Trinity Track and Field 2010-11 Preview

One word describes the 2010 Trinity Tigers track and field season – INCREDIBLE!

A Trinity student-athlete won a national championship, the men’s team recorded a high finish at the NCAA meet, and six Tigers earned All-America honors in the course of the season.

But head track and field Coach David Svoboda has the highest praise for his 2011 Tiger teams.

“In my third year, I think this is the most talent we’ve had on our men’s and women’s teams,”  Coach Svoboda says. “We don’t necessarily have the big trump cards up front. But, we have some people who are ready to step up to that role.”

One of the “trump cards” was recent graduate Todd Wildman, who repeated as the NCAA Division III Men’s Indoor Track and Field pentathlon champion in March. The national event, held in Greencastle, Ind., also was the site of a second-place finish by the men’s distance medley relay team. The seniors on the team were Chass Armstrong, Brennan Peters, and Bryant Wright, who all graduated in May.

Zach Brush (Edmond, Okla./Edmond North), returning this season for his senior year, was a key member of that relay unit which clocked in at 10:02.45.

All five competitors produced All-America performances. In addition, Trinity’s men registered their highest-ever finish at the NCAA Track and Field, placing fifth in the field.

Senior Caitlin Masse (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch) became a women’s track and field All-American by her sixth-place finish in the Indoor 5,000 meters. Masse ran the 5k in a school-record time of 17:06.69. In the fall of 2009, Masse was an eighth-place finisher at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, joining the All-America ranks for the first time.

Brush was not finished with his competition on the national stage. He went on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in May, held at Berea, Ohio. Brush placed fourth in the 800 meters final, clocking in at 1:52.91, just .12 seconds behind the third-place finisher. It marked the third time Brush became an All-American, as he had placed fifth in the 2008 race as a freshman.

In November, Brush was 15^th in the 8k NCAA Regional Cross Country meet, and picked up All-Region recognition.

Joining the track and field coaching staff this year are two top-notch assistants, Derick Lawrence and Britni Lawrence (they are not related). Derick Lawrence also serves as an assistant cross country coach, and works extensively with distance runners. Britni Lawrence, an outstanding women’s athlete, is a specialist in the pole vault.

Returning is assistant coach Joe Meno, who guides student-athletes in the throwing events.

The four coaches, and their Tiger teams, begin the campaign Feb. 5 with an indoor all-comers meet in Houston. The indoor season culminates with the NCAA Championships March 11-12 at Capital, Ohio.

The outdoor schedule begins at home on Feb. 25, with the Trinity Open at the Trinity Football/Track and Field Stadium. There will also be the Trinity Alumni Classic April 1, and the Tiger Relays April 8. The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships are slated for April 22-23 at Memphis, Tenn. A wrap-up of the season is the NCAA Outdoor Championships May 26-28 at Delaware, Ohio.

All three coaches will have some outstanding returnees with whom to work, and some talented newcomers.

As to the ability of the returning athletes, we refer back to the SCAC Championships held in April at Conway, Ark. Both Tiger teams placed fourth at the highly competitive meet, held at Hendrix College.

In the men’s championships, Brush captured the 800 meters (1:53.70), and broke his own SCAC record. He also placed second in the 1,500-meter run. Junior All-American Justin Campbell (Victoria, Texas/Memorial) won the discus, with an NCAA provisional mark of 47.49 meters. Campbell was sixth in the shot put (12.97 meters). Sophomore Justin Kah (Lodi, Calif./Lodi) was just ahead of Campbell, with a fifth-place mark of 13.72 meters.

Another notable performance was registered by sophomore Riley Walker (Austin, Texas/Bowie) who was third in the 110-meter hurdles, with a time of 16.12 seconds. Junior Kevin Martin (Corpus Christi, Texas/Ray), also an outstanding diver, placed fourth in the pole vault (11-11). Senior James Woolley (Altadena, Calif./Flintridge Prep) ran the 10,000 meters and finished seventh (34:39).

A veteran runner is junior Spencer Hayes (Clear Lake, Texas/Clear Lake), a specialist in the sprints.

Three members of the Tiger cross country team will enhance the distance events for track and field. Junior Robert Edmonds (San Antonio/Health Careers) earned SCAC cross country honors last October at the championships hosted by Trinity at Seguin, Texas. Edmonds finished seventh and ran the Texas Lutheran course in 25:56. He later placed 27^th at the NCAA Regional, good enough for All-Region honors,

Senior Adam Cribb (San Antonio/Randolph) finished 10^th (26:04), and was an All-SCAC runner. He also was an All-Region competitor (25^th place finish). Sal Perdomo (Irving, Texas/Jesuit College Prep) will also be a strong distance athlete. Perdomo, selected for the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team, earned All-Region honors in cross country (29^th place).

New sprinters who will score points for the Tigers are Will Paulus (Burlington, Wis./Catholic Central), and Adrian Wackett (St. Paul, Minn./Como Park), .

Bradley Drenon (Pearland, Texas/Pearland) is an excellent athlete in the discus and javelin. George Warren (Georgetown, Texas/Georgetown) will make his mark in the high jump. Sean Scott (Bandera, Texas/Bandera) comes highly touted in the pole vault, as does Joey Kozak (Conroe, Texas/Oak Ridge).

Sophomore Emily Shiraki (Kailua, Hawaii/Iolani School) won the women’s SCAC pole vault. Shiraki, the first Trinity woman to capture the event since 2006, beat her closest competitor (from Rhodes) by over a foot, with a season-best 3.23 meters (10-07).

Masse came in a close second in the 10,000-meter run, at 37:10, just three seconds behind the Rhodes runner.

Junior Corey Callahan (Austin, Texas/Bowie) finished fourth in the long jump (5.33 meters). Callahan, along with sophomores Kimberly Simmons (Forest Hill, Texas/Oakridge) and Tolley St. Claire (Vero Beach, Fla./Singapore American School), were the returning athletes who placed second in the 4x100-meter relay (50.14).

Sophomore Elana Edwards (Austin, Texas/Bowie) tied for third in the high jump (5.50 meters, 5-01.75). Senior Sonia Brady (Jakarta, Indonesia/Jakarta International School) was fourth in the javelin (31.09 meters) and fifth in the discus (32.61 meters). Junior Jasmine Johnson (Arlington, Texas/Lamar) finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (15.72 seconds).

Joining Masse in the distance events will be sophomore Joy Lindig (Houston/Westchester Academy), selected for the SCAC Cross Country All-Sportsmanship Team.

Two highly talented cross country runners will compete in Tiger track and field for the first time.

First-year student-athletes Rosemary Steup (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) and Maddie Murphy (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood) competed in the 2010 NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championships. Steup ran the 6k event in 22:19.9, and placed 87^th of 279 entrants. Murphy finished in the 153^rd slot with a time of 22:49.

Steup was fourth at the NCAA Regional, and Murphy placed 10^th, for All-Region honors. In the SCAC Championships, Steup was the individual runner-up, and was named SCAC Freshman of the Year. Murphy came in at No. 15, just missing All-SCAC recognition.

Newcomers to watch on the women’s track and field team include Salome Wilfred (Boston/Portsmouth Abbey School), sprints; Maeghen Wedgeworth (Portland, Texas/Gregory Portland), distance; and Victoria Perko (Albuquerque, N.M./St. Pius), jumps.

“We have some athletes who are capable of being All-Americans as freshmen,” Coach Svoboda says. ”I have every reason to believe we can move forward with this group of returnees and newcomers, and accomplish our goals, from a conference and national standpoint. I think we can be at the point where we take 10-plus athletes to nationals. It’s going to be an exciting season!’’