Men's Track & Field Season Preview

The outdoor track and field season looks to be promising for the Sagecocks with a rising cast of first year and veteran athletes.

Boasting an impressive history, the Sagecocks return from a low point in their recent past, with dwindling conference point totals over the past four years, bearing high expectations. 

“The big goal this season is balance in scoring—more people, from more event groups contributing to the team.  The push of the coaching staff is really to develop a more rounded program.  For years, our middle distance and distance core have overwhelmed the conference and brought in valuable team points.  This year I have challenged the other event areas step up to the plate and find ways to score at the conference meet,” says Coach Boston.  With only five event groups scoring at last year’s conference championships, this task is not taken lightly. 

The Sagecocks lose only one point scorer, Brian Gillis, who is studying abroad in South Africa.  Returning point scorers are sophomore Cameron Kinslow (hurdles), junior Dante Benson (hurdles), and senior Torrey Olson (distance).  To add to the returning momentum, John Mering, Ian Monsma, Wynton Marsalis, and Brendon Randall-Myers will be re-joining the Sagecocks after a season’s absence, all potential point scorers in the distance and middle-distance events.  Also, Michael Greer returns after illness blocked his attempts last season. 

But then there are the freshmen.  A myriad of freshman enter the program champing at the bit.  Ryan Myer and Jack Lewis join the sprint crew with impressive résumés and promise to be immediate factors at the conference level.  The distance / middle-distance crew grows by leaps and bounds as well with three freshmen, Hale Shaw, Colin Flynn, and Anders Crabo look to do big things this season coming off of a solid winter’s conditioning period. 

Distance
“On the whole, just looking at some of the early season workouts, it looks like the distance squad did an amazing job keeping up with their workouts over the winter break.  They are looking strong out on the track and I am confident that this will translate to fast times in the spring,” says Coach Boston of his distance and middle-distance runners. 

Five freshmen join the ranks, and John Mering (1:51.99 800m), Torrey Olson (15:30 5000m), Brendon Randall-Myers (16:37 5000m), and Ian Monsma (16:13 5000m) all return from successful Cross Country campaigns, recording times of sub-26:00 for the 8000m distance.  Sophomore Charlie Enscoe follows closely behind, and returns to the track in much better shape than last season where he ran 10:03 in only his second ever 3000m Steeplechase.  Charlie will be leading freshmen Anders Crabo, Hale Shaw, and Paul Balmer in what is arguably one of the most grueling of track events.  Junior Wynton Marsalis also makes his return to the track with his eye on contributing to the middle distance squad. 
“It’s an exciting year for the distance crew,” says senior Torrey Olson.  “With a great group of freshmen who are really starting to buy into their training joining a group who lost nobody to graduation, and only Brian to the dark side (study abroad), it should be a very strong year for the men of multiple laps.”

Sprints, Jumps and Hurdles
The sprints, jumps, and hurdles look to be the strongest they have been in years, returning everybody, and adding some notable talents: two freshmen, Jack Lewis and Ryan Myer, and junior Mike Grier, who suffered a collapsed lung last season.  Lewis boasts a sub-11 100m PR, as well as a sub-15 110 hurdle mark.  Myer enters with a stellar high school mark in the 400m: 50.21.  Grier, a high jumper, holds tremendous potential with a best of 6’2. 

Sophomore Stephen Parry, a three-event man, returns off of some near scoring performances from last year looking to make big strides in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. 

Finally, two of Pomona’s top returning athletes, Dante Benson and Cameron Kinslow, look to improve upon some solid performances in both hurdle events last spring.  Dante and Cameron were among the best hurdlers in the conference last year and look to replicate their dominance this year.

Another notable addition to he sprint group is not an athlete but a coach: Chris Gartrell, an all-conference athletic, who comes to Pomona from Whittier College. 

Throws
Returning for the throwers is Raj Bhanbadia, hoping to score some points in the hammer-throw.  Steve Erickson joins Raj as an emerging discus thrower. 

The noticeable shortage of bodies out there heaving things about, however, has got some of the distance runners thinking…  Senior Ian Monsma has high hopes of stardom in Javelin throw.  “In terms of distance, I’m closer to the school record in the Javelin throw than in the 5000m,” says Monsma.