HCAC announces indoor track preseason polls
CARMEL, IND - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference released the preseason coach's poll on Monday morning with both the Defiance College men's and women's track and field programs placing 10th.
Rose-Hulman topped both polls with the men earning 100 points, 15 points ahead of second-place Hanover, and the women edging out Hanover 93-91. Manchester took third in each poll.
Six members of the Defiance men's team were named to the HCAC Players to Watch list including returners Ja'Qway Janvier (Miami Gardens, Fla./Mater Academy Charter) and Gabriel Melvin (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast) who placed third and fourth place in the 60m dash at the HCAC Championship last season. They are joined on the watch list by newcomers V'Sean Palmer (Dayton, Ohio/Thurgood Marshall), Joshua Gaffney (Napoleon, Ohio/Napoleon), John Reese (Morton, Texas/Morton), and Tawon Cannon (Columbus, Ohio/Mifflin).
The DC women's team also had six members on the preseason watchlist. Veterans Lisa Markau (Cape Coral, Fla./Cape Coral), Destiny Oshodin (Toledo, Ohio/Jesup W. Scott), and Brianna Snider (Lima, Ohio/Shawnee) are joined on the list by newcomers Katelyn Smith (Edgerton, Ohio/Fairview), Shinique Lawrence (Toledo, Ohio/Bowsher), and Deleita Powell (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw).
Both track programs will begin their season at home on Friday, January 29 when they host Anderson University and Adrian College in the Dave Mueleman Classic.
2021 HCAC Men's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Poll
1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 100
2. Hanover College 85
3. Manchester University 76
4. Earlham College 57
4. Franklin College 57
6. Bluffton University 56
7. Anderson University 33
7. Mount St. Joseph University 33
9. Transylvania University 30
10. Defiance College 23
2021 HCAC Women's Indoor Track and Field Preseason Poll
1. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 93
2. Hanover College 91
3. Manchester University 86
4. Bluffton University 67
5. Franklin College 54
6. Earlham College 46
7. Mount St. Joseph University 34
8. Transylvania University 33
9. Anderson University 31
10. Defiance College 15