Aaron Merrill
Track & Field
2009-10
Aaron Merrill has won five Horizon League individual titles entering his final appearance at the Outdoor Horizon League Championships this weekend. Twice he has advanced to the NCAA Mideast Regionals in the shot put during the outdoor slate. In 2008-09, he was a third-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America selection. He is the first male thrower to win the YSU/Vindicator Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year Award.
In February at the Horizon League Indoor Track and Field Championship, Merrill won the shot put with a throw of 17.44 meters (57 feet, 2.75 inches). He was also second in the weight throw with a toss of 17.53 meters (57-6.25).
At the 2009 Outdoor Championships, Merrill was named the event's Most Outstanding Field Performer. He won the discus (46.90 meters) and the shot put (17.23 meters) while placing second in the hammer throw (49.73 meters). At the NCAA Mideast Regionals, he finished eighth in the shot with a school-record toss of 17.93 meters. Merrill redshirted during the indoor season.
In 2008, he won the shot put at both the indoor and outdoor league meets. At the outdoor, he won with a distance (16.97 meters) that was five feet longer than his nearest competitor. He was also third in the discus and sixth in the hammer. In the shot put, he placed 15th at NCAA Mideast Regional.
At the 2008 indoor meet, he established a new HL Championship mark (17.47 meters) en route to winning the shot put. Merrill was also sixth in the weight throw.
During the 2007 season, Merrill competed only in the Indoor slate and placed second in the shot put at the HL Championships.
As a freshman in 2006, Merrill was tabbed the Field Newcomer of the Year at the Horizon League Outdoor Championships. He won the shot put with a then-school-best toss of 53-10 1/4 while placing sixth in the hammer throw and seventh in the discus. At the indoor meet, he was third in the shot put.
Merrill finished his indoor career as the school-record holder in the shot put (17.55 meters) and ranked third in the weight thrown (17.53 meters).
Entering the HL Championship meet this weekend, he owns the outdoor records in the shot put (17.93 meters), and ranks third in the hammer throw (53.10 meters) and in the discus (47.55 meters).
He has excelled in the classroom as well. He is a three-time academic all-league pick in indoor track and field, a two-time outdoor honoree and last year he was selected as a member of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I All-Academic team.
A graduate of Leetonia High School, he is the son of Sandy and Larry Merrill. Majoring in Criminal Justice, he owns a 3.79 GPA.
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