February 11, 2011

Men?s Track Ready for NEC Indoor Championships

This weekend the Central Connecticut men's track team will travel to Maryland for the Northeast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Blue Devils were picked fourth in the NEC Coaches Pre-Championship Poll behind Long Island, Monmouth and Sacred Heart. Central has a strong team this season led by its distance runners who have won back-to-back NEC Cross Country Championships, but this year's team also features strong performers in the sprints and field events.

This weekend the Central Connecticut men's track team will travel to Maryland for the Northeast Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Blue Devils were picked fourth in the NEC Coaches Pre-Championship Poll behind Long Island, Monmouth and Sacred Heart. Central has a strong team this season led by its distance runners who have won back-to-back NEC Cross Country Championships, but this year's team also features strong performers in the sprints and field events.

Here is a look at a few of the Blue Devil athletes competing this weekend.

Sophomore Aaron Radden leads the Blue Devil sprinters, the Waterbury, CT, native won a pair of events at the Indoor Championships last year as a freshman. This year he will be defending his titles in the 60 meter dash and the 200 meters. Radden's best performances this year are 6.83 seconds in the 60 meter and 21.41 in the 200 meter.

Sophomore Mohamed Hrezi who set a school record for the 800 meters last week at the Giegengack Invitational will be entering that event this weekend. His record time last weekend was 1:51.69.

Hrezi will be joined by Radden, sophomore Jeremy Schmid and sophomore Mike Waterbury in the distance medley relay this weekend. That team posted a 9:56.67 performance at the Giegengack Invitational last weekend to set a new school record, and the group should fare well this weekend.

In the field events the Blue Devils will look to junior Rashad Williams and freshman Denzell Jones. Williams set the CCSU record for indoor shot put earlier this season, his best mark of the season and the current Blue Devil record is 16.72 meters. He launched that throw at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games.

Jones is a two sport athlete for the Blue Devils, he spent the fall as a quarterback on the Central football team, but he easily transitioned a standout jumper for the track team. Jones has posted season bests of 2.04 meters in the high jump and 14.25 meters in the triple jump, he will compete in both events this weekend.

The NEC Indoor Championships start on Saturday morning and continue through Sunday evening. Results will be available on CCSUBlueDevils.com at the conclusion of each day. A complete order of events is available below.

Schedule of Events

Saturday, February 12

TRACK EVENTS

Time Event Round Gender

12:00 pm 60-meter hurdles *Prelim Men

12:40 pm 60-meter dash *Prelim Men

1:20 pm Mile Trial Men

1:55 pm 60-meter hurdles Semi Men

2:30 pm 400 meters Trial Men

3:10 pm 500 meters Trial Men

3:45 pm 60-meter dash Semi Men

4:20 pm 800 meters Trial Men