Men's Indoor Track Picked Second in Preseason Coaches' Poll

On Wednesday, Dec. 6 the Northeast Conference announced its 2017 Preseason Coaches' Poll highlighting the Central Connecticut men's indoor track & field team in second place. The Blue Devils, who finished fifth in the league last season, received a pair of first place votes behind seven for LIU Brooklyn who was chosen as the preseason favorite.

At the 2017 NEC Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY, CCSU combined for 86.5 points led by seven medalists. The Blackbirds of LIU won their fourth straight title with 141 total points.

Central Connecticut returns mastery-hurdler, junior Edwin Alston, who broke the 60 meter hurdles school record (7.94s) at the NEC Championships last year. Alston concluded his second indoor season at the USA National Championship in New Mexico en route to having an exceptional outdoor season and setting a new 110m hurdle school record (14.14s).

The 2017 CCSU distance medley relay school record quartet (9:46.12) returns sophomore Richard Grudzwick and senior Austin Trainor, but will have to fill two large shoes to fill after graduating Joseph Gioielli and Malcolm Connor last year.

In addition to multiple returning standouts, the Blue Devils welcome a handful of fresh young and talented athletes to its program for the start of the 2017-18 season.

The Blue Devils open tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 7, at the UConn Heptathlon beginning at noon.

MEN

1. LIU Brooklyn (7)
2. CCSU (2)
3. Sacred Heart
4. Wagner
5. Saint Francis U.
6. Mount St. Mary's
7. Fairleigh Dickinson
8. Bryant
9. St. Francis Brooklyn