Men's Indoor Track Picked Third in NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll

On Friday, Jan. 4 the Northeast Conference announced its 2018 Preseason Coaches' Poll highlighting the Central Connecticut men's indoor track and field team in third place. 

At the 2018 Northeast Conference Championships in the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, NY, the men finished with 132 points, the most points of any CCSU men's indoor team, to outlast the four-time defending champion LIU Brooklyn to win its second NEC title.

Head Coach Eric Blake was named the 2018 Northeast Conference Men's Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. The team had nine all-conference picks including junior Marquis Ward who won the 2018 NEC High Jump Title (2.04m). Ward also won the silver medal for the triple jump with a leap of 14.24 meters crushing his old personal record of 13.90 meters.

Another notable returner is senior Akiel Smith, who was named to the NEC Second-Team after being the NEC runner-up in the 60-meter dash with a personal record time of 6.88 seconds.

The Blue Devils open today, Friday, Jan. 4. at the Wagner College Invitational.

MEN'S INDOOR POLL

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