The Beavers shattered the MSU track and field NCAA Division II program record books last season and look to continue setting the bar high in the upcoming year. This one-day event will feature multiple Beavers competing across the board.

After signing the largest class in the tenure of head coach Mark Del Monaco with 29 signees in July, the Beavers return a talented and deep roster for 2021.

Women’s Track

And Field

Multiple record-holders return including sophomore Whitney Hanson who notched Division II records in cross-country and track and field a year ago. Hanson posted to the third-fastest time in the mile (5:15.50), set the school record in the 600 meters (1:38.81), and a school record in the 800m (2:18.06) in Beavers division II recorded history. She became the first ever MSU runner, either male or female, to be named All-Conference in cross-country.

Meanwhile, junior Lauren Reeves also had a banner year in 2019-20, notching the fourth-fastest time in the mile (5:20.43) in program history, the ninth-fastest time in the 1000 meters (3:23.76). She has the third-fastest time in the 3,000m, and fourth-fastest time in the mile in the DII era.

“This is the largest our women’s track and field team has been since I have arrived, so I finally feel as though we have the depth to compete and compete well in numerous events in the conference,” coach Del Monaco states. “Our women’s distance squad had a fantastic fall campaign despite it being untraditional with competitions being canceled. Both our sprints and throws groups have been preparing every day this fall and are itching to get out and get back to competition.”

Men’s Track

And Field

Senior Nick Merillana returns looking to continue to climb up the record books as he sits with the seventh-fastest time in the 800 and the fourth-fastest time in the mile since MSU joined NCAA DII.

In addition, senior Logan Krueger returns to lead a throws roster that also paved a new path for MSU track and field last season. Krueger finished in eighth place in the shot put at the 2020 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoors Championships and is the school record holder in the shot put.

Talented newcomers that coach Del Monaco believes will have an immediate impact include Chase Tandy (Jr., transfer from Kentucky State); Joseph Green (Fr., Yigo, Guam); Sam Kreins (Jr., transfer from Concordia Irvine); Nate Trujillo-Aragon (Fr., Brighton, Colo.).

“We are excited about where we are as a men’s program heading into the 2021 indoor track season,” Del Monaco adds. “We returned all of our indoor medalists from last season and added some excellent talent in our 2019-2020 recruiting class. We are excited to take the next step with this group and compete with the best.”