Courtesy: Robert Barclay/CMU Greg Pilling and the Chippewas take on Eastern Michigan, Detroit and Oakland on Friday in Ypsilanti, Mich.

MOUNT PLEASANT — With the indoor season nearly a month old, the Central Michigan men’s track and field team faces a trio of in-state rivals on Friday

The Chippewas compete against Mid-American Conference foe Eastern Michigan, Oakland and Detroit in a quad-meet at Bob Parks Track in Ypsilanti, Mich. Events start at 6 p.m. The meet will be the first scored competition that CMU has participated in this season.

The host Eagles boast a deep squad whose athletes top the MAC in five events. EMU won the MAC indoor title last year and was picked to finish second in the preseason MAC poll this season.

“It will be a tall order going against Eastern,” head coach Jim Knapp said. “The Eagles are one of the best teams in the conference, they look very good. Competing against that team will give us first hand experience of where we stand in comparison. I am taking more athletes there than I have in the past, but we still are going to sit some of our competitors out so they can get healthy.”

Central will, however, be sending its full unit of sprinters. Marcell Maxwell’s 60m time currently ranks fifth in the conference, Christopher Thomas won the 400m at the Chippewa Open and Larry Dawkins II will make his collegiate debut.

“Our short sprint group will all compete,” Knapp said. “We will also send the bulk of our throwers and our vaulters who have been very good this year.”

Results will be available on cmuchippewas.com following the meet.

CMU News and Notes

Mabil’s Success Crosses Over — After finishing 12th at the MAC Cross Country Championships to earn second team All-MAC honors, Riak Mabil is off to a strong start on the indoor track. Mabil won the 5000m at the Doug Raymond Invitational with a time of 15:02.12 (first in the MAC). The junior’s performance netted him his first career MAC Track Athlete of the Week award.

Lifshitz Leaps Past Competitors — Sophomore triple jumper Oz Lifshitz is off to a tremendous start in 2009. A second team All-MAC performer in 2008, Lifshitz is setting himself up to take another step forward in 2009. He has won the triple jump two consecutive meets, clearing 49-9 at the Chippewa Open and 49-2 ½ at the Doug Raymond Invitational. The latter jump helped him garner MAC Field Athlete of the Week for the first time. Those marks are currently the top two distances in the conference.

Pole Position — The Chippewas are getting strong performances from their pole vaulters so far this season. Junior Marcus Breidinger turned in the second best vault in the MAC this season when he cleared 16-2 ¾ at the Simmons/Harvey Invitational last weekend. Fellow vaulter Mike McGregor made his season debut last weekend, vaulting 15-9, the fifth-best mark in the MAC. Redshirt freshman Joseph Jankowski is also in the top 10 with a height of 15-5.