Men’s Track and Field Picked Third in HCAC Preseason Poll

GREENWOOD, Ind. – In the HCAC's 2010 Men's Preseason Track and Field Poll, which was voted on by the conference's nine head coaches and released on Tuesday, Defiance was picked third, receiving 61 total points. The Yellow Jackets also had five runners recognized as HCAC Athletes to Watch. [Release]

Rose-Hulman took the top spot, receiving 81 total points in the poll, including all nine of the coaches' first-place votes. Franklin College was the only other school picked ahead of Defiance, receiving three more points than the Yellow Jackets for a total of 64 points. Manchester (60), Anderson (49), Hanover (33), Mount St. Joseph (26), Bluffton (22) and Transylvania (9) rounded out the scoring.

In addition to the team standings, the league office released its list of 2010 HCAC Athletes to Watch, with five Yellow Jackets receiving the honor. Juniors Ryan Perry and Austin Trivett, sophomore Justin Perkins and freshmen Aaron Demecs and Hayden Krick each received the honor for the Jackets.

Ryan Perry is coming off an indoor season in which he proved himself to be one of the fastest sprinters in the conference, placing second in the HCAC and setting a DC all-time record with a 6.99 second 60 meter dash. The North Royalton, Ohio, native earned his first All-HCAC nod last season, and has twice received Outdoor All-Ohio recognition. Last season, Perry was a member of DC's 4x100 meter relay team that took the HCAC title.

Former HCAC Most Outstanding Freshman Athlete of the Year, Austin Trivett, has established himself as one of the most versatile athletes in the conference. Last season, the Defiance, Ohio, native placed in five different events on his way to a second-consecutive All-HCAC Honorable Mention. The three-time All-Ohio honoree became DC's all-time pole vaulting record holder this spring, clearing a conference-best 15-03.00 at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships.

Sophomore Justin Perkins received All-HCAC and All-Ohio recognition last season after claiming the conference title in the 3,000 meter steeple chase.  Perkins had a standout season for DC's cross country team in the fall, and will look to pace DC's distance runners this season. The Fairview High School product is currently ranked on DC's top-ten performances list in four different events.

Freshman runner Aaron Demecs earned All-Ohio recognition in the 400 meter dash and distance medley relay during his first indoor season with the Jackets. Demecs' time of 50.36 seconds in the 400 meter dash crushed the previous school record for the event by more than a second, and placed him second in the HCAC for the indoor season. Demecs was also selected to the All-HCAC Sportsmanship Team for the winter season.

Hayden Krick has rewritten the DC record books during his freshman campaign, setting school records in the distance medley relay, 4x800 meter relay, one mile run and 3,000 meter run in his first indoor season with the program. His one mile run time of 4:27.18 beat the previous school record by nearly 15 seconds and his participation on DC's record-setting DMR team earned the Antwerp, Ohio, native All-Ohio recognition.

The outdoor track and field team will kick off this Saturday, March 20, with the annual Dick Small Invitational in Defiance, Ohio. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.