RHIT Selected by Coaches as HCAC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Favorites

2011 Men's Track & Field Schedule (click here)

GREENWOOD, IN – Rose-Hulman’s men’s track and field team has been selected as the unanimous front runner to win the 2011 inaugural Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference indoor championship. In a poll of the ten HCAC head coaches, the Engineers received 100 total points and all ten first place votes. 

Defiance College will strive for the indoor title, as the Yellow Jackets totaled a second-best 82 points.  Franklin College placed third in the poll with 80 points and Manchester College finished fourth with 74 points.  Anderson University finished fifth with 59 points and was followed by Hanover College (48 points), College of Mount St. Joseph (39), Earlham College (32), Transylvania University (19), and Bluffton University (17).

Rose has claimed the last three HCAC outdoor championships and will look for a victory in the inaugural HCAC indoor championships this February.  The Engineers return the core of last year’s outdoor title squad and will look for indoor success this winter.  Junior Sutton Coleman (Lebanon, Va./H.S.) does it all for the Engineers and will compete in the 55-meter high hurdles, 400-meter run, 200-meter dash, triple jump, and relays.  Coleman was named the HCAC’s Most Valuable Track athlete at the 2010 outdoor championships.

Defiance earned a third place finish at last year’s outdoor championship meet and will try for their first conference track and field title this winter.  The Yellow Jackets return a core of talent from last season’s team.  Senior’s Seth Bidlack (Oakwood, Ohio/H.S.) and Austin Trivett (Defiance, Ohio/H.S.) earned All-HCAC honors at last spring’s outdoor meet and will try and repeat as all-conference members this indoor season.  Bidlack competes in the 400-meters and 800-meters, while Trivett takes part in pole vault, jumps, and hurdles.

Franklin finished fourth at last spring’s HCAC outdoor meet and will strive for a higher finish in this winter’s indoor championship.  The Grizzlies return the HCAC’s Freshman of the Year from last spring’s meet.  Sophomore Georard Mitchell (Indianapolis, Ind./Howe) competes in the long jump, triple jump, and 200-meters and will look to bring his success indoors on February 19.

The 2011 HCAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Championships are set for Saturday, February 19 at Anderson University.

The 2011 men’s indoor track and field season gets in full swing this weekend.

Athletes to Watch