Jan. 4, 2007
Father Diamond Invitational Tentative Meet Schedule in PDF Format
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George Mason University's men's and women's track and field teams will begin the 2007 indoor season this Saturday when they host the Father Diamond Invitational at the Fieldhouse. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with the women's long jump. Running events will start at noon with the women's 4x800-meter relay.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD SEASON OUTLOOK
Last season George Mason University captured the IC4A Outdoor Championship, scoring 59 team points to win the Patriots' 11th IC4A title but first since the 1997 season. An accomplished senior class including standouts Marc Kellman, Quentin Matthews, Richard Phillips and Sammy Sesay almost single-handedly carried Mason to the title, accounting for 49 of the team's 59 points, including three individual championships.
The challenge for the team heading into the 2007 track and field season will be to replace that talented senior class, which included the team's top hurdler, sprinter, long and triple jumper and high jumper.
"We lost some pretty special guys that are going to be hard to replace," said head coach Andrew Gerard. "We definitely, however, return some outstanding individuals, and we've got the ability to do some outstanding things, but we're certainly not as experienced up front as that crew was last year."
That having been said, the team does have a number of high-level performers excited and ready to take the place of those seniors. While Kellman and Phillips captured the last three consecutive CAA Male Athlete of the Year awards and Kellman earned both of the team's All-American selections last season, the Patriots do return senior Ryan McCoy, who already has one All-America honor to his credit during his career at George Mason. After red-shirting the indoor season in 2006, McCoy had an outstanding outdoor season, capturing both the CAA and IC4A Championship in the triple jump. For 2007, his main focus will be on returning to the national stage.
"Ryan is definitely our most accomplished athlete right now," Gerard said. "Really the key for him is just staying healthy. I think he's got all the pieces; he's excited, he's ambitious and he's done an excellent job during the fall. I think we'll see good things out of him this year."
Along with McCoy, the Patriots will also feature junior Michael Wade, a transfer from Robert Morris University, in the jumps. A versatile performer, Wade competed effectively in the long, triple and high jump during his two years at Robert Morris. His versatility and all-around ability will be a key asset for the Patriots both indoors and outdoors.
"Michael has been a great addition," Gerard said. "He's an extremely hard worker and has a ton of potential. I think he will benefit in the understudy role, being able to learn from a proven national-level competitor like Ryan. Michael will definitely be someone that you see all over the field events this winter and spring."
The team will also be looking to replace the talented Richard Phillips, who graduated as the school record-holder in both the 60-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles. Phillips, a 2004 Olympic semi-finalist representing Jamaica, closed his career with a ninth place finish at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championships. To help fill the void, Gerard is counting on two athletes, juniors Brian Hay and Steven Knight.
Hay made the finals of the IC4A Championships during both the indoor and outdoor season in the 55-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles, respectively. He also finished as the runner-up to Phillips at the CAA Championships last season. While he has yet to reach the national level, Gerard believes he has the talent to get there.
"The next logical step for Brian would be to be an impact guy on the regional and national levels," Gerard said. "I think the big key for him is staying consistent throughout the whole season, and if he can do that he'll have a big campaign."
Knight returns for his second year as a Patriot after a solid inaugural campaign. He had some notable success during the indoor season competing in the 55- and 60-meter hurdles, and built on that success during the outdoor season, where he scored at the CAA Championships and qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 110-meter hurdles. Gerard expects for him to excel at both the short and long hurdles this season.
In the sprints, Mason loses Sesay, but returns sophomore Mutsa Nyakabau, who showed flashes of brilliance last season indoors before missing the outdoor season.
"This year the goal is to have Mutsa really ready for the outdoor season - to keep the mindset that track and field is a long season - and have him build and progress over the course of the whole year," Gerard said. "He's in great physical shape right now. I think he'll probably anchor our group in both the short and long sprints. He's got the physical potential to help us from the 50-meter dash indoors through the 400 outdoors. He's just got that amount of physical talent."
The addition of freshman Marcus Wyche from Paint Branch High School in Silver Spring, Md. also bolstered the Patriots in the sprints. Wyche was an All-American last year in the 400-meter dash indoors. In addition, Mason returns junior MacGregor Lennarz, who set several personal bests last spring and competed well at the CAA Championships. Beyond that, returnee Andres Maldonado and newcomers Andrew Wright-Hall, Jonathan Nad and Justin Nelson all have looked good throughout the fall and will be relied upon to provide depth across all of the sprinting events.
While the aforementioned athletes will help the Patriots transition this season in the sprints, hurdles and jumps, one of the key early successes of Gerard's career as a Patriot has been complementing those athletes with an excellent class of middle distance and distance runners. While a number of impact newcomers will help bolster the team from the 800-meter run on up, key returnees like sophomore Javan Corniffe, and juniors John Crain and Ryan Davis have also shown great improvement.
"Those guys have really stepped up a lot in the fall," Gerard said. "Javan, in training, has done some remarkable things, while Ryan and John have made a big jump in cross country. Just comparing the same courses from one year to the next, they've improved in many cases as much as two plus minutes in cross country, which translates to some really nice results when track season rolls around."
Crain upset the form charts in a big way last season, scoring at the 2006 CAA Championships at 10,000-meters, while Davis benefited dramatically from a redshirt year and will be counted on to parlay that year off into similar success. Corniffe was an indoor IC4A qualifier and will cover a variety of events from 400-meters to 1,000-meters this year.
The two headliners in the incoming freshman class are Anthony LaMastro and Michael Pachella, both New Jersey natives. LaMastro was a three-time high school All-American, setting seven school records at Pope John XXIII High School while Pachella was the national runner-up in the 800-meter run during the indoor season last year. Both will have a big impact in all of the middle distance and relay events immediately.
Beyond that, a trio of transfers will help solidify the team in the distance events. Kris Cruz joins the team from American, where he was a member of the All-Patriot League Second-Team in 2006. Marc Pelerin comes to the Patriots from Villanova, where he was All-Big East Conference and All-Region in cross country in 2004 and a member of the distance medley relay team that won the Big East Indoor Championship in 2005. Charles Millioen joins the team from Georgetown, and has already made his presence known during the cross country season, running as the Patriots top man all fall, with the highlight being an individual runner-up finish at the CAA Championships.
A number of incomers joining the middle distance and distance team can also boast of significant national- and state-level success including Will Andes (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee North), Travis Boccher (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake), Ryan Gaul (Williamsburg, Va./ Lafayette), Andrew Holloway (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton), Bobby Krause (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot), and James Phillips and Tommy Mason (both from Reston, Va./Oakton). Beyond that, a hungry group of newcomers and returnees will provide depth and push that front group including junior Ryan Miller, sophomore Todd McDaniel, and freshmen Steve Dunn, Jon Laude, Chris Palmer, Nick Montagna, Chris Rice and Ben Rodman.
"All of the guys we've brought in have some excellent credentials, some spark, some excitement to them. Their one common denominator; however, is competitiveness," Gerard said. "They've carried that competitive drive over well from high school. Already, a number of the incoming freshmen have really run well in the fall. Krause, Boccher, Holloway and Mason were all key members of our regionally ranked cross country squad, and for true freshmen to have that kind of impact in cross country is big."
The throws will once again feature sophomore Rick Worthington covering primarily the shot put, although he has shown promise throughout the fall at several of the other throwing disciplines. A solid high school performer at local Lake Braddock High School, Worthington took to the heavier collegiate implement well last year, narrowly missing scoring at the CAA Championships by one place.
"Rick did a nice job last year even while he re-tuned his technique, almost from the ground up. To do that and get to where he did outdoors at the conference meet is a testament to his ability. We really anticipate him continuing to move forward nicely," Gerard said.
The 2007 indoor track and field season begins on Jan. 6 when the Patriots host the Father Diamond Invitational at the Fieldhouse. Mason will host three meets during the season, including the Patriot Games on Jan. 27 and the Mason Last Chance on Feb. 25. The NCAA Indoor Championships return to Fayetteville, Ark. on March 9-10. The men will begin the outdoor season on March 23-24 at the Wake Forest Open. Mason will host two meets during the outdoor season, the Mason Spring Classic on March 31 and the Mason Outdoor Invitational on May 5. The NCAA East Regional Championships will be held in Gainesville, Fla. on May 25-26 and the NCAA Championships return to Sacramento, Calif. on June 6-9.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD SEASON OUTLOOK
While George Mason University's women's track and field team doesn't have a single senior on this season's roster, the team makes up for the lack of a senior leader with some highly talented individuals that should only continue to improve with a year or two of experience within the program.
The team had three stellar freshman last season in Murielle Ahoure, Ryann Hendricks and Brittanie Williams, and even though all three were successful last season, head coach Angie Taylor expects all three to build on that success and reach greater heights during the 2007 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
"Their confidence is really high right now because they know where they were at last year when they started compared to where they are at now," Taylor said. "They're so much stronger and better than they were last year at this time. And they're leaders now - Ryann and Murielle are co-captains of the team. So the younger girls look up to them and get information from them."
Ahoure was sensational during her freshman season at Mason, winning major titles during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. She won the ECAC Championship in the 60-meter dash indoors and carried that over to the outdoor season, winning the ECAC title in the 100- and 200-meter dash, along with the CAA Championship in both events. She was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the CAA Championships for her performance at the meet and also earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors for a season that ended with her becoming one of only three freshman that competed at the National Championships in the 100-meter dash and the lone freshman in the 200-meter dash. Her experience running at major championship meets has Ahoure confident heading into the 2007 season.
"I think it has completely changed her mindset," Taylor said. "She's run with the best collegiates in the country, and just having had that opportunity she feels like she belongs. On any given day, she can win. So that's a huge, huge confidence booster. She's fearless right now."
While Ahoure ultimately experienced the most success of the trio, both Hendricks and Williams performed at a high level throughout their freshman seasons. Hendricks recorded the Patriots' top marks in both the long jump and triple jump during both the indoor and outdoor season last year, qualifying for the ECAC Championships each season as well. With a full year of experience, Hendricks will attempt to reach the next level and qualify for the NCAA Championships this season.
"Ryann is looking fabulous right now," Taylor said. "She is so much stronger this year and her mechanics have improved."
Williams, who qualified for the ECAC Championships during both the indoor and outdoor season last year, is a versatile performer who will compete in the hurdles, jumps and heptathlon this season. She primarily competed in the triple jump, long jump and short hurdles last season, but showed how well-rounded of an athlete she is by placing third at the CAA Championships in the heptathlon with 4,427 points. She also placed second at the CAA Championships in the triple jump, and her primary events this season will be in the heptathlon and triple jump.
"We think Brittanie is good enough and capable of performing at a high level in the heptathlon," Taylor said. "Her main focus as far as where we see her excelling on the NCAA level will be in the heptathlon and in the triple jump."
Also returning this season will be juniors Sable Bell, Melissa Ferry and Alicia York, along with sophomores Jonecia Gates, Stephanie Gunter and Crystal Lawrence.
Bell, who ran cross country for the first time this season, is in excellent shape and will focus on the 800-meter run indoors and the 400-meter hurdles outdoors. Ferry will run the 800-meters indoors and outdoors and has focused on qualifying for both the ECAC Championships and NCAA Championships in the event. York ran primarily in the 800-meter run and 1500-meter run last season but had an excellent season in cross country this year and will now focus on the distance events like the 3000-meter run and 5000-meter run.
"Running the distance events will be new territory for Alicia," Taylor said. "We think she'll have success at that. She's very strong and very competitive."
As for the returning sophomores, Gates ran cross country this season, but for the indoor and outdoor seasons she will focus primarily on the pentathlon indoors and the heptathlon outdoors. She will also run in the 400-meter hurdles. Gunter will run the 800-meters during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Also focusing on the 800-meter run will be Lawrence, who ran the longer sprints last season, like the 400-meter dash so the transition to the longer distance will be new for her.
In addition to the returnees, the Patriots also added an impressive collection of talent to the roster for the upcoming season. Kamilah Bossett joins the team from Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. and has the potential to make an impact in the 100-meter hurdles. Marie Fields, from James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg, Va., will run the short sprints like the 100- and 200-meter dash. Fields potential reminds Taylor of another Mason standout.
"Marie is very, very competitive," Taylor said. "She is right behind Murielle in training and will give Murielle a big challenge."
Another freshman with great potential is Asia Odum, who set school records in the 55- and 100- meter hurdles at Hayfield Secondary in Alexandria, Va. Further bolstering the roster in the sprints area will be newcomers Adrienne Raiford, a transfer from Frostburg State, Latasha Rivers, from Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge, Va., and Tiara Swindell, from Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Va.
Other newcomers to the team include Aubrey Alexander, from Strongsville High School in Strongsville, Ohio, Joanna Bailey, from Copley High School in Copley, Ohio, Candace Carter, from Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Va., Joary Casey, from Oxon Hill High School in Temple Hills, Md., Accaiya Evans, from Huguenot High School in Richmond, Va., and Ally Romanow, a sophomore transfer from Radford.
The 2007 indoor track and field season begins on Jan. 6 when the Patriots host the Father Diamond Invitational at the George Mason Fieldhouse. Mason will host three meets during the season, including the Patriot Games on Jan. 27 and the Mason Last Chance on Feb. 25. The NCAA Indoor Championships return to Fayetteville, Ark. on March 9-10.
The women will begin the outdoor season on March 17 at the Hurricane Invitational. Mason will host two meets during the outdoor season, the Mason Spring Classic on March 31 and the Mason Outdoor Invitational on May 5. The NCAA East Regional Championships will be held in Gainesville, Fla. on May 25-26 and the NCAA Championships return to Sacramento, Calif. on June 6-9.
