NEW YORK – The Monmouth University track and field program crowned five new MAAC Champions during the first day of the 2020 MAAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday at The Armory in New York City.

Monmouth's Montel Johnson (weight throw), Randy Showmaker (pole vault), DJ Jackson (long jump), Rickie Casazza (high jump) and Kyle Mueller (5000m) each took home individual MAAC titles.  In addition, a number of Monmouth athletes qualified for Sunday's finals.

Through six events, Monmouth's men are positioned in first place heading into Sunday's competition, while the women's team is third overall after five events.

NOTES & QUOTES
"It was a very solid start for both groups this evening. On the men's side we won all the field events and had two school records with Randy in the pole vault and Kyle in the 5k. Both squads put several people into the finals for tomorrow, and it's going to be an exciting day for Monmouth Track and Field."
- Director of Track & Field / Head Coach Mike Nelson

- Sophomore Randy Showmaker set a new school record and won the pole vault with a height of 4.81m.

- Junior Montel Johnson won the weight throw with his toss of 18.81m.

- DJ Jackson won a gold medal in the long jump with his leap of 7.16m.

- Fifth-year senior Kyle Mueller broke the MAAC and Monmouth record with his first-place time of 14:07.39 in the 5000m run.

- Monmouth took the top three spots in the high jump as sophomore Rickie Casazza (1.90m), sophomore Derek Vander Woude (1.90m) and senior Tim Van Cauwenberge (1.90m) went 1-2-3.

- Junior Chad Smiley placed second in the pole vault to earn a silver medal. Smiley cleared 4.35m.

- Senior Daniel Gilligan won a bronze medal in the weight throw with his throw of 17.64m.

- Junior Chibuzo Amonu took third in the weight throw with her toss of 17.36m.

- Junior Sam Fellows claimed bronze in the high jump by clearing 1.60m.

UP NEXT
The MAAC Indoor Track and Field Championships continue on Sunday afternoon from The Armory in New York City.