Appalachian State University men’s track and field is coming off of a solid track season where they landed in fifth with 74.5 points at the 2016 Sun Belt Indoor Championships and took sixth place with 76 points at the 2016 Sun Belt Outdoor Championships. Head Coach John Weaver will embark on his 35th year as the director of the track program and returns six of seven all-conference athletes. SPRINTS
freshman Jordan Johnson who was a conference champion and won the bronze medal in the long
DISTANCE
The long distance squad brings back a bunch of runners with significant amounts of experience. Andrew Vandenberg will pilot the 10k runners as he produced the fastest time in last year’s outdoor season. Also, Jacob Sears will take charge in the steeplechase after a third-place finish at the conference championships. Lastly, Chris Anderson will highlight the distance group after an outstanding senior cross country stint.
Season Preview
Track and Field
Appalachian State
The sprints will be led by speedster William Buckley who produced the fastest 100-, 200- and 60-meter times in the 2015-16 season. Buckley competed in the 100 meters at the NCAA East Preliminary Round and clocked a time of 10.64. The North Carolina native finished fifth in the 100 meters at the outdoor championships and finished fourth in both the 60m and the 200m at the indoor conference championships. Joining Buckley this year are two talented freshmen, Jabari Johnson and Tylen Noel. Johnson and Noel bring the needed speed to raise the level of competitiveness for the Mountaineers.
Phillip Thomas
jump at the NCHSAA State Championships. THROWS JUMPS
Ryan Hastings
Two key returners for the jumps squad are Phillip Thomas and Isaiah Relliford. Thomas finished in third in the pole vault at the indoor and outdoor Sun Belt Championships and qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the event. Relliford enters his senior year as the top long jumper and triple jumper for the Mountaineers producing the top marks in the 2015-16 campaign.
Shot put powerhouse Nathan Milch returns to the High Country for his senior year after qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the shot put, placing second in the shot and fourth in the weight throw at indoor championships and grabbing the silver medal in the shot put at the outdoor championships. Accompanying Milch will be freshman Michael Albert and Nicolas Botett. Albert was the 2016 state champion in the shot put and discus in Virginia and Botett wasw crowned discus champion at the New Jersey 4A State Meet in 2015.
The jumps group will see new talent from
MIDDLE DISTANCE
Will Buckley
In the 1,500 meters, Evan Georges will take the lead after finishing in fifth at the outdoor championships and was a part of the bronze medal DMR team for the indoor championships.
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Women’s Outdoor Conference Titles Men’s Outdoor Conference Titles
appstatesports.com
Junior Ryan Hastings will lead Appalachian’s middle distance group for the 2016-17 season. Hastings was crowned the 2016 Sun Belt indoor 800-meter champion running a time of 1:52.01 and guided the Distance Medley Relay quartet to a bronze medal. At the outdoor championships, Hastings finished third in the 800m and led the 4x400-meter relay to a fifth place finish. Hastings will get some help from freshman Michael Sean Doyle who was a three-time state champion in the 4x800-meter relay in North Carolina.
Isaiah Relliford
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Nathan Milch
Individual Outdoor Championship Performances Individual Outdoor Championship Performances
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