Men's Track & Field picked sixth in HCAC preseason poll

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) announced the results of the Men's Indoor Track and Field preseason poll, with Defiance placing sixth in a vote amongst league coaches.

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology picked up all 10 first-place votes, earning 100 points in the poll. Manchester University finished second, with 88 points with Hanover College snagging third with 69 points. Transylvania University claimed fourth, with 63 points while Earlham College rounded out the top five with 55 points. Defiance placed sixth just behind Earlham with 52 points.

Five Yellow Jackets were named to the HCAC Athletes to Watch list: sophomore Tawon Cannon, senior Carlens Elisias, junior Ja'Qway Janvier, junior V'Sean Palmer, and sophomore John Reese.

Cannon had a strong freshman season last winter recording top-10 times in program history for the 60-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Cannon finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles and the 400-meter dash at the HCAC Indoor Championships and placed first in the 400-meter hurdles at the HCAC Outdoor Championship.

Elisias competed in four indoor meets last season and set personal bests in the 200-meters (24.55) and long jump (5.20m) at the John Hartpence Classic on Feb. 12 and a personal best in the 60-meters (7.43) at the Dick Small Invitational on Feb. 5. 

Janvier earned two medals at the 2020-21 HCAC Indoor Championships by second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.04 and third in the 200-meters with a time of 23.50. He set a personal best in the 60-meters at the John Hartpence Classic with a time of 6.96, one of the fastest times in school history, and was named the HCAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 17 after winning the 60 (6.96), 200 (23.48), the long jump (5.93m) and competing with the winning 4x400 team at the John Hartpence Classic. 

Palmer competed in two meets last winter and ran personal bests in the 60-meters (7.54) and 400-meters (54.08) at the Dave Meuleman Classic.

Reese placed fifth in the triple jump (11.62m) and sixth in the high jump (1.75) at the HCAC Indoor Championships and was a member of a 4x400 relay team that placed fifth. Reese also competes in mid-distance events and has a personal best of 2:10.28 in the 800-meters. 

The Yellow Jackets will be hosting the 2021-22 HCAC Indoor Championships this season on Feb. 19 at the George M. Smart Center. 

The first event of the season for Defiance will be the Defiance College Invite on Dec. 3 at the Smart Center.