Postema, Neal Collect Awards from HCAC

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference has announced that Defiance College junior Tom Postema was named HCAC Field Athlete of the Year and freshman Reggie Neal was named Freshman of the Year. [Release]

Postema set the HCAC Outdoor Championship record in the discus with a throw of 180-04.40. The toss also broke the Defiance College record and is the second-best mark in the nation this year. The product of Tinora High was the HCAC champion in the discus, hammer throw and placed second in the shot put.

Neal won the triple jump at the HCAC Championships with a leap of 46-02.00 to earn outdoor All-HCAC honors for the first time in his career. The mark also set a new Defiance College record in the triple jump. Neal bested the previous mark of 45-08.00 held by Ed Turner. Neal finished the two-day event with a seventh-place finish in the long jump and was a member of the fourth-place 4x100-meter relay team.

Joining Postema and Neal with Frist Team All-HCAC honors are senior Justin Perkins and freshman Troy Parrett. Perkins, the 2010 steeplechase champion, reclaimed his title in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a winning mark of 9:27.12. He beat his nearest competitor by five seconds en route to the win. Joining Postema with All-HCAC accolades was freshman Troy Parrett. Parrett won the 800-meter run, the same event he won at the All-Ohio Championships, with a time of 1:56.10.

Sophomore Luiyi Nunez was named to the HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team for Defiance. Nunez finished ninth in the hammer throw and 11th in the shot put at the HCAC Championships.

Defiance will compete again on Thursday, May 10 at the Dr. Keeler Invitational held in Naperville, Illinois. The meet is scheduled to begin at 12:00 pm.