DC Men's Harriers has Three Make HCAC Watch List

GREENWOOD, Ind. – As the cross country squad is training at their preseason camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference released its preseason poll Monday morning with the DC Harriers notched for a fifth-place finish. Three Yellow Jackets were named HCAC Runners to Watch in senior Hayden Krick, junior Joe Davis, and sophomore Josh Hilton.

Coach John Hartpence is in his sixth season at the helm of the Defiance College cross country and track and field programs, where he works primarily with athletes in the distance, hurdles, and field events. For three-consecutive seasons, the team has placed fifth at the conference championships but has improved their points total each of those seasons. Hartpence and the Yellow Jackets look to get over the hump this season and place in the top-four of the HCAC for the first time since 2001.

Looking to lead the way for the DC harriers is senior Hayden Krick. This is his fourth nomination as a Preseason HCAC Runner to Watch, as he has been selected every year of his career. Last season, Krick ran very consistently. The senior finished in the top-four amongst the team in five-of-six meets, including a second-overall finish at the Defiance Duals on September 10.

Junior Joe Davis also received the honor of making the HCAC Watch List. This is the first time he has been selected in his career. Last season, Davis placed second or third among Jacket runners at every meet. He set a personal record with a time of 26:29.0 at the Wilmington College Invitational on October 4th, which was the second-fastest time of any DC runner on the season. The Mansfield, Ohio, native also recorded four top-40 overall finishes on the year.

Along with Davis, making the HCAC Runner-to-Watch List for the first time is sophomore Josh Hilton. In his freshman campaign, Davis started the year slow but picked things up to have a great end of the season. Not only did the Antwerp, Ohio, native set a career-best time with his 26:46.3 run at the Div. III Regional Championships on November 12, but he also placed first of all the DC harriers. His finish earned him a spot on the All-HCAC Honorable Mention list.

In the HCAC men's cross country poll, Defiance earned a total of 68 points, including one first-place vote, for a projected fifth-place finish in the conference. The Purple and Gold were ahead of Hanover (47) and just behind Anderson (74).

Manchester was chosen first in the poll with 99 total points. To round out the top three, Rose-Hulman (84) was second, followed by Franklin (75) edging out Anderson by a point.

The Yellow Jackets will open the 2012 season at the Manchester-Hokum Karem meet on September 1 in North Manchester, Ind. The meet is scheduled for 11:00 AM.