By Chandler Harris, Assistant Sports Editor
The track and field teams begin their outdoor season this week as they aim to defend their respective national titles from 2008. The men’s team began Thursday as it sent James Hardin to the Angelo State Spring Break Multis. Fifteen men and 16 women will travel to Baylor University on Saturday to compete in the Dr. Pepper Invitational.
“We are sending James Hardin to compete in the decathlon and we are letting Camille [Vandendriessche] rest after the indoor national championship,” said Don Hood, head track and field coach. “The Baylor meet is usually not a real big meet. A lot of the schools are on spring break and are letting their athletes rest after the indoor championships. Most of the athletes we are sending did not compete in the indoor championships.”
Hood said he is looking forward to seeing all of the pole vaulters compete and that they are ready to jump high. He also said Paige Newby has had a great preseason in the discus and hammer throw and should do great things.
“Callie [Young] and Elizabeth [Buyse] are both looking better as well,” Hood said. “Destinee Nixon will hopefully do well and have a breakout meet. I am excited to see Nick Jones get a chance to throw the discus this week and also to see our new sprinter, Oswald Ingraham, who has looked good in practice.”
Hood said the team also will take all of its distance runners to compete in the 1,500-meter, and Linda Brivule will look to begin the defense of her national title in the javelin.
“This week will show us what our supporting cast will look like this year,” Hood said.
The team will begin by having its athletes attempting to qualify in their respective primary events early, and then try to qualify for the secondary events afterward. The men’s team hopes to have most of its athletes in two to three events, while the women’s squad is not deep but has really good quality athletes, Hood said.
“If the women can stay healthy, they will have a real good run at it,” Hood said. “The indoor season was a great springboard for the spring season.”
Sixteen athletes earned NCAA Division II All-America honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association on Tuesday for their performances in the national indoor meet March 13-14.
“The percentage of our athletes that were named All-American is pretty high,” Hood said. “To me, it was a good indicator of the quality of our athletes.”
The women’s team boasted five honorees, including Kim Prather, who earned honors in three events: 200-meter, 400-meter and 4-by-400-meter relay. Wanda Hutson earned honors in both the 60-meter and the relay. Destinee Nixon and Azraa Rounds also earned honors in the relay, and Kelli Clements earned honors in the shot put.
The men’s team had 11 members who were honored, including national champions Camille Vandendriessche in the heptathlon and Andrew McDowell in the 60-meter hurdles. The men’s 4-by-400-meter relay team of Harold Jackson, Desmond Jackson, Jordan Johnson and Ramon Radway earned honors in that event. Radway also earned honors in the 400-meter. Also earning honors were Julius Nyango in both the 800-meter and the mile, Amos Sang in the 5,000-meter, Cory Altenberg in the pole vault, Ramon Sparks and Gerald Chenyi in the triple jump and Nick Jones in the shot put.
