Men's Track and Field Begins Quest for Triple Crown
1/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
To say a team has a lot of depth is quite cliché and common in coach speak, but with apologies to the overused phrase, it is the perfect way to describe the 2009-10 men's track and field team.
Coming off the program's first indoor track and field title in the winter of 2009 and the first conference cross country title in the fall, the 2010 edition of the Kent State men's track and field team will look to repeat as Mid-American Conference champions during the indoor season and challenge for its fourth outdoor title in KSU history.
Despite the recent success, and plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming season, director of track and field and cross country Bill Lawson is taking a pragmatic approach to the 2010 seasons.
"It's business as usual and full steam ahead. We're going to bring our lunch pail and work all day long," Lawson said.
Sprints
Under the direction of second-year assistant coach Steve Rajewsky, the sprints look to be a strong area in 2010.
"The sprints are an area we worked diligently on the last couple of years on improving," Lawson said. "With the addition of coach Steve Rajewsky, we have been moving forward in great strides."
Leading the sprinters will be senior Curtis Eaton Jr., who is coming off a 2009 season in which he was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the MAC Indoor Championships and co-Outstanding Performer during the conference outdoor championships.
"With the assets that Curtis brings us as a veteran on the track, a team leader, a team captain, a multiple-time MAC Champion and competition experience at the national level, he has a vast experience in a leadership roll," Lawson said.
Along with Eaton Jr., Kent State will have help from sophomore Princeton Bryson. Bryson was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the Indoor MAC Championships.
"With Curtis and Bryson, it is a great one-two punch in the sprints area," Lawson said. "Bryson had an outstanding indoor season in helping us win our first indoor MAC title."
Junior Matt Moffett and incoming freshmen Brandon Bailey, Nate Scales and Javon Walker round out the KSU sprinters.
"Veteran quarter-miler Matt Moffet and Destin Heasley will add depth to the 400 meters and to the relay pool," Lawson said. "Newcomers Javon Walker and Brandon Bailey will give additional strength in our 200, 400 and relay pools for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
"They certainly will add as much, if not more depth than we have had in my tenure at Kent State," Lawson added.
Mid-Distance
With junior Destin Heasley and the members of the 2009 cross country champions on the roster, the 2010 Kent State mid-distance contingency is one of the deepest in the conference under head cross country coach Mark Croghan.
"We will be led in the mid-distance by junior two-time MAC Champion, national qualifier and school record-holder in Destin Heasley," said Lawson. "We look for Destin to continue his success not only at the conference level, but to make another move forward at the national level."
Junior Scott Hilditch and redshirt freshman Michael Heller, who earned First and Second Team All-MAC honors respectively, along with sophomore Colin Pettiford, will round out the Kent State mid-distance squad.
"We have additional depth and strength with Colin Pettiford in the 800," Lawson said. "In the mile, junior redshirt Scott Hilditch and redshirt freshman Michael Heller, who will be seeing his first indoor collegiate competition, will lead us. Heller and Hilditch will also contribute greatly to our distance races."
"Those guys will help us continue our strength we showed last year in both the 800 meters and the mile at the indoor and the outdoor MAC Championships," Lawson added.
Distance
The distance team will be headlined by senior Aiman Scullion, who recently captured the individual MAC cross country title in the fall. Lawson looks for Scullion to contribute points in each of the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meter events.
"Aiman will be counted on to not only add points at the MAC Championships, but also make a push for some of his best collegiate running in his last year representing Kent State," Lawson said.
Even with the graduation of Two time All-MAC cross country runner Tony Jordanek, the distance team will get a boost from senior Andrew Carnes and junior Joe Purpura. Purpura, a transfer from Alabama, finished 13th at the 2009 MAC cross country championships to earn Second Team honors.
"Andrew Carnes ran very well last year and is running well in his fall training. He will be counted on in both indoor and outdoor distance races," Lawson said.
"Joe Purpura, a transfer from Alabama, has improved in cross country this year and will add depth to our indoor 5,000 meter. He will be expected to be a scorer at the outdoor MAC Championships." Lawson added.
With the additions of junior Ohio State transfer Andy Arnio and freshman Steve Fischer, there will be even more options for the 2010 season and beyond.
"Steve Fischer and Andy Arnio will give us even more depth as we have to make decisions for the future as far as who to redshirt and who to compete," Lawson said.
Hurdles
The hurdles will not be as deep as other areas on the team, but Kent State will benefit from the services of senior Greg Keys. Keys split time with the football team and saw spordic action for the Golden Flashes track team as he also had committments with spring practice.
Football will not be a factor in 2010 for Keys. Despite the commitment on the gridiron last season, Keys finished third in the 110 meter hurdles at the outdoor conference championships and fourth in the 55m hurdles at the indoor MAC championships.
"This will be a unique situation for us this year as we will have veteran hurdler Greg Keys, who will be able to fully compete with us," Lawson said. "He will be able to train full time for the indoor and outdoor seasons. Greg is a tremendous competitor and warrior, and every year he has made a contribution to us moving forward at the conference level.
"We're looking forward to Greg taking one more step forward in his senior year since he will be able to concentrate on just track and field," Lawson added.
The hurdles will also receive a boost from junior transfer Steve McLean, freshman Mitchell Seawood and possibly sophomore Ruben Belen.
"We expect Mitchell Seawood, who had a tremendous high school career at both the regional and state levels, to step in and be a MAC scorer for us both indoor and outdoor in the hurdles," Lawson said. "We may have additional support from Ruben Belen in the hurdles in both the indoors and outdoors."
Relays
The 2010 relay teams will benefit from a mix of athletes from the sprinters and distance group and be will greatly help in the team's quest for a indoor and outdoor conference championship.
"The relays have been a real strength for us both in the indoor and outdoor seasons. For the indoors, we had a great run last year in the DMR and our 4x400 meters," Lawson said. "I expect those to be as strong, if not stronger, in the long sprints with the additions we have made."
During the 2009 indoor season, Kent State won its first relay title by winning the 4x400. The Golden Flashes also set a new school record in the distance medley relay at the Alex Wilson Invitational with a 9:32.05, 16 seconds faster than the next best time in the conference.
During the outdoor season, a mix of returning veterans (senior Cutis Eaton Jr and sophomores Princeton Bryson, Wael El-Halaby and Rob Falchi) and the return of redshirt sophomore Brian Hilson and the addition of freshman Nate Scales, the Golden Flashes will have many options for the 4x100.
"We should see our 4x100 steadily improve from a year ago at the MAC level and maybe even the NCAA Regionals," Lawson said.
The 4x400 relay team for the outdoor season will also have a deep pool of talent with El-Halaby, juniors Matt Moffett, Destin Heasley and Michael Schober, sophomore Princeton Bryson the addition of freshmen Javon Walker and Brandon Bailey.
"Our outdoor 4x400 will be really good and I expect we will be able to put together a team that will be able to compete for one of the top spots at the regional championships," Lawson explained. "I think it will be a very competitive group in who those four will be, which will lend itself to us putting one of the the best 4x400 team in school history on the track."
Horizontal Jumps
A strong area in the history of the program, Kent State looks to continue to rebuild the area with athletes like junior Andrew Linebarger and sophomore Rob Falchi and Dean Wood.
"Rob has a personal best he set at the World Junior Championships two years ago," Lawson said. "He redshirted last year and now we look for him to move forward in his second season at Kent State. He will make a tremendous impact at the MAC Championships, but we also expect Rob to make that step forward to that NCAA Championship meet. Also, we will have help in veteran Andrew Linebarger, who will be counted on to be a factor at the MAC Championships as he has been in the past."
Junior Mike Schober and even senior Jeremy Brading will provide additional support in the jumps. Brading, known for his success in the pole vault, tried his hand at the MAC outdoor championships in the long jump and finished seventh.
Vertical Jumps
Senior Jeremy Brading, who was a MAC champion, Mid-East Regional champion and national qualifier in the outdoor pole vault his freshman year, will help lead a strong group in the vertical jumps.
"Jeremy has been a steady performer for us at the MAC Championships and we fully expect him to repeat or even surpass his accomplishments as a freshman, Lawson said. "We are looking forward to seeing what Jeremy can do this year."
Sophomore Derek Hopkins, a two-time MAC scorer, and freshman Alex Slattery will support Brading in the pole vault. As a freshman, Hopkins scored in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault while Slattery won the Division III Ohio High School championship in the pole vault.
Sophomore Dean Wood, who joined the track and field teams in January of 2009, looks to get back form after a full year training in the U.S.
"Dean now has a base behind him and we look for him to get back to his personal best levels of 7'-1" now that he has adjusted to academics and full-time training."
Junior Michael Schober, sophomore Ruben Belen and freshman Keneth Agee, an Ohio High School finalist in the high jump last year, rounds out the field for potential vertical jumpers.
Throws
While numerous areas of the Kent State men's track and field team should be even better in 2010, it is clear to Coach Lawson what the major strength of the program.
"The throwers continue to be the backbone of the program," Lawson said. "Veteran coach Nathan Fanger has done a wonderful job in recruiting and developing good quality throwers here at Kent State."
The group is so strong for 2010, there are numerous people to fill just three spots at the MAC championships.
"The men's throwers will be anchored by returning senior Evan Whiting, who is already a two-time MAC champion," Lawson said. "He will be returning after a redshirt season and will add tremendous strength I fully expect Coach Fanger's throwers to have the most NCAA regional qualifiers of any other event group."
Senior Anthony Connor, redshirt junior Matt Pfleger, who is the returning MAC champion in both the weight and hammer throws, sophomore Ohio State transfer Aaron Crabtree and redshirt freshmen Randy Rue and Wes Stein will all battle Whiting for the three spots at the conference meet in their respective throwing events. They will be able to compete in the hammer throw, weight throw, shot put and discus.
Sophomore Drew Ebersole, whose strength is up from his freshman year, will also compete for a spot in the throwing events.
"We have tremendous depth in the shot put and in the weight throw," Lawson said. "With such depth, we will have to make decisions with our returners and newcomers on who to redshirt."
Sophomore Brian Florek and junior Ray Kaplin and will be the two athletes competing for time in the javelin. Florek was a regional and national qualifier in the event in 2009.
"We look for Brian to take steps forward in his sophomore year," Lawson said. "He will be supported this year by Kaplin, who was a scorer at the MAC championships. The javelin has been a strength for us in the past and will be for us next year.
Combined
Junior Michael Schober will headline the heptathlon/decathlon.
"Schober, who has made steady progress throughout his career at Kent State, will be looked upon to garner even more points at the indoor and outdoor MAC Championships," Lawson said. "We look to him to improve some of his technical events to make a run at a MAC Championship in both indoor and outdoor seasons. Mike is a great asset to the program for the hard work and dedication he has to the program."
Sophomore Ruben Belen will push Schober while freshmen Keith Hurst, Dexter Shreve and Corey Slater will all battle for the third spot at the conference championships.
"Belen, who did well for us in his first season at the indoor and outdoor championships, will give us additional strength in the heptathlon indoors and the decathlon outdoors." Lawson said. "He will also see time in the high jump and possibly the high hurdles.
"With the offseason training and after the first competition of the season, we are extremely optimistic with athletes like Keith Hurst and Dexter Shreve."
