Frostburg, MD - The term "Conference Champions" seems to fit the mold of the Golden Eagles Track and Field teams. Coach Bias and his men's and women's outdoor track and field teams won the Mountain East Conference Championship this past weekend at Frostburg State University. With163 points after the three-day competition, The women's UC team beat the Hilltoppers (158.5) in the standings. With 126 points, Wheeling University came in third. West Virginia Wesleyan (110) and Frostburg State (102.5) completed the top five. For the men, with 225.5 total points, Charleston placed on top, beating out West Liberty (193) for first place. With 76 points, Frostburg State finished in third place, followed by Wheeling (69.5) and Concord (62).

The men's team picked up their seventh consecutive MEC Championship, and the women earned their fourth consecutive title. Coach Bias and UC athletes earned Major Event Awards along with their first place feat. Highlights are below. 

Major Event Winners: 

Men's and Women's Coach of the Year: Nick Bias 
Coach Nick Bias earns Coach of the Year for both the men and the women. Following his impressive season of indoor, Coach Bias took his team to the next level in the outdoor season. After earning Coach of the Year last year, Bias continues to push his athletes to perform to the best of their ability. 

Most Valuable Performer & Freshman of the Year: Mathias Mees
After his outstanding performance in Frostburg, the first-year Golden Eagle earned MVP and Freshman of the Year. Mees earned an outstanding 29 points over the weekend after placing in Long Jump, High Jump, Triple Jump, and Pole Vault to help lead his team in victory. Mees was the first place champion in the long jump after jumping a total distance of 6.89 meters. In high jump, the freshman earned fourth place after jumping 1.88 meters. Mees wasn't done though. In the triple jump, he was crowned first-place champion after jumping a total distance of 14.41 meters; In pole vault, Mees took fifth place with a height of 4.30 meters.  

Field Athlete of the Year: Kellen Tropeck
Sounds familiar doesn't it? That's because senior Kellen Tropeck was also your indoor track and field Athlete of the Year, and his outdoor season proved he earned it for this year as well. Tropeck had an outstanding in performance in Frostburg, with the lowest scoring on the weekend being second place. The senior was the first place champion for both the shot put and discuss. In shot put, Tropeck threw 17.29 meters to take home the title, and 46.34 meters in discus to clinch first-place as well. The West Virginia native placed second in the hammer throw, throwing 49.72 meters over the weekend. 

Freshman of the Year: Julie LaFare
Julie LaFare has definitely made a name for herself on her team. LaFare earns her Freshman of the Year after her dominance in distance this season. Over the weekend, LaFare earned two first place championships, a top five finish, and a meet record to make this nomination a no-brainer. In the 1500m, LaFare earned fifth place, running a 4:54.22. The freshman was crowned champion in the 5,000m race after running an impressive time of 18:11.07. In the 10,000m race, LaFare earned 1^st Place-Champion and the meet record by running a 36:42.84 in Frostburg. LaFare will continue to bring her dominance into post season for the Golden Eagles. 

Track Athlete of the Year: Louanne Pouzancre
It comes without question that Pouzancre earns the women's MEC Athlete of the Year after her outstanding season with the Golden Eagles. The French native has consistently broken not only UC school records, but MEC meet records as well. Pouzancre was the 400m race champion, setting a new meet record running an incredible time of 55.72. Along with the 400m run, Pouzancre placed 2nd in the 200m race, running 25.64. She was also a part of the 4x400m Relay first-place team that ran a time of 3:59.11.


Below is a guide to the rankings of each of the MEC Championship events:
1^st place-1^st Team All MEC-Champion
2^nd place-2^nd Team All MEC
3^rd place-Honorable Mention All MEC

Men's Highlights: 

100m
Timber Huysmans picked a 3^rd place feat in the 100m race after running a 10.74. Teammate Antonio Sneed was shortly after him, earning 5^th place with a time of 10.89, and rounding it out was Emirh White, who earned 8^th place with a time of 11.08. 

200m
Timber Huysmans was the MEC 1^st Place-Champion of the 200m race after running a speedy time of 21.41. Teammate Emirh White was quick in his feat as well, earning 4^th Place with a time of 21.97. 

400m
The Golden Eagles finished in a bunch of 5-7 to pick up points on the weekend. Michael Garrett earned 5th place with a time of 49.68. Colin Hunkele placed 6th, running a 49.85, and Alejandro Salgado earned 7th place with a time of 49.86. 

800m
Much like his indoor season, Warren Thiel was your 800m first place champion. Thiel's time of 1:53.02 placed him at the top of the podium in Frostburg. Emmanuel Yego joined Thiel on the podium, earning 3^rd Place with a time of 1:56.29. Jaime Blazquez also earned a top-10 finish, placing 8^th over the weekend with a time of 2:08.03. 

1500m
Thomas Termote earned the 3^rd Place spot on the podium in the 1500m run after running a time of 3:57.52 over the weekend. Emmanuel Yego was right Termote, earning 4^th Place with a time of 3:59.78, and Matthys Bourse rounded it out, placing 8^th with a time of 4:04.16. 

5,000m
Zane Chalker was your 5,000m 1^st Place-Champion in Frostburg after a time of 14:42.82. Chalker was joined on the podium by teammates Joao Pereira and Thomas Termote. Pereira earned 2^nd Place with a time of 14:43.02, and Termote rounded it out, placing third with a time of 14:49.84.

10,000m
Joao Pereira was the 10,000m 1^st Place-Champion in the MEC after he ran an first-place time of 30:22.96. Pereira had a familiar face with him on the podium as Zane Chalker earned 2^nd Place with a time of 30:23.08. 

100m Hurdles
Micah Hancock earned 8^th Place in the 100m hurdles over the weekend after running a 15.63. 

400m Hurdles
Damian Smith earned a top-5 finish over the weekend, placing 4^th with a time of 57.55. Alejandro Salgado earned a top-10 finish by placing 6^th with a time of 58.02. 

3,000m Steeplechase
Matthys Bourse seized a spot on the podium, earning 2^nd Place with a time of 9:22.04. Emmanuel Yego finished top-5, earning 5^th Place with a time of 9:40.74. 

4x100m Relay
The 4x100m Relay team earned their spot on the podium after finishing 3rd place with a time of 42.27. The Golden Eagles that earned this feat were Antonio Sneed, Timber Huysmans, Colin Hunkele, and Emirh White. 

4x400m Relay
Timber Huysmans, Michael Garrett, Alejandro Salgado, Colin Hunkele were the MEC 4x400m Relay champions after their of 3:21.21. 

High Jump
Following Mees in the high jump, Michael Garrett jumped 1.83 meters over the weekend to earn 5^th Place in Frostburg. 

Triple Jump
Following Mees in the triple jump, Manuel Campana joined his teammate on the podium after jumping 14.31 meters to earn 2^nd Place. Letlhogonolo Ramafuthula also joined his teammates , placing third after jumping 13.39 meters to earn 3^rd Place. Nathaniel Wheeler rounded it out for the Golden Eagles, earning 6th place with a distance of 10.23 meters. 

Pole Vault
Nathaniel Wheeler earned 6th place in the pole vault after his feat of 4.15 meters over the weekend.

Decathlon 
Blake Stanton picked up 3345 points in Frostburg in the Decathlon to earn 5^th Place. 

Women's Highlights

400m
Following Pouzancre's feat, Camilia Hoya earned a top-5 finish with her time of 59.94 on the weeknd to earn her 4^th Place. Marina Barahona also placed top-10 with a 400m time of 1:01.74 ro place 6^th in Frostburg. 

800m
Lily Dowdell earned her spot on the podium for the 800m as she finished 3rd with a time of 2:18.36. Flora Tissier earned a top-10 finish of 7th place with her time of 2:25.41, and Mercy Jepleting rounded it out for the Golden Eagles, placing 8th with her time of 2:31.55. 

1500m
Flora Tissier was your 1500m first place champion after her time of 4:42.09. The Golden Eagles took 1,2, and 3, as Lily Dowdell earned 2nd place with her time of 4:43.72, and Madison Woolwine earned 3rd place with her time of 4:48.65. Mercy Jepleting also added to the team after placing 8th with a time of 5:02.45. 

5,000m
Following teammate LaFare, Madison Woolwine finished 5th with a time of18:43.93. Teammate Mercy Jepleting was shortly after her, running a 18:54.13 to earn 7^th Place on the weekend. 

100m Hurdles
Balie Destefano ran a 15.22 to earn 5^th Place in Frostburg. 

400m Hurdles
Balie Destefano earned 4th place over the weekend with her time of 1:10.87, and teammate Marina Barahona was right behind her. Barahona ran a 1:11.93 to earn 5^th Place on the weekend. 

4x100m Relay
Aaliyah Sheffield, Dasheya Booker, Aleisha Coolen, and Erica Davis earned a top-10 finish in the 4x100m relay of 6th place after their time of 51.41

4x400m Relay
The team composed of Balie Destefano, Camilia Hoya, Marina Barahona, and Louanne Pouzancre were the first place champions in the 4x400m Relay after their time of 3:59.11 over the weekend. 

Long Jump
Kayla Lemkus earned a top-10 finish of 7th place after jumping 4.96 meters. 

High Jump
Laura Delgado de Torres and Balie Destefano tied for 6th place over the weekend as both ladies jumped 1.47 metes.

Triple Jump
Camilia Hoya captured a spot on the podium for triple jump after jumping 11.17 meters to earn 3^rd Place. Her teammate Kayla Lemkus also earned a top-10 finish, placing 6th with a distance of 9.99 meters.

Shot Put
Abby McKinney had a fantastic weekend, placing second in the shot put after throwing 12.56 meters. Teammate Zowie Manuma joined McKinney in the top-5 finishes, placing fifth on the weekend with a distance of 11.19 meters. 

Discus
Zowie Manuma earned a top-5 finish of fifth place in the discus after throwing 35.41 meters in Frostburg.

Hammer
Abby McKinney earned 5th place in the Hammer over the weekend after throwing 43.11 meters. 

Javelin
Kalista Milne earned a top-3 finish of third place in Frostburg after throwing 30.98 meters over the weekend. 

Pole Vault
Amara Mason earned 8th place over the weekend, vaulting a distance of 2.48 meters in Frostburg.

Heptathlon
Laura Delgado de Torres earned sixth place, scoring a total of 3587 points over the weekend. 

As the regular season comes to an end, the Golden Eagles continue to peak at just the right time as they head into post-season on the year. Nick Bias and his teams continue to show just how deep their team can go, and are making a name for themselves in the NCAA. 

What's Next: The Golden Eagles will travel to Lee University in Tennessee to compete on Saturday, May 13th in preparation for NCAA Outdoor Championships.