Track and Field will build from disappointing 2013
Central Michigan felt the bitter taste of finishing low in the Mid-American Conference last season, but with the new leadership of director of track and field Mark Guthrie, the Chippewas are hoping to turn around.
At the end of the 2012-13 season, neither the men or women ended up at the top of the MAC, with the men finishing last and the women in ninth at the MAC Indoor Championships.
This year, both the men and women are adding a number of new athletes to their rosters while bringing back many key returners.
The men’s lineup will feature some of last year’s MAC meet top finishers, including juniors Dee Smith and Ben Wynsma. Smith placed second in the long jump, while Wynsma placed third in the mile and was a member of the second place distance medley relay.
Senior thrower Calvin Jackson and senior Tim Reynolds, who notched fifth in the heptathlon, also adds to a core group of veteran athletes.
On the women’s side, Central Michigan is hoping to add growth to last year’s young team. Top MAC finishers include senior Krista Parks, who finished fifth place in the 3000 meter run last year and also had a stellar cross country performance this fall.
Junior sprinters Ravyn Baxter, Bridget Doughty and Diamond Hamilton, along with sophomore Alexandra Mielke, made up the seventh place 4 x 400 meter relay.
In addition to new athletes, CMU brought in Hall-of-Fame coach Guthrie. With 22 NCAA Division-III titles under his belt coaching University of Wisconsin women’s lacrosse and a spot in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Guthrie has said he hopes to implement a championship culture at CMU.
CMU athletic communications did not make track and field athletes or coaches available for comment.
To kick-off the beginning of the season, the Chippewas participated in the Holiday Classic on Dec. 6 at Saginaw Valley State University. CMU started off strong with many first-place finishes in the women's categories, including sophomore Markala Goodson in the 60-meter dash, Meilke in the 400-meter dash whopping her competition with a score of 59.96. Kylee Dobbelaere had success in the weight throw competition with a score of 16.43 m.
Senior Renaldo Powell came out strong, earning first place in the Men’s 60-meter hurdle and third place in the 60-meter dash.
With many high-placing performances last month, CMU track and field looks to keep improving. Already, Guthrie’s team is succeeding in rebuilding from the ground up, and their strong start is only a testament to this.
The Chippewas host the Jack Skoog Open on Friday, giving track and field the opportunity to show the home crowd what it's capable of for the 2013-14 season.
This year, the MAC Indoor Championships will take place Feb. 28 through March 1 in Kent, Ohio, and the NCAA Indoor Championships follow soon after March 8-9 in Albuquerque, N.M. Later that month, the Chippewas will begin their outdoor season in Louisville, Ky., on March 28.
