CLARION TO HOST EARLY BIRD INVITATIONAL IN NORTHERN START
The Clarion University men’s and women’s track and field teams will kickoff their northern outdoor schedule when they host the Clarion Early Bird Invitational Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Joining the Golden Eagles will be the men’s and women’s teams from Mercyhurst, Penn State-Behrend, Robert Morris, Allegheny, Roberts Wesleyan, Westminster, Slippery Rock, Edinboro, Grove City, Geneva, Bethany and Alderson-Broaddus.
“We are very much looking forward to the meet,” Clarion’s first-year head coach Daniel Caulfield said. “We ran at Coastal Carolina a couple of weeks ago, but it was so early in the season that everyone didn’t have an opportunity to compete. Now we will be a little more prepared and have better techniques.”
According to Caulfield, Clarion’s teams will have multiple goals in 2005.
“Track is a team sport made up of individual components,” Caulfield said. “Because of that, everyone has different goals. Some of our athletes’ goals will be to qualify for PSAC. Some others will be to put in good performances at PSAC’s and gain all-conference, and a few will have a goal of going to the national meet and earning All-American. Overall, the goal for each athlete is to get the best performance out of them in their particular event.”
Caulfield believes the Golden Eagles have a chance to increase the number of PSAC qualifiers from a year ago. Last season, Clarion had 20 athletes qualify for PSAC’s.
“We have set a goal of getting at least 25 people to PSAC’s,” Caulfield said. “We believe we have the individuals capable of doing it.”
EAGLE WOMEN RETURN SEVEN PSAC QUALIFIERS
The Clarion women’s team returns one NCAA qualifier and seven PSAC qualifiers from a team that finished eighth at the PSAC meet in 2004.
The NCAA returning qualifier is senior Melissa Terwilliger, who qualified in the 10,000 for the second straight year in 2004.
Terwilliger finished 5th in the 10,000 at NCAA’s in 2003 and 13th last season. She is a 3-time PSAC qualifier having finished fourth in the 5,000 and seventh in the 3,000 in 2004, third in both the 3,000 and 5,000 in 2003 and 4th in the 10,000 in 2002. She is the Clarion record holder in the 3,000 (10:19.06), the 5,000 (17:45.00) and the 10,000 (35:55.99).
“Melissa is striving for the national meet and All-American,” Caulfield said. “She has had a rough start during the indoor season due to injuries, and we are just now getting her back into from. We will go from here and set higher standards as the year goes on.”
Joining Terwilliger as PSAC returning PSAC qualifiers are junior Nikki Plassio in the high jump, junior Katie Jarzab in the 10,000, sophomore Erin Jones in the pole vault, senior Sarah Rodgers in the 1,5000 and 4x400 relay, sophomore Holly Urban in the 4x400 relay and junior Susan Despot in the 4x400 relay.
Last season, Plassio, a two-time PSAC qualifier, tied for sixth at PSAC’s in the high jump. She joins Terwilliger as the only returning scorers for Clarion from a year ago.
On the track, Terwilliger will be joined by Kristen Werder (100 and 200) and Sonya Swanson (200 and 400) in the sprints, while Urban, freshman Erin Richard and Rodgers give Clarion three “very good” middle distance runners, according to Caulfield.
Terwilliger anchors a distance crew that also includes Tasha Wheatley and Jarzab.
“We are deep in the middle and longer distances,” Caulfield said. “But that is the case with a lot of teams. There is more coaching needed in techniques in some of the shorter events. It is harder to keep large numbers because you can’t give them as much individual attention.”
On the field, Werder, a PSAC qualifier two years ago before being slowed by injuries last season, will long jump and triple jump. She will be joined by Plassio in the long jump.
In the throwing events, Clarion has to replace NCAA qualifier Carrie Bullman (javelin) as well as All-PSAC performer Jen Klock (shot put) and PSAC qualifiers Julie Evenoski (javelin and shot put) and Jessica Crouch (javelin). Klock is the school record holder in the shot put, while Evenoski holds the record in the javelin.
“We have three or four athletes who can be pretty good throwers including a couple who I believe can be national qualifiers,” Caulfield said.
“In the discus, freshman Nicole Lockwood, a state qualifier from DuBois High School, can be a national qualifier according to Caulfield, while junior Gail Hepler could qualify in the javelin.
Additional key throwers will be Carrie Wagner and Bethany Sedney in the shot put.
GOLDEN EAGLE MEN SHOULD BE IMPROVED IN 2005
Clarion’s men’s team should be an improved group in 2005 with four returning PSAC qualifiers being joined by former All-American Dan Patton, who transferred from Kutztown.
Patton, a Clarion High graduate who earned Clarion’s lone points at PSAC indoors with a fourth place finish in the 55, will participate in the decathlon for the Golden Eagles, an event Caulfield believes he could be a national qualifier. H
“We hope he can get to the national meet,” Caulfield said. “He was an All-American in the 4x400 at Kutztown, and he is a talented sprinter. However, he is more talented as an all-around athlete. Although, he will run the 100, 400 and 110 hurdles and throw the javelin and discus in some of our meets.”
Bevevino, a PSAC qualifier in the 400 hurdles and long jump last season and another Clarion High product, will concentrate on the hurdles this season for the Golden Eagles.
“We are going to try to keep Ben in just the hurdles because combining the hurdles with the jumping events is difficult,” Caulfield said.
Another Clarion High graduation, BJ Roth, is a returning qualifier in the 4x400 relay.
“BJ could be a national qualifier in the 400 hurdles,” Caulfield said. “He has displayed immense talent. The real key for him is to stay healthy.”
Jarrett Williams is a two-time PSAC qualifier in the 100 and 4x400 relay while also qualifying once in each the 200 and 4x100 relay. He was the team MVP in 2003.
“He made huge improvements indoors this season,” Caulfield said. “He set the school 55-meter record at one point only to have Patton take it away from him. We saw a big change in his number, and we are hoping for the same in the 100 this season.”
Zach Shekell, from nearby A-C Valley High School, is the fourth returning PSAC qualifier having joined Roth, Williams and Bevevino on the 4x400 relay team last year.
“Zach has made big improvements,” Caulfield said. “He will be more of an 800 specialist this season.”
Joining Patton and Williams in the sprints for Clarion will be Brian Cornelius and Cody Shaner, from Keystone High School, while Chris Clark and Matt Reinhold will join Shekell in the middle distances.
Sean Williams will be Clarion’s top long distance runner.
In the throws, Clarion will have Mike Smith in the discus, Cody Summerville, another Keystone graduate, in the javelin, Jake Grantz in the shot put and Andy Herbstritt in a couple of events.
“I am very excited about our throwing crew,” Caulfield said.
GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES – In addition to the Early Bird meet, Clarion has two additional home meets … The Golden Eagles will host a PSAC-West meet April 9 and a Last Chance meet April 27 … The PSAC’s will be May 12-14 at Mansfield, and the NCAA’s will be May 26-28 at Abilene Christian … Caulfield became Clarion’s coach Jan. 1. He replaced Pat Mooney, who retired after leading the Golden Eagle track and field teams 10 years and the cross country teams for 11.