Concord Ready to Challenge at MEC Championships

Schedule of Events - Live Video - MEC Championship Central

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's and women's track & field teams travel to the Mountain East Conference Championships Sunday through Tuesday at Frostburg State's Bobcat Stadium.

LIVE COVERAGE
The MEC Digital Network will have live streaming video of the three-day competition. 


Live Video

MEC CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES
Graduate student Gerard Hearst has led the MEC in the 100-meter dash throughout the spring as his time from the first outdoor meet of the season at Myrtle Beach (10.61 seconds) has held up. Freshman Jaidyn Foddrell is tied for 11^th in the 100-meters. Junior Logan Zuchelli has run the second-fastest time in the 5,000-meters this season (14:36.86), just two seconds off the lead pace. Freshman Braden Ward made the final 5,000-meter field after running 15:18.14 last weekend. CU's record-setting 4x400-meter relay from earlier in the month is seeded second in the MEC with the group consisting of junior Ethan Board, Foddrell, junior Ian Gardner and freshman Bradley Harris. Concord has five athletes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase: senior Preston Prather (sixth), freshman AJ Skeens (eighth), freshman Andrew Tickle (11^th), freshman Wes Holcomb (15^th) and sophomore Connor Cormack (16^th). A total of 17 CU men's athletes qualified for the MEC Championships.

Graduate student Emily Wallace sported the top time in the MEC in the 800-meter run (2:17.15) during the season. She also ranks second in the 1,500-meter run (4:38.92) and 5,000-meters (17:35.64). Freshman Nadiyah Abdussalaam will have a busy three-day stretch as she competes in the heptathlon where she ranks fourth, pole vault, triple jump and the 100-meter hurdles. Senior Alaina Mills rose to third in the javelin throw after her career-best toss of 31.81 meters last weekend. Sophomore Lilly Jackson (12^th) and freshman Meagan Poticher (14^th) are also scheduled to compete. Sophomore Katy Walkup will double up in the longest events—the 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters. She ranks fifth in the 10,000-meters and 14^th in the 5,000-meters. Joining Wallace in the 1,500-meters will be sophomore Emma Jenkins (ninth) and freshman Charlotte McGinnis (16^th). The Concord women have 18 athletes set to compete at the MEC Championships.

MEC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
Gardner has been runner-up in the 400-meters each of the last two seasons, earning All-MEC Second Team. Two years ago, the Mountain Lion men's 4x400-meter relay team was All-MEC Second Team with Board and Gardner on the squad. Zuchelli was third in the 5,000-meters two years ago during the MEC Outdoor Championships, however, Zuchelli was the MEC Champion in the event during the indoor championships in February. Prather scored points in both the 10,000-meters (fifth) and 5,000-meters (eighth) at last year's MEC Championships.

Wallace was on the podium during last year's MEC Championships after finishing third in the 5,000-meters. Wallace was All-MEC Second Team in the 1,500-meters during the 2022 campaign. Wallace was just off the podium in last year's 1,500-meters as she finished fourth. Walkup was a scorer for CU in the 10,000-meters with a fifth-place showing. Mills has been a top-eighth finisher in the javelin for the Mountain Lions at each of the last two MEC Championships, placing eighth in 2022 and seventh last spring.