INDIANAPOLIS – Tiffin’s recent ‘track’ record made its program the top choice among the coaches for the 2018-19 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour that came out on Thursday.
 
The indoor season starts this weekend with a handful of teams competing. The 2019 indoor track and field conference meet will be conducted at the University of Findlay on Feb. 22-23. 
 
The Dragons, under head coach Jeremy Croy and his staff, are expected to make a splashy entrance into the conference in this sport particularly, with many of the current records certainly in jeopardy of falling from elite talent. 
 
In the 2016-17 season, Tiffin was the NCAA Division II men’s team champion, something the Great Midwest is still seeking despite a number of individuals earning national titles (both men and women) in various events. 
 
Last year, the Dragons took their place on the podium as the national indoor team runner-up and would go on to place third during the outdoor campaign in 2017-18. A total of 16 All-Americans were featured from Tiffin on the men’s side alone by virtue of top-8 placement in their respective events. 
 
Tiffin received nine first-place votes for a grand total of 138 points from the coaches in this year’s preseason coaches poll to lead all 13 men’s programs in the Great Midwest that will be sponsoring the sport this season.
 
The reigning Great Midwest men’s indoor team champion, Findlay, received three first-place votes and was a very close second 136 points in the balloting as preseason runner-up. The Oilers return NCAA weight throw champion and Great Midwest Men’s Field Athlete of the Year to the cage as UF features considerable depth in throws events. 
 
Findlay had five total indoor NCAA qualifiers from a year ago and three returners claimed All-American status (Combs, Dequan Lovell – weight throw, George Effah – 400m). 
 
Walsh received the other first-place vote and came in third with 115 points in the coaches voting. Graduated senior Marcus Myers was an indoor NCAA qualifier in the weight throw before staking his claim as national champ in the outdoor hammer throw. 
 
The reigning Great Midwest Men’s Indoor Athlete of the Year Ashton Dulin is back for an encore in his final season for Malone. He capped off a tremendous season on the gridiron for the Pioneers football team with Great Midwest Offensive Back of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year honors. 
 
Dulin was an All-American last season in the 60-meter hurdles while the Pioneers start the year in the fourth. MU was the Great Midwest indoor men’s team champion in 2016-17. 
 
Hillsdale’s Joseph Humes was a national qualifier in the mile last season. He is preparing to run at the NCAA DII Men’s Cross Country Championships in Pennsylvania as an individual based off of his performance at regionals. 
 
The Chargers rounded out the top five of the poll with 108 points. Cedarville, Alderson Broaddus, Ohio Dominican, Lake Erie and Davis & Elkins, were ranked 6 through 10, respectively. 
 
Great Midwest indoor track and field records for every event will be updated after each week of competition. 


Great Midwest Men's Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
 

School	Points
1. Tiffin (9 first-place votes)	138
2. Findlay (3 first-place votes	136
3. Walsh (1 first-place vote)	115
4. Malone	114
5. Hillsdale	108
6. Cedarville	93
7. Alderson Broaddus	83
8. Ohio Dominican	76
9. Lake Erie	63
10. Davis & Elkins	55
11. Kentucky Wesleyan	51
12. Trevecca Nazarene	38
13. Ohio Valley	35