2010 Track & Field Previews and Preseason Information
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Washington & Jefferson College
Bethany College Bison
After another strong
year in 2009, the Bethany men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams enter
2010 with goals of breaking more school records and possibly qualifying for NCAA
Championships.
The program sent 10 competitors to ECAC Championships last year, the third straight year the program has sent at least that many to the meet. Five of those competitors are back, as in another who qualified for ECACs in 2008 but sat out last year, and mixed with a strong freshmen class, the Bison are building toward becoming a force in the PAC.
The women’s will be led by senior Jodi Bodo (pictured, on left). Already the owner of six BC records, Bodo helped the 4x400 relay team win the PAC championship last year and she finished third in the 400 at the conference meet and fifth at ECACs. She enjoyed a strong indoor season this winter, qualifying for ECAC Championships in the 400 and posting the best times of her career.
Other key returners for Bethany this year include senior Desiree Finley, who battled through injuries last year to qualify for ECACs in the 100 Hurdles; senior Maggie McCort, who was Honorable Mention All-PAC in the 5,000 last year and qualified for ECACs in the 1,500 as a sophomore; junior Tara Harris, who was Second Team All-PAC and qualified for ECACs last year in the discus; and sophomore Kaitlyn Black, who ran on the PAC-winning 4x400 relay, as well as the school-record setting 4x100 relay.
The men’s team will feature a strong core of young sprinters, although a couple veterans return to lead the way. Senior Taylor McNeil (pictured, on right) sat out last year, but had a very good indoor season and was an ECAC qualifier in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in 2008. Also back is junior Danny Farray, was Second Team All-PAC in the 100 last year and also ran on that 4x100 relay in ’08 that claimed Second Team All-PAC.
The top returner in the field events is sophomore Seth Myers, who is the team’s top performer in discus and showed tremendous improvement in the shot put during this past indoor season.
With 15 freshmen on the roster coming into the spring, it’s hard to tell how good the men’s squad can be, but sixth-year head coach Andy Upton has quite a bit of potential in his youthful program.
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Geneva College Golden Tornadoes
This time last year,
Brian Yowler had no idea he would be preparing the Geneva College track and
field team for the 2010 season. Named the cross country head coach last summer,
Yowler has taken on the responsibility of interim head track and field coach for
the upcoming season. What kind of hand has Yowler been dealt for the 2010
season? “Our program has gone through a
tremendous growth spert over the past 12 months,” says Yowler. “You can best
characterize our teams with the words growth and youth.”
The Geneva College men’s track and field team has doubled from last year and has only three seniors on the roster. Women’s team currently has 14 student-athletes with only three returning from last year. The women’s team will begin the season without one senior on the roster. “Having a larger roster is the first step in our process for success,” says Yowler. “The men’s team will have at least one athlete in every event which was a short term goal for the program. We would love to get to that point for our ladies by next season.”
In 2009, Yowler was serving as an assistant coach for the Golden Tornadoes and witnessed solid performances across the board. Highlighted by an NCCAA national title for Tiffany Bear in the javelin, Geneva saw a total of seven top ten finishes at the NCCAA national meet. Three of those athletes return to the fold for the upcoming campaign. On the women’s side, Aisha Moore will take another shot at the heptathlon while Stephen Polite (triple jump) and Dan Dillman (shot put/discus) will look for return trips to nationals for the men. “We have some very solid athletes on the team,” said Yowler. “Our philosophy has always been about individual improvements, which ultimately helps the overall team result.”
Another favorite topic for Yowler is his coaching staff. It is hard to contain his smile when he speaks about the new group of coaches that makes up the 2010 staff. “We have the best group of assistants that we’ve had in years,” says Yowler. “A combination of experience and expertise within their individual specialties makes this staff very special.” Yowler added Tyler Allen and Jason Wargo to his staff this year joining an already established group of coaches.
Geneva’s outdoor season kicks off in late March at Grove City College. Ironically, the PAC championships at the end of the season will take place at the same venue. In between those two events, the Golden Tornadoes will face a rigorous test against some very quality programs. “We have never shied away from competing against quality programs,” said Yowler. “If there is one thing that will help a team improve quickly it’s the first hand look at some of the best teams in the region.”
The Golden Tornadoes will again set their sights on advancing as many athletes to the NCCAA national meet at the end of the season. “We feel very good about what we can accomplish this year,” says Yowler. “We should have a great opportunity to send several of our athletes to the national stage.”
Brian Yowler may not have expected to be in this position last year, but now that he is he has this program steered in the right direction. “I am having a blast coaching this group,” says Yowler. “They are a dedicated group of men and women that have been working very hard. It should be an exciting couple of months for our track and field program at Geneva College.”
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Thiel College Tomcats
The 2010 outdoor track and field season at Thiel is undoubtedly going to be an
era of success and exceptional excitement for coaches, fans, students and
athletes. Led by first-year coach Steve Carr, both the men’s and women’s
teams are prepared to pave their way to victory.
Alex Eaton will return as a senior to compete in the 200- and 400-meter
dashes, events that he is often a favorite in. Having achieved All-America
status numerous times in past seasons, Eaton is a great asset to the team. Eaton
is also part of the 4x400 meter relay team that won at the Al Hall Freedom games
at Edinboro in January.
“Alex continues to be impressive despite not being 100 percent,” said Carr.
“Even in limited indoor action he managed to run one of the fastest indoor times
in the nation; as he gets his health back, we expect him to be even better
things during the outdoor season.”
Competing with him in this event are Ethan Rowe, Nick Youngblood
and Aaron Kopps. All juniors, these men gave excellent performances at
the Baldwin Wallace Mid-February meet and the Al Hall Freedom games. These
performances should be repeated in the upcoming season as the men’s team
collects win after win.
For the women, seniors Latoya Locke and Moriah Monroe are expected
to continue to give solid performances and lend experience and knowledge to
teammates as they pass the torch in their final seasons.
Anticipation surrounds freshman Brittany Brown, who has made a splash
with wins in the 55-meter hurdles and great performances in the high jump
competitions. She is quickly breaking out as a track and field star in her first
season at Thiel College, and great things are to come for her in this season.
“Brittany is primed and ready to improve upon her record breaking indoor season,
once we go outdoors for spring,” said the first-year coach.
With strong, senior leadership and young, rising athletes this oudoor track and
field season could be one for the record books
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Washington & Jefferson College Presidents
Washington & Jefferson
opens its 2010 outdoor track & field on Saturday, March 13 at the York (
Last year’s second-place men’s finish at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships tied for the second-best finish in school history. Following the meet, FitzPatrick was selected as the PAC Men’s Coach of the Year.
The W&J women finished outside the PAC’s top two places for the first time since 2004 after claiming fourth, but FitzPatrick returns two of the league’s top performing juniors Katelynd McElhany and Michelle Wuenstel.
The Presidents’ men will be led by sophomore Josh Buckley, last year’s PAC Field Most Valuable Performer. Buckley earned conference titles in the long jump (21’8 ½”) and triple jump (44’ 8 ½”) events.
Sophomore Bryant Wang is W&J’s only other
returning PAC Champion. Wang, who excels in a number of different events for
the Presidents, crossed the finish line first in the 400-meter hurdles (56.32) a
year ago. Another sophomore, Greg French, collected three top-three
finishes at the conference championships and is expected to be in the running
for numerous titles this spring when the event is held at
Senior Bryan Considder collected Third Team
All-PAC honors a year ago in the shot put and set a lifetime personal best
during the indoor season at
Seniors Josh Bashioum, Bryan Hanrahan and Will Seymour are experienced distance runners who will help provide depth in the track events. FitzPatrick will also look for sophomore Taylor Hockman and freshman Scott Ryan to provide key points. Hockman is a multi-talented athlete, while Ryan set the school record in the 5,000 meters at the Mount Union Indoor Invitational.
The Washington & Jefferson women, who captured PAC titles in 2006 and 2007, will rely on the McElhany-Wuenstel duo. Both student-athletes are versatile and are standouts in numerous events. They will also serve as veteran leaders as W&J does not have a senior on the 2010 roster and McElhany and Wuenstel are the lone juniors.
McElhany is the defending conference long jump champion (17’3 ½”). She also was the runner-up in the 100-meter high hurdles. Wuenstel garnered top-three finishes in the 200 meters (26.71, 3rd) and 400 meters (57.86, 2nd). She earned the same spot in both events as a freshman.
Sophomores Tierney Risley and Taylor Thompson had solid seasons last spring and are expected to compete at the top of the conference all season long.
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Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets
After setting and resetting dozens of team records and accomplishing several
firsts in the history of the program in 2009, the Waynesburg University men’s
and women’s track & field teams hope to continue making strides in 2010.
Led by head coach Jason Falvo, the Waynesburg women won the first invitational
in program history when they beat out Bethany, Geneva and Washington & Jefferson
for top honors at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) South Quad Meet. The
Jacket women also enjoyed their top finishes at the PAC Championships (2nd) and
the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships (7th). Falvo,
who was named PAC Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year, attributed the
success to fruitful recruiting in recent years.
“There’s always a focus on recruiting,” Falvo said. “We’ve been fortunate to
have some success with that in the past years and this season we’ve brought in
22 new athletes (11 men, 11 women). We feel like our strength is in our youth
and the program is going in the right direction.”
Speaking of the younger Jacket athletes, they will be counted upon to pick up
the slack for a trio of key performers who left via graduation. Distance runner
Megan Grover, pole vaulter Ashley Dodd and thrower Amanda Staudt are all gone,
but Falvo is confident that there are those in line ready to step up.
Even without Staudt, the Waynesburg women’s biggest strength will be their
throwers. Leading the group is two-time national qualifier and 2008 All-American
javelin thrower Elisha Jones. Jones set a new PAC record at the conference
championships and placed second at the ECAC championships. The woman she placed
behind was her teammate and then-freshman Marybeth Rocco. The two make up one of
the most potent 1-2 combos in the conference at any event.
“We feel very excited about the two of them,” Falvo said of Jones and Rocco.
“Jones is back and looking to go to nationals for a third year. Rocco will look
for her second-straight national qualifying mark.”
Speaking of throwers, sophomore Carly Schubert is back after placing second at
the PAC Championships in the shot put and Falvo, along with throwing coach Chris Hardie, are excited about her potential.
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Dodd’s replacement is also already in place in the form of sophomore Krystal
Baker (pictured). She placed third in the event at PAC’s. She’ll be the team’s primary
competitor in all of the jumping events after placing second at the conference
championships in the high jump and winning the PAC crown in the triple jump.
Replacing Grover, who won the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs at last year’s PAC
Championships, may be the biggest test for Falvo and his staff.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever replace what Megan Grover meant to us here,” Falvo
said. “She was special, but we’re excited about the young runners.”
A pair of freshmen who both competed on the Yellow Jacket cross country team
this fall will be leaned upon heavily to help fill the void. Megan Donovan, who
placed 11th at the PAC Women’s Cross Country Championships, and classmate Casey
Morris will likely get the bulk of the work in the long distance runs.
The Jackets feel they will be strong in the middle distance events, where junior
Maria Shepas, the daughter of head football coach Rick Shepas, is expected to
excel. Last year, despite splitting time between track and women’s lacrosse,
Shepas placed third in the steeplechase at the conference championships. In
2010, she has focused all of her attention on track and though she’ll see some
time in the steeplechase, her primary event will be the 800-meter run.
Falvo believes the team will be stronger in the sprints with the additions of
freshmen Rhea Huwe, Kayla Brian and Alyssa Laird. While younger in the sprints,
Waynesburg returns a pair of veterans in the hurdles: juniors Mikey Macosko
and
Brianne Miller.
Macosko and Rocco will serve as team captains.
Turning to the men’s side, the Jackets will be led by two-time captain and
hurdle standout Trale Merz, who’s back after placing second in the 400-meter
hurdles at the conference championships. The junior also qualified for the ECAC
Championships in the event.
Junior middle distance runner Bill Moder and junior Adam Swingle, who is the
team’s go-to guy in the steeplechase, are also back to lead the runners. Swingle
placed second in the steeplechase at PAC’s last spring.
Falvo is also confident in a deep stable of throwers led by junior Jeremy
Faidley. Fellow junior Troy Erichsen is also back, and the Jackets are also
excited about what freshman Kurt Bonnet brings to the group.
The sprint events are expected to be handled by speedy sophomore Jordan Wrask
and freshman Jonathan Phelan. When it comes to the jumping events, Waynesburg
will lean on senior Mike Harwick and freshman Mike Wright.
Along with an increase in the number of athletes, Falvo is pleased to welcome
several additions to his coaching staff, including Dodd, who will work with the
vaulters. Two more former Jacket athletes, Matt and Michelle Cross will also
join the staff.
After canceling their trip to Marietta on Friday, Feb. 5, because of weather,
Waynesburg expects to get their indoor season going at Kenyon on Friday, Feb.
12.
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Westminster College Titans
This will be an interesting year for the
Westminster College men's and women's track and field programs as both teams
enter the 2010 season with 14 returning letter-winners apiece.
The women's stranglehold on the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) title the
last two years may be loosened by the graduation of the fastest talent in team
history. Will new sprinters step up and replace them? Or, will promising field
athletes account for the losses?
Then there's the Titan men's team that continues to improve every year,
especially last year when it doubled its points total at the PAC Championships
compared to the previous year.
"Our women will be looking for our third straight PAC title," said third-year
head coach Tim McNeil. "We will attempt to win it in a different style than in
the past. We lost quite a bit of firepower. This year we will go for the win
with our field events strengths, our distance and middle distance runners, and
our overall depth. We may not be as flashy as in the past, but we should be a
force to reckon with."
Gone are Megan Harding, Katelyn Kushner, and Rebecca Shiner, a group that won a
combined 18 PAC titles in eight events and held a combined six school outdoor
records. Harding was also a 2008 national qualifier in the 100-meter dash.
Included in the 14 returning letter-winners are some PAC champions and school
record-holders. They include senior Abbey Basta in the 100 hurdles (15.12). Basta won the 100 hurdles title in 2008 and
also went to nationals as a member of the PAC champion and school
record-breaking 400 relay team.
Sophomore Emily Dolsak posted a PAC record distance of
41.45 in the discus at the conference meet last year. Sophomore Merrissa Malcolm set the school record in the pole vault (3.5) and
placed second (3.4) at PACs.
A school-record holder as a member of Westminster's PAC-champion 1600 relay team
in 2008, senior Alicia Crum returns to the squad
after lettering each of the last two seasons. Crum also holds two indoor school
records.
Other returning record-holders include senior Elizabeth Beardsley in the 3,000 (11:45.13), senior
Emily Paul
in the 10,000 (43:50.37), junior Jillian Babish in the shot put (10.48), and junior
Kelsie Crowder in the long jump (5.19).
The men's team showed marked improvement last year. The team returns 14
lettermen from the team that placed fifth at the PAC meet last year with 47
points after posting 22 points the previous year.
"Our men continue to grow and will be a team to watch out for," McNeil said. "We
return just about our whole team from a year ago and have many new additions to
help us become a track and field force in the PAC."
The reigning team MVP is back in sophomore Caleb Smathers. Smathers became the first Titan male athlete to win a PAC
title since 2006 when he captured the pole vault at 4.18 meters.
Notable seniors returning to the team include three-year lettermen Brad Adams and
Jonathan Morrow. Morrow
placed second at PACs in the javelin (53.41) last year. Senior Jeremiah
Patterson is also back after he set the school
record in the 3,000 (9:43.59).
Westminster opens its indoor season on Saturdy, Feb. 6 in an invitational hosted
by Mount Union. The outdoor season begins March 13 in an invitational at Coastal
Carolina.