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LANCASTER, PA -- Will the song remain the same ... or is there a new kid in town? The 70s music titles from Led Zeppelin and the Eagles seem to apply to the 13th annual Centennial Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend at Ursinus College's Bakes Field House. Haverford's men's team has won 11 of the previous 12 championships with only a 1999 third-place finish behind champion Franklin & Marshall College as a blemish on a perfect record. The Dickinson women's team had its streak of five consecutive Centennial titles snapped in 2004 by Haverford, but rebounded to make it six in seven years last winter. Competition begins Saturday at noon with Sunday's action getting underway at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free. Event-by-event Women’s preview
Sprints (55-200 meters): Defending champion Lauren Parker of Gettysburg is the favorite in the 55 and 200 with the Conference’s best times in 2006 of 7.53 and 26.40, respectively. She will face challenges from Johns Hopkins’ Giselle Joseph and Haverford’s Aislinn Sowash in the 55, while Ursinus’ Britiany Gilbert, Muhlenberg’s Danielle Seiler and Johns Hopkins’ Jordan Ireton will push for gold in the 200. 55 Hurdles: This event belongs to Haverford’s Sowash, the two-time defending CC champion who already has a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8.40. Muhlenberg’s Rachel Drosdick will contend for a medal, as well Dickinson’s Katie Creme. Middle Distances (400-800-Mile): Muhlenberg’s Seiler, the defending champion, is the only runner to break the one-minute mark in the 400 this season with a 59.34 clocking. Hopkins’ Joseph and Ireton could also break the 60-second barrier and contend for the gold. The Mules’ Karen Mount is the favorite in the 800, after posting an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:15.84. Haverford’s Darien Lunne and Brittany Massare will challenge, as will Dickinson’s Laura Straw. Mount will duel with Haverford’s Kate Reese and Dickinson’s Caitlin Bradley and defending champion Emily Hulme in the mile. Distance Races (3000-5000 meters): Dickinson’s big three of Bradley, Abbey Fergusson and Annie Scogin are among the favorites in the 3K and defending champion Hulme makes a potent Red Devil quartet in the 5K. Bradley has the season’s top time in the 3,000 (10:23.48), while all four have met the NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 5,000 of 17:57.50. Swarthmore’s Emily Winstar hopes to break up the Dickinson trio in the 3K, while teammate Carrie Ritter hopes for a medal in the 5K. Jumps (High-Long-Triple): The high jump looks to be a three-woman competition among Franklin & Marshall’s defending champion Libby Haas (Jr., Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York), Haverford’s Jessie Belden and Muhlenberg’s Hannah Sylvester. Haas has cleared 5-4 this season, while the other pair has topped the 5-2 1/4 mark. Gettysburg’s Sam Spence will battle with Muhlenberg’s Drosdick in the long jump, as both leaped at least 17-0 this season. The Mules’ Jacqui Inverso has jumped one foot farther (35-11 1/4) than Gettysburg’s Lindsey Visbaras in the triple jump. Johns Hopkins’ Ilolochika Emuh will also contend for the gold. Pole Vault: Johns Hopkins’ Lauren Chun is the vaulter to beat, after setting a Conference record and equaling the NCAA provisional standard with a vault of 11-1 three weeks ago. Teammate Jessica Reeves and Haverford’s Sarah Burke have cleared 10-0 this season and will contend for a medal. Shot Put: It looks like a two-person race between Dickinson’s Iva Liou and Johns Hopkins’ Amarchi Onyima, who have throws of 39-3 and 38-7 1.4, respectively. Event-by-Event Men’s preview
Sprints (55-200 meters): Who will be the Conference’s “fastest man”? Is it Ursinus’ Brandon Evans or Josh Hannum, who have covered the distance in 6.56 this season. Evans is the defending champion in both the 55 and 200. Or maybe Broderick Maybank of McDaniel who has a 6.64 clocking to his credit. Don’t discount Johns Hopkins’ Tristan Thomas. Evans will duel Franklin & Marshall’s Jake Gomolinski (So., Middletown, NY/Pine Bush Central) and Johns Hopkins’ Jason Dubyoski for the gold in the 200. 55 Hurdles: Ursinus’ Matt Granteed and Dickinson’s Rob Chain are the lone entrants that have broken the eight-second mark with 7.86 and 7.95 timings. Gettysburg’s Steven Papuchis could also contend for a medal. Middle Distances (400-800-Mile): The 400 could be one of the closest events of the weekend, as Johns Hopkins’ Shane Olaleye, Muhlenberg’s Lex Mercado and McDaniel’s Scott Koleszar are separated by just .14 seconds, led by Olaleye’s 51.21. The Mules’ Dan Steinhart could also surprise. Mercado leads the 800 pack with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:54.87. Teammate Steve Rothwell will challenge for the gold, as will Haverford’s Sam Dalke. Dalke and teammate Grant Scott already have NCAA provisional times in the mile at 4:15.16 and 4:15.92. Mercado and Swarthmore’s Vernon Chaplin will also challenge for medals. Distance Races (3000-5000): This is where Haverford accumulates a lot of points. The Fords have seven of the top 10 times in the 3K, led by Scott’s 8:28.78. Teammates Donald Letts and Zach Vaslow will battle Swarthmore’s Chaplin for medals. Defending champion Scott, Letts, Vaslow and Bernie Muller all have provisional qualifying times for the NCAA 5K. Four other Haverford runners have times in the top 10 of the 5K this season. Jumps (High-Long-Triple): The high jump appears to be a battle among four athletes. Muhlenberg’s Pat Cunning has the year’s best jump at 6-2, followed by Haverford’s defending champion Carson Pickens at 6-1. The Mules’ Adam Carter and Ursinus’ Evans also have cleared 6-0 this season. McDaniel’s Maybank is the man to beat in the triple jump after leaping 23-3 ¼ three weeks ago. Gettysburg’s Erik Lambertsen will battle Ursinus’ Hannum and Matt Terry for a medal. Franklin & Marshall’s Freddy Martino (So., Harleysville, PA/Lansdale Catholic), the defending champion, has the CC’s best triple jump on the season (44-3), but will be pressed by Terry, Maybank and Gettysburg’s Papuchis. Pole Vault: Franklin & Marshall’s defending champion Jon Brallier (Jr., Chambersburg, PA/Mercersburg Academy) has the year’s best vault at 14-6, while teammate Zach Barninger (Jr., Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York) and Dickinson’s Stephen Hendrix have also cleared 14-0. Johns Hopkins’ Matt Trachtenburg could also factor in the medal chase. Shot Put: It appears to be a two-man race between Haverford’s Joe Awantang and Gettysburg’s Glenn Cain. Awantang, the defending champion, has put the shot 50-4 1/2, setting a Ford record, this season, while Cain is just shy of the 49-foot mark. McDaniel’s Jason Meier and F&M’s Alex Falk (Jr., Philadelphia, PA/Trinity-Pawling School, NY) could also gain medals.
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