Feb. 25, 2008

Last year was one of the most successful seasons that USF Track and Field had seen in its storied history. With eight individual school records set (four by the women and four by the men), along with both teams posting the best finish in school history at the Independent Conference Championship; the team will be looking to continue this momentum in the 2008 season. The following is a preview for the men and women's 2008 season.

Women's 2008 Preview

The Women's Track and Field Team will enter its fifth season on the Hilltop, a year after four school records were set. In the 2007 campaign, senior Jennifer Hartford raced to 36:46.01 in the 10000; Lucy Miller posted a 11:09.23 record in the 3000 steeplechase; and sophomore Briana Junior leaped to 11.14m and 4.77m in the triple and long jump respectively. Both Hartford and Junior will return to lead the team this season. After the most successful cross country season in school history, where the team posted a solid runner up finish to Portland at the WCC Championships and a 12th place finish at the NCAA West Regional Meet, along with the addition of the best track recruiting history since the inception of women's track, the upcoming season could once again be the best in school history.

Distances

The distances will be led by Hartford, along with fellow senior Elizabeth Noey, juniors Fallon Heffernan and Michelle Born and redshirt freshman Laurel Kleiber (Plymouth HS, WI) and freshmen Amelia Holcombe (Wilson HS, Or).

Along with the school record in the 10k, Hartford set a personal record last season in the 5k (17:35.37) and had her best finish of her cross-country career at the WCC Championship this past fall where she placed fourth in 21:18. Fallon Heffernan, a transfer from Jacksonville University, is a two time NCAA Regional qualifier in the 3000 steeplechase and owns a personal best of 10:49. She is also coming off a very successful cross-country season where she was the top finisher for the Dons at the NCAA Regional Championship. Elizabeth Noey set three personal records on the track last season in the 1500m (4:54.98), 5000m (18:02.22) and 10k (38:31.50).

Born set personal bests on the track last year in the 800m (2:20.98), 1500m (4:43.59), 3000m (10:20.35) and 5000m (18:21.76) and placed 66th at the NCAA Regional Meet in the cross-country season. Redshirt frosh Laurel Kleiber and frosh Amelia Holcombe both enter their first track season on the Hilltop and both look to be major contributors.

Middle Distances

The middle distances will be led by senior transfer Zita Mezei, who boasts personal bests of 2:06 in the 800m, 4:16.97 in the 1500m and 9:24 in the 3000m, along with the freshmen trio of Arianna Edwards (Southridge HS, Beaverton, Oregon), Nicole Bowler (Del Oro HS) and Carly Holman (Calgary, Canada). Edwards has personal bests of 2:19 and 57.69 in the 400m. She was 6th in last year's Oregon State Championships. Bowler's top marks are 2:19 in the 800m and 5:06 in the 1600m, both in her one and only season of track at Del Oro High School. Holman also has personal bests of 2:15 in the 800m and 4:46 in the 1500m.

Sprints & Jumps

Briana Junior, who will look to improve her school records in the triple and long jump, will lead the jumps and freshmen Gabriel Harrington (MICDS HS, MO) and Hannah O'Neal (Bellingham HS, Wa), along with sophomore Brynn Maurer will headline the Dons sprinters. Harrington has personal bests of 12.21 (100m), 25.22 (200m) and 55.73 (400m) and O'Neal has top times of 26.9 in the 200 and 59.5 in the 400. Maurer has been a standout volleyball player for the Dons throughout the past four years.

Men's 2008 Preview

The men's track team will enter its second season on the Hilltop. Last year the Dons set four school records in the 800m, 1500m, 3000m steeplechase and the pole vault. The team returns a solid distance core and will be bolstered by a young and developing throws squad.

Distances

Seniors Cheyne Inman, Ryan Courtwright and Jacob Marx will lead the distance group. Freshmen Jesus Romo (Guajome Park Academy, Ca) and Joshua Horeled (Praire Ridge HS, IL) are also capable of contributing.

Inman is coming off a cross-country season where he became the first non-Portland runner in 28 years to claim the individual WCC cross-country championship. He has a personal best in 14:36.89 in the 5000. Courtwright and Marx both own personal bests of 14:52.65 and 15:29.53, respectively.

Romo is coming off a strong winter training season and Horeled will look to improve from his first cross-country season as a Don.

Middle Distances

Junior Alex Nelson will once again lead the Dons after placing third at the Independent Conference Championship in the 1500m and setting two school records in the 800 (1:53.31) and the 1500 (3:52.55). Sophomore Byron Williams will look to improve on his personal bests from last season of 1:55.74 (800m) and 3:58.32 (1500m).

Freshmen Ravi Amarawansa (Venice HS, Ca) owns a personal best of 4:23 in the 1600m and Luke Wiltshire, who has top times of 1:55.70 (800m) and 4:06 (1500m) will provide depth for the Dons in the middle distances.

Sprints

Sophomore Matt Domenech and the freshmen duo of Devin and Colin Hopkins (Servite HS, Ca) will lead the Dons in the sprints. Domenech has a personal best of 51.69 in the 400m; both Hopkins are expected to make an immediate impact

Vault

Sophomore Alex McIntosh and freshman Alex Gibbs (Servite HS, Ca) will compete in the pole vault for the Dons. McIntosh set the school record last year for the Dons in 4.25m and Gibbs owns a personal best of 13'9.

Throws

Sophomores Alex Irani and A.J. Fabrizio will lead the throws. The recent addition of new assistant coach Andrew Ninow will immediately bolster development in this event area. Freshmen Oliver Kirkeby (Claremont HS, Ca) and Alexander McHenry (Kennedy HS, Wa) and transfer Alex Delgadillo (Glendale CC, Ca) will add to the depth to the throwing squad.

Irani scored five points for the Dons at the Independent Conference Championships by placing fifth in the shot put (13.55m) and eighth in the discus (38.63m) and Fabrizio has a personal best of 13.51m in the shot put.

The Dons will open the 2008 season with a split squad this weekend. Track athletes will travel to Pepperdine to compete in the WCC Challenge while field athletes will compete at the San Francisco State Gator Invitational. For complete coverage of the USF Track and Field season please check back at www.usfdons.com throughout the season.