Centennial Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships Preview

by Sports Information/Centennial Conference
2/22/02

LANCASTER, PA - The ninth annual Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships are set for Friday-Saturday, February 22-23, at Haverford College's Alumni Field House. And there is no reason to believe that the team championships will be much different than the past two years.

The Haverford men's team has won seven of the eight championships, missing out on only the 1999 title. The Dickinson women's team has won three straight titles and a Conference-best four championships in all. Both teams are favored to retain the crowns, but a number of individuals are looking to qualify for the NCAA championship meet on March 8-9 at Ohio Northern University. To date, two men and two women have qualified automatically for nationals, while 10 others have provisionally qualified.

MEN'S PREVIEW
55-200: The medals seem to be up for grabs among five athletes - Dickinson's Chavaun Johnson, Franklin & Marshall's Dan Massey (Sr., Lancaster, PA/Conestoga Valley), Haverford's Eric Koehrsen and Matt Rivenburgh, and Johns Hopkins' Quinlan Amos. Rivenburgh is the defending champion in the 55, but Johnson has the season's top time (6.63), while Amos is .01 behind (6.64). Johnson is the defending champion in the 200, but Massey (22.75) and Amos (22.80) have the winter's top times.

55 Hurdles: Johnson is the favorite, looking to improve upon last season's silver medal. He has registered a 7.91 time this season - the best in the CC. F&M's Keith Hamilton (Sr., Willow Grove, PA/Upper Moreland), 8.17, and Muhlenberg's John Brodowski, 8.19, will also contend, along with Dickinson's Dave Rodbart (8.23).

400-800-1500: Johnson won the silver medal at the '01 meet and will be challenged by Gettysburg's Phil Ferraro (50.44), who has the Conference's best performance, and Haverford's Matt Duques (51.24) and Eddie Papalia (51.44). Ursinus' Rich Watson (51.94) and F&M's Hamilton (51.94) could also medal. The 800 and 1500 are usually dominated by Haverford and 2002 seems to be no exception. The Fords swept the top five places in the 800 last season and have five of the top six times this winter, headed by Chris Johnstone (1:53.53). Peter Rook (1:58.24), Chris Ward (1:56.35), Doug Bennett (1:57.70) and J.B. Haglund (1:56.84) also return from 2001. Gettysburg's Mike Kress (1:56.24) and Johns Hopkins' John Apperson (1:57.14) will look to break up the Haverford pack. The Fords have eight of the top 10 efforts in the 1500, led by Greg Bielecki, who ran a converted mile time of 3:57.31. Haglund (4:02.44) and Rook (4:01.94), the defending gold and bronze medalists from 2001, also return. Kress (4:08.64) and teammate Bill Smith (4:10.04) will contend for medals.

3000-5000: See if you're noticing a trend yet... Haverford dominates these events as well. With the top five performances this season, headed by Haglund's NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 8:22.60, the Fords could pick up major points in the 3K as well. The Fords also welcome back bronze medalist Willie Stroever (8:46.22) in the 3K. Swarthmore could get in the way of a sweep with Lang Reynolds (9:03.54) and James Golden (9:07.04), while Dickinson's Nick Grover (9:09.76) could also medal. Grover (15:25.76) and Stroever (15:18.69) are the defending silver and bronze medalists in the 5K, but Haverford's Brandon Rowe (15:07.24) and Ronnie Bossert (15:11.25) will also factor into the chase for the gold. Also keep an eye on Muhlenberg's Brendan Gallagher (15:56.87) and Gettysburg's Ray Gephart (16:03.26).

Jumps: Johns Hopkins' Rajeev Mahajan looks to improve upon last season's high jump bronze medal and is the odds-on favorite to capture the gold. He has already leaped 6-8 this season, while only one other jumper - Muhlenberg's John Brodowski - has cleared 6-0. The Mules' Josh Boyer and F&M's Mark Binkley (Jr., Lemoyne, PA/Cedar Cliff) will also be in the medal hunt. Western Maryland's Ifeanyi Ani is the favorite in the long and triple jumps. He is the defending gold medalist in the long jump and has a 22-6 1/2 leap to his credit. Haverford's Andy Au (20-8) and Duques (20-5 3/4) and Muhlenberg's Brodowski and Boyer will also contend for medals. Ani has qualified for the NCAA championships in the triple jump after recording a 48-3 1/4 leap. Boyer (44-0) is the only other jumper to reach 40-0, while F&M's Binkley and Western Maryland's Brad Turner also look to medal.

Pole Vault, Shot Put: This could be one of the more interesting field events in the championship. F&M's Luke Oeding (Jr., Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) has broken the Conference record twice this season (14-6) and wears the favorite's label over Gettysburg's Scott Ashman (14-3) and Johns Hopkins' Brian Nichols (14-0). Nichols captured the gold last season, while Oeding was second. Jason App of Muhlenberg (13-9 1/4) could also sneak in for a medal. Defending champion David Hose of Western Maryland is the favorite in the shot after registering a 49-3 throw this winter. Teammate Ben Hull (42-2 1/4) is also in the medal hunt, along with Dickinson's Ben Wiley (43-0 1/4), Gettysburg's Ken Williams (42-0 3/4) and Muhlenberg's Frank Santini (41-10).

WOMEN'S PREVIEW
55-200: One of the weekend's best duels will take place in the sprints, as Swarthmore's Imo Akpan and Western Maryland's April Brown square off. Akpan (7.24) and Brown (7.29) won the silver and bronze medals in the 55, respectively, last winter and have the CC's two best times. Johns Hopkins' Jessica Bylander (7.54) and Dickinson's Joy Mapp (7.59) could also factor. Akpan (26.21) and Brown (26.23) will be pushed by Mapp (26.82), the defending silver medalist, in the 200, while Gettysburg's Joanna Silver could also medal.

55 Hurdles: A pair of freshmen - Gettysburg's Cheron Walker (8.82) and Muhlenberg's Ashlie Hankee (8.93) are the favorites. Western Maryland's Jen Bruce (9.24) is also in the hunt, while two other rookies - Dickinson's Sloane Stover and Muhlenberg's Carolyn Schoen - will also contend.

400-800-1500: Akpan is the Conference record-holder in the 400 (57.64), but will be challenged by Silver, the defending gold medalist. Haverford's Danielle McCabe (60.34) and Dickinson's Christine Hufenbacher (60.58) could also sneak in for a medal, as could Bryn Mawr's Claudine Johnson (61.64). Dickinson's Alex Forte (2:19.06), the defending 800 champion, is the clear favorite in the event in 2002. Teammate Callie Bradley (2:21.42) has the second-best time in the CC, but keep an eye on Haverford's Jane Steinemann (2:22.04), Ursinus' Katie Dougherty (2:23.04), Bryn Mawr's Joanna Simonis (2:23.45), Johns Hopkins' Heather Blair (2:23.64) and Gettysburg's Angie Hill (2:23.67). The 1500 is shaping up as a three-woman race between Steinemann (4:40.44), Forte (4:41.87) - the defending champ - and Dougherty (4:45.94). Blair (4:51.00) won a silver medal in this event last season, while Dickinson's Sage Stefiuk could also medal.

3000-5000: Forte (10:03.00) will look to defend another title in the 3K. Her time is 26 seconds faster than that of Haverford's Kristen Wilson (10:29.53) and Dougherty (10:30.64). The Fords' Prentiss Clark (10:38.99) is also in the hunt. Wilson, who won a silver medal in the 5K last winter, is the favorite this season (17:59.12). Clark (18:40.34) and teammate Emily Nietrzeba (18:51.44) will push Wilson, as will Dickinson's Liz Allen (18:42.30).

Jumps: The high jump looks to be between Dickinson's Jess Hill (5-1 1/4) and Mapp (5-1) and Haverford's Caitlin Kight (5-1). Western Maryland's Jill Kurzejweski (4-11) and Swarthmore's Jessica Rickabaugh (4-10) could also medal. The triple jump features a trio of 34-foot jumpers in Ursinus' Eboni Woodard (34-7), the defending champion, and Whitney Daniels (34-0 3/4), and WMC's Christine Johnson (34-4). Bruce (33-5 1/4) and Muhlenberg's Emily Yedowitz (33-2 1/2) could also challenge. Johnson (16-10) is the defending champ in the long jump, but Gettysburg's Walker (17-4) and Swarthmore's Akpan (17-2 3/4) are the favorites. Rachel Imhoff of the Bullets (16-6) is also in the medal hunt.

Pole Vault, Shot Put: Muhlenberg freshman Meaghan Douglas-Snyder set a Conference record earlier in the season at 9-10, but can she overcome defending champ Hiro Takahashi of Haverford (9-6). WMC's Bruce (9-0) and Sarah Lebarron (8-11 3/4) will challenge for a medal, while defending bronze medalist Megan Carr (8-6) of Johns Hopkins cannot be counted out. A trio of freshman and a senior are the leading contenders for shot put medals. Hopkins' freshman Andrea King (37-1) has the CC's best performance, while classmates Kristen Boydston of Muhlenberg (35-0 1/2) and Heather Pugh of Ursinus (34-3) are also in the hunt. Keep an eye of Muhlenberg senior Nancy Kegelman (35-4), the defending bronze medalist, and Hopkins' Jackie Evans (33-1), who won the silver medal in 2001.