FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (EMUEagles.com) — Four Eagles cemented themselves into the record books as the Eastern Michigan University men's distance medley relay team earned All-Americans honors and took home a fifth-place finish, Friday, March 12, at the NCAA National Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

Curtis Vollmar (Grand Blanc, Mich.-Grand Blanc), Ackeem Forde (Haynesville, Barbados-Colleridge & Parry School), David Brent (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary's) and Blake Figgins (Detroit, Mich.-Mumford-Missouri) ran a time of 9:38.44, less than two seconds behind first-place winners and national powerhouse Oregon, to capture fifth place.

Just one week prior, the quartet broke a 15-year-old school record and secured a spot at nationals by posting an NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time of 9:32.72 in the DMR at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind. The mark is the sixth-fastest in the nation this year.

“This foursome has been on fire the past month, gaining increased confidence weekly and culminating the past three weekends with this realization and accomplishment of winning a combined four MAC Championships in the mile, 3,000-meter, 5,000-meter and DMR,” said Head Coach John Goodridge. “I'm very proud of these guys for breaking a 15-year-old EMU record, being one of the elite national DMRs in the nation and coming home All-Americans.”

Vollmar started the race for Eastern as he ran a very smart and tough leadoff 1,200-meters, getting the Eagles positioned extremely well running by running a personal-best split of 2:56.03. Forde followed up with a personal-record, 46.78 second split in the 400, which gave the team a narrow lead after the two legs.

Figgins set a torrid early pace on his 800 leg, running 1:50.19 before handing off to Brent, the anchor. After a solid start, the lead pace slowed and a tactical race developed, resulting in a mad dash for the final 200 meters of the race. Brent finished his mile split in 4:04.88, and the relay team finished fifth.

“I am very proud of the manner in which these Eastern men have competed and for them to have represented EMU so well, as they now join the elite membership of EMU Track and Field Record Holders and All-Americans,” Goodridge added.

Gerald Gersham (Southfield, Mich.-Southfield) will go for the Eagles Saturday, March 13, as he shoots for All-American status at nationals as well, competing in the shot put event. Gersham broke a school record earlier this season as he tossed the shot put 62-01.25 at the EMU Invitational. His hurl is the ninth-best in the nation this year.