with a mark of 14-11.00 at the Fred Wilt Memorial Invitation.

The Yellow Jackets will kick-off the 2011 outdoor season at home, when they host the annual Dick Small Invitational on Saturday, March 19, at DC's Coressel Stadium. The meet is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.