Track teams seek strong start despite veteran losses
Head Coach Mark Guthrie expects nothing but “steady growth” from his young men's and women's track and field teams who finished fourth and fifth during last season's Mid-American Conference Championships.
The teams will compete in the Jack Skoog Triangular at 4 p.m. Friday at the Indoor Athletic Complex.
With 15 of the 48 men and 22 of the 59 women being freshmen, the team is made up of younger talent in the midst of many key losses since last season.
“You just keep building,” said Guthrie. “It all comes down to being ready for the conference champs – definitely this year – but in the years to come as well.”
Notable losses
One significant loss will be Cole Walderzak, who broke the school record for the men’s hammer throw in last year’s championship while also taking home first place in the discus.
Though many distance runners are ready to step into his place, the team will also be without Nate Ghena, who finished fourth in the men’s 10,000-meter run.
The women’s team enters the new season without steeplechase star Alyssa Dyer, the only athlete for the women to qualify for the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Also, not returning will be thrower Devene Brown, who came just 7 centimeters short of first place in the women’s shot put in the MAC championships last season.
Key returners
One male athlete who will help the men's team compete for a MAC title will be sophomore long sprinter Benjamin Hayes. At last year’s championship meet, Hayes came away with Freshman Performer of the Meet honors.
Guthrie said Hayes has the heart and technical skills to continue his upward momentum as his career progresses.
“He shared a personal goal with me, one which he could reasonably attain,” he said. “For him, it’ll all be about leadership, consistency and performance.”
Hayes took second in the 400 with a time of 47.33 seconds at last year’s championship.
Meanwhile, making up the trio of distance runners Guthrie touts as his “Big Three”, juniors Megan O’Neil and Kirsten Olling and senior Kelly Schubert plan to make waves for the women's team this season as well.
In last year’s title meet, Schubert finished fourth in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 35:44.10.
Schubert, O’Neil, and Olling have also been prolific cross country stars who came tenth, ninth, and 21st at the 2016 MAC Cross Country Championships, respectively.
“We have a spattering on both sides (of the “Big Three”) with some freshman,” Guthrie said. “So we’ll see how that plays out. I expect they’ll impress.”
Next meet
With Friday's meet being the first meet after the Christmas break, Guthrie said he hopes for an encouraging performance. Over these next few weeks, he seeks a clearer picture of where his youngsters stand in preparation for the long season ahead.
“It only starts here,” he said.
It starts Friday, and will continue until May 11-13 in Kalamazoo, where CMU’s finest will compete in the 2017 MAC Championships, hoping to reap the outcome of hard work.
