Concord Gears Up for MEC Championships

Live Results - Live Video - Schedule of Events - Performance List

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's and women's track and field teams compete at the Mountain East Conference Championships May 5-7 at Morris Stadium in Glenville, West Virginia.

LIVE COVERAGE
Results: The MEC will have live results throughout the duration of the meet.
Video: Live streaming video will be provided at select times of the championships. The time schedule will be 5-9 p.m. Sunday, 3:30-9 p.m. Monday and 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday.

MEC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
Concord has nine total athletes that have previously been named All-MEC that will compete over the next three days. On the men's side, senior Jason Weitzel is the defending MEC Champion in the 5,000-meter run and was the 2018 MEC Runner of the Year. Weitzel has also previously won the 3,000-meter steeplechase with the win coming in 2016. Sophomore Isaiah Bowman is the defending champion in the javelin throw. Junior Corey Carvelli won the 400-meter hurdles two seasons ago. Sophomore Trevor Armes picked up his first All-MEC accolade last season by finishing on the third-place 4x400-meter relay squad.

The Mountain Lions have five returning All-MEC athletes on the women's team. Seniors Taylor Hamm and Emilee Henry have previously been conference champion, both in 2017. Hamm was victorious in the 800-meter run while Henry sprinted to a win the 200-meter run. Hamm and Henry also combined with senior Heather Chernutan to win the 4x400-meter relay two years ago. Seniors Bailey Knowles and Karleigh Thompson both earned All-MEC in distance events last season. Sophomore Josea Smith was the second-place finisher in the 400-meter hurdles in 2018.

Since 2006, the Mountain Lions have finished on the podium (the top three) in the 4x400-meter in every year except 2015. The group of Hamm, Henry, Smith and freshman Jada Strachan have the fastest 4x400-meter relay time in the MEC this season as they group has clocked 4:00.31.

Thompson was the runner up in the 10,00-meter run last season and is ranked second ahead of the race Sunday night. Knowles is slotted fourth while senior Kaylin Kessinger is eighth. Seniro Catrina Russell is 13^th.

Henry is ranked second in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Henry is joined in the 200-meters by junior Autumn Thomas (10^th) and sophomore Kiersten Shrader (12^th).
Smith (third) and Chernutan (fifth ) are both in the top five in the 400-meter hurdles.

Knowles finished on the podium in last year's 5,000-meter run and is ranked fourth in 2019. Thompson holds an eighth-place ranking. Kessinger is 12^th while senior Kenna Knowles is 15^th.

CU will line five athletes up in the 800-meter run with Strachan leading the way in fifth. Hamm is eighth. Sophomore Lindsey Cummings (11^th), freshman Briana Parsons (15^th) and freshman Kyla Marshall (16^th) round out the Mountain Lions.

In men's competition, Weitzel has the top 3,000-meter steeplechase time (9:05). Freshmen Isaac Prather and Cedric Drennen are third and fourth while senior Michael Ruhnke and sophomore Samuel Haynes are sixth and eighth.

Prather and Drennen may figure into the running for MEC Freshman of the Year. Drennen will also run the 1,500-meter run and 5,000-meters and compete in the high jump. Meanwhile, Prather is scheduled to race the 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters. Prather leads four runners in the 10,000-meters as he has the fourth-fastest time. Haynes is eighth with junior Cooper Brady (12^th) and sophomore Andrew Barbera (13^th) follow.

Weitzel has the second fastest time in the 5,000-meters while four others qualified for the event. Ruhnke is sixth. Prather is eighth while Drennen is 14^th and sophomore Samuel Thomas is 15^th.

Senior Roger Foster was third in the 800-meters two seasons for his only podium finish at the MEC Championships. Foster is fourth in the pre-race rankings. Sophomore Raheem Williams is ranked seventh.

Bowman will look to defend his title in the javelin as he has the second-furthest throw in the league this season. Junior Bennie White (13^th) and sophomore Dwain Porterfield (16^th) also made the field.

Sophomore Marcus Wilson and Carvelli are fourth and fifth in the 400-meter hurdles as they look to move onto the podium.