Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship Preview

Courtesy of Edgewood College, Sports Information Department
The Milwaukee School of Engineering will be seeking its second straight Northern Athletics Conference crown when the 2009 NAC Indoor Track & Field Championships get underway at the Tarble Athletic & Recreation Center in Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday hosted by Edgewood College.

The Raiders claimed their first title last year in their first year of NAC competition, garnering 163.5 points to beat Aurora (123.5) and Concordia Wisconsin (102). MSOE captured five event titles in 2008 with Brian Seniuk leading the way with two individual and helping win one more in a relay. Seniuk took first in the 200 meter and 400 meter dashes while helping the 4x400 relay team to a narrow victory over Concordia Wisconsin. He currently holds the fastest time this year in the 400 dash with a time of 49.45 seconds back on January 24. Seniuk also has the second-fastest time in the 200 dash and the third fastest time in the 55 dash.

In all, 10 individual champions return to try and defend their titles in 2009. Joining Seniuk with multiple trips to the top step of the podium in 2008 is Wisconsin Lutheran’s Zach Shiels, who claimed convincing wins in the 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter runs. Shiels currently has the second-fastest time in the 5,000 this year behind Micah Lorenzen of Concordia Wisconsin. Lorenzen has the top times in the NAC this season in the mile and the 3,000 meter runs. At the 2007 NAC Indoor Championships, Lorenzen won both the mile and the 5,000 and was a mere three seconds off the mark in the 3,000 falling just shy of a clean sweep of all three events.

Also of Concordia Wisconsin is Brock Solveson who leaped to a NAC title in the long jump in 2008. The 800 meter run should be a fun one to watch as Rockford’s Matt Lindgren looks to defend his 2008 title against MSOE’s Dominic Maio who has the fastest time in the NAC this year at 1:55.57.

Others looking to become back-to-back NAC indoor champions will be MSOE’s Kevin Diederick and Kyle Rate in the 55 meter hurdles and triple jump, respectively. Aurora’s Adrian Kibiersza will defend his mark in the shot as will Lakeland’s Luke Herriges in the high jump.

The NCAA Division III Championship is scheduled for March 13-14 in Terre Haute, Ind. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology will host the event.