DETROIT (7/4/2016) -- From July 4-15, DetroitTitans.com will release the Top 10 Moments of 2015-16 as voted on by members of the Detroit Mercy athletic staff. Each day, a new moment will be posted on DetroitTitans.com as well as on all the Titan social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
Beginning the Top 10 Moments of 2015-16 are a pair of student-athletes still in action as they look for a chance to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in men's track and field standouts
Colin Cashner and
Khalil Parris.
A year after earning the Horizon League Outdoor Athlete of the Year, Cashner ended his collegiate career by taking 13th at the NCAA East Regional Championships just missing a top 12-finish to advance to the NCAA Division I Championships. During the 2015-16 season, he broke his school record in the hammer with a toss of 66.87 meters (219'5") for a win at the Colonial Relays. He placed in the top-three five different times in the hammer throw during the outdoor season and four times in the weight throw during the indoor campaign.
Cashner is now part of a 24-man U.S. Olympic Trial field that will compete for a spot in Rio in the hammer on July 6 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. He posted a mark of 68.45 meters (224'7") at the Ashland Series in June and is currently ranked No. 22 in the United Stated and No. 133 in the world.
Parris excelled during the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2015-16 as he ended the year finishing 19th in the quarterfinals of the NCAA East Regional Championships in the 400-meter hurdles. He is the first Titan ever to advance to the quarterfinals after he placed 13th (out of 47) in the first round of the event with a season-best time of 51.30. Earlier in the year, Parris won the Horizon League outdoor title in the 400-meter hurdles and anchored the Titans' gold medal 4x400-meter relay squad. At the indoor championships, Parris received a pair of runner-up efforts in the 400-meters and the 4x400-meter relay. On the season, Parris tallied 14 top-three individual places and won five individual events.
He was named to the Canadian North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) U23 Team in June, one of just 19 to earn the distinction. He will continue his quest for the Olympic games at the Canadian Track & Field Championships and Rio Trials from July 7-10 in Edmonton, Alberta.
