The goal for the outdoor season, like the indoor season, is once again two-fold for both the men's and women's teams: do well at NESCACs and send as many people to Nationals as possible.
Last season, in what has become a frustrating and recurring trend in New England collegiate track and field, both the men and the women finished second behind Williams at the NESCAC Championships. And just like they did during the indoor season, the Jumbos look to unseat the Ephs this spring in the season's most important meet.
That may prove even harder in the outdoor season, which hosts more events, especially in Williams' area of strength for the women's team: throwing and long distance.
"We may never catch Williams in NESCACs because the events you add are only helping them," Morwick said. "We can be one of the best teams in New England and still feel good about ourselves."
The men feel better about their team's chances, based on success indoors and the feeling that new events play into their own strengths. Senior Trevor Williams will tackle the 400 IM hurdles, seniors Jason Galvin and Brandon Udelhoefen will bring prior success in the hammer and discus, and junior Chad Uy and sophomore Dave Sorenson will provide a boost in the 3,000 steeplechase on the heels of strong indoor seasons.
Senior Matt Lacey, junior Josh Kennedy and sophomore Chris Kantos will carry the Jumbos in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Last season, Lacey provisionally qualified for Nationals in both events and competed in the 5,000.
Seniors Matt Fortin and Kyle Doran will handle the 1,500 meters, while fellow senior Pat Mahoney looks to qualify in the 800 along with juniors Nate Cleveland and Dan Sullivan. Senior Andrew Bonventre and the return of sophomore Anyenda Inyagwa should bring a boost in depth.
Junior Fred Jones and sophomore Dan Marcy, both of whom competed at Indoor Nationals this year, will be joined by sophomores Jake Fromer and Kenny Kang in the long and triple jumps, and sophomore Jeremy Arak will try to build on indoor success in the high jump.
Junior Dustin Virgilio and sophomore Nate Scott will handle the 400 and 200 meters along with junior Mickey Ferri, and freshmen Will Forde and James Bradley. Scott will also be training for the decathlon, along with Bradley and freshman Skip Pagel. Galvin, Udelhoefen, and juniors Tyler Groff and Vinny Galatro will handle the shot put, javelin, hammer, and discus, and junior Dave McCleary will join them in the javelin. Senior Tim Bassell will pole vault.
"We definitely have versatility and some depth," Cleveland said, noting that the team qualified runners in every single event during the indoor season for Div. III's. "If people can remain healthy we should be well within striking distance of taking the top spot at NESCACs."
Morwick and the women's team will enter the season looking to redeem the 2005 campaign, in which no athletes or relays qualified for Nationals despite having nine athletes do so during the previous indoor season. Morwick missed most of the season with surgery and rehabilitation for an ACL injury.
"It was a disaster," Morwick said. "The team kind of fell apart when the coach fell apart. It can only be better than last year."
To that end, the team will need some adjustments to cover each event, with several athletes pulling double-duty and the core of the women's successful indoor team returning to the track.
Distance events will fall on the shoulders of seniors Becca Ades and Arielle Aaronson. Ades will handle the steeplechase, where she qualified and competed at Nationals during her sophomore year. Freshmen Evelyn Sharkey and Susan Allegretti will likely join her in the event. Aaronson, junior Jenny Torpey, and freshman Katie Rizzolo will handle the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
Sophomore Catherine Beck, who broke two school records during the indoor season, will gear her training toward the 1,500 along with sophomore Laura Walls. Junior Sarah Crispin and sophomore Katy O'Brien will likely compete in the 800 meters, picking up where they left off during indoors.
The 400 intermediate hurdles will be the responsibility of the multi-event athletes - senior Megan Sears, junior Maggie Clary, and freshman Kathleen Rutecki - as well as junior Kate Makai. The multis will also work on their training for the heptathlon that will take place at NESCACs.
Senior tri-captain Rachel Bloom, sophomores Kaleigh Fitzpatrick, Joyce Uang, and Erica Steinitz, and freshmen Jackie Ferry, Aubrey Wasser, and Halsey Stebbins will comprise a deep sprint crew for the 400, 200, 100, 4x400 meter relay and the 4x100 meter relay.
Sophomore Sarah Martin and freshman Paula Dormon will handle the throwing events with some of the multis joining in. Fitzpatrick and sophomore Jenna Weir will handle the long and triple jumps, Uang will take the high jump, and freshman Katrine Dermody will be the Jumbos' pole vault representative.
In addition to the disappointing finish in 2005, the women will also be fighting to atone for their indoor season, when eight Jumbos competing at Nationals failed to bring home an All-American plaque.
"Everyone is pretty excited and they have a different attitude, this feeling of unfinished business from indoors this year," Morwick said.
