Sport in world

Indoor track and field teams picked fourth in preseason polls

December 25, 2007 on 8:10 pm | In Athletics |

ELMHURST, Ill.- The men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams were selected by the league’s head coaches to finish fourth in The Summit League preseason poll.

The men’s team received 20 points as five all-league honorees return for the Leathernecks, including shot put winner Sean Delahunt (Pekin, Ill./Pekin Community). Blair Hadnott (Aurora, Ill./West) and Brian Pinta (Wheaton, Ill./North) took first and third, respectively, in both the long jump and triple jump events. Kevin Deegan (Tinley, Park, Ill./Brother Rice) placed second in the 800-meter run, while Mitch Thompson was third in the 60-meter hurdles.

The women’s team received 28 points as reigning Athlete of the Year Ashley Yancy (Streator, Ill./Streator) returns for the Westerwinds after capturing first place in both the long jump and triple jump last season. Also returning for the Westerwinds are Amy Zaffino (Shorewood, Ill./Minooka), who placed first in the weight throw and third in the shot put, and pole vault champion Katie Pickford (Sterling, Ill./Sterling). Third-place finishers Nikki Klier (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) (200-meter dash) and Beth Whalen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) (5,000-meter run) also return for Western Illinois.

In the voting on the men’s side, Southern Utah received 32 points and two first-place votes, one point ahead of second-place finisher North Dakota State. The Bison received 31 points and grabbed three first-place votes. Oral Roberts collected the final two first-place votes and 28 points to finish third. South Dakota State (18), UMKC (11) and Oakland (7) rounded out the poll in fifth, six, and seventh place respectively.

Both North Dakota State and Oral Roberts received three first-place votes and 44 total points on the women’s side of the poll. In third place was Southern Utah with 40 points and the final two first-place votes. South Dakota State finished in fifth place, capturing 27 points. UMKC (16), IPFW (13) and Oakland (12) concluded the women’s poll.

The men’s and women’s team kick off the indoor season at the Panther Open, Dec. 8, hosted by Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill.

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