May 15, 2004
OXFORD, Ohio - Junior Erik Reynolds (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) won the high jump to lead Miami University's men's track & field team to a fourth-place finish on the final day of the 2004 MAC Track & Field Championships on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Oxford. The RedHawks scored 102 points for their highest finish since taking second in 1994. Kent State went on to win its fifth MAC Title, pacing the field with 156 points.
Reynolds became the first Miamian to win the conference championship in the high jump since 1999, clearing 6-10 3/4. Along with freshman Jake Dunkleberger (Smryna, Ga./The Lovett School), who won the hammer throw on Thursday, the RedHawks had two MAC Champions in the same year for the first time since 1999. Joining Reynolds in scoring in the high jump was sophomore Kyle Kraus (Kingville, Ont./Kingville) and freshman Tom Herrmann (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) who took fourth and fifth. Kraus cleared 6-8 3/4, while Herrmann finished at 6-6 3/4.
The high jump was the most prosperous event of the day for the RedHawks, while three other events featured two Red and White scorers. In the distance events, sophomore Chris Swisher (Milan, Ind./Milan) took second in the 1,500m with a time of 3:51.58, just one half second off first, and came back for a sixth-place showing in the 5,000m (14:35.43). In the 1,500, senior Jerry Claunch (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) joined Swisher in the scoring, crossing the line in 3:53.89 for fifth place. Sophomore Dan Huling (Geneva, Ill./Geneva Community) contributed his second second-place finish of the meet in the 5,000, completing the distance in 14:26.58. Regional qualifiers, freshman Jake Kuhner (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) and junior Kelly Tenbrink (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), both finished in the scoring in the pole vault, clearing 15-5. The duo finished third and fifth, respectively, based on attempts.
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Sophomore Bobby Houston (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) posted the ninth-fastest time in the 400m hurdles, in taking fourth. After qualifying sixth in the preliniaries on Saturday, he knocked almost two seconds off his personal best, with a time of 52.72. The 4x400 relay also scored for the Miami sprint corps. The quartet of RedHawks took third with a time of 3:13.49.
Between the Golden Flashes and RedHawks was Eastern Michigan in second (156 points) and defending-champion Central Michigan (118) in third. Western Michigan rounded out the top five with 91 points, as Buffalo and Ball State tied for sixth (66), Akron took seventh (62) and Ohio completed the field.
Reynolds and Dunkleberger headed a list of four 'Hawks named to all-MAC teams. Both champs were first-team selections, while Huling and Swisher earned second-team accolades. All first-place finishes are awarded a spot on the first team, while second-place finishes are given second-team honors.
Senior Nick Somerville (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central) and junior Steve Schilling (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) rounded out the scoring for Miami. Somerville took seventh in the triple jump, with a distance of 46-0 1/2, and Schilling was eighth in the 800m, completing in the distance in 1:53.09.
Several RedHawks have their first weekend off in almost two months before the NCAA Regionals, May 26-28, in Baton Rouge, La. Athletes that have met qualifying standards in their events have the chance to compete for a trip to the NCAA Championships in June.
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