 Outdoor Track and Field Opens Friday
March 27, 2008
What's on Tap: Saint Louis kicks off its outdoor track and field season on Friday when it travels across town to participate in the Washington University Invitational. Action at WU's Bushyhead Track gets underway at 4 p.m. Friday, with Saturday's session beginning at 10 a.m. What to Watch For: SLU freshman Brian Holdmeyer will attempt to qualify for the USA Junior Championships in the 10,000 meters. He will need to post a qualifying time of 32:45 in the event Friday night, which is slated to begin at 9 p.m. Also, the men's and women's squads will have a large contingent of student-athletes running the 5,000 meters Friday night, including Laura Coyer for the women and Steve Vargas on the men's side, who missed much of the indoor season due to injury. About the Billikens: Saint Louis, which has shown steady improvement during its cross country and indoor track and field seasons, will feature one of the most complete rosters in school history. For the first time, the women's program will enter student-athletes in the shot put, discus, high jump and long jump. On the men's side, the Billikens will have a pole vaulter for the first time and will have entries in the discus, shot put and hammer throw. Outdoor Track and Field History: The Billikens are competing in their third season of indoor track and field. This season, the team will compete in at least five meets, including the Atlantic 10 Championship in early May. Head Coach Jon Bell: Bell is in his first season as head cross country/track and field coach. During the cross country season, he helped the Billikens to arguably their best season in recent history. School records fell on both the men's and women's side, and SLU climbed to as high as fifth (women) and eighth (men) in the Atlantic 10's weekly coaches polls. During the indoor campaign, the Billikens again improved throughout the season. In addition, the Billikens placed a league-high five student-athletes on the Academic All-Conference team. Assisting Bell are Tim Bradley, John Cunningham, Gavin Kennedy and Autumn Valk.
Women's Outlook: Junior Maddie O'Quinn, who during the indoor season set the school record in the 400, 500 and 600 meters, will look to do the same in the outdoor season. Freshman Tiffany Alexander will also see plenty of action in the sprint and hurdle events. Roxanne Rodenborn will run the 800 meters at Wash. U., and freshman Sara Fraley will run her first 1,500 meters at the meet. Laura Coyer, Lauren Verzal and Molly Burke are part of a big group of Billikens who will participate in the 5,000 meters. The Bills will run their 4x400-meter relay this weekend, which is comprised of O'Quinn, Fraley, Verzal and Rodenborn. Men's Outlook: David Whelan, who qualified for the finals in the 55-meter dash at the A-10 Indoor Championship, will participate in sprint events this weekend. Matt Alexander, the league's runner-up in the 400 meters at the Indoor Championship, will look to lower his own school-record time. Austin Critchlow will run the 800 meters for the first time, with Kyle Ross participating in the 1,500 meters at WU Returning to the track this weekend is Steve Vargas, who had his indoor season cut short by an injury. Brian Holdmeyer will run the 10,000 meters Friday and will be used the rest of the season as a viable option in other distance events. Down the Road: The Billikens have entered next week's Washington University Select meet, which will also take place at Bushyhead Track on the campus of WU. This season's A-10 Outdoor Championship is set for May 3-4 at the University of Massachusetts. - www.slubillikens.com - |
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