Even though winter is approaching the ITC season is heating up, and I would like to kick it off with a recent conversation I had with grad student Brad Coyle after his slightly disappointing end to his cross-country season. He explained “Nats [NIRCA cross country nationals] left me with a pretty bitter taste in my mouth, but hey it’s a new season, and all I want to do now is smash it out on that Indiana track in a few months!”
With that, get pumped for a wild track season filled with many competitive meets each equipped with fire extinguishers in preparation for the scorching events each member of the team has in store.
The kindling for the flame each athlete will bring to the field began in the fall. For the distance and some of middle distance, the promising cross-country season provided them with a torch that will not be put out anytime soon. With coach Steve Krauklis’s training plan these runners are fully prepared to set fire to the track this season. The rest of Mid D, sprinters, throwers, and jumpers have also been training hard throughout the fall, and are fully prepared to light their own conflagration and leave the spectators in awe.
Grad students Megan Mccogni and Beth McGreal as well as seniors Jess Ayers and Lauren Jonen will lead the women’s team, and look to rewrite some of the record books. Megan and Beth are long standing members of the club, and have already proven their potential when they each finished in the top ten at NIRCA cross country nationals. Lauren Jonen and Jess Ayers are not ones to mess with either. After demolishing many of the club sprinting records in previous years, they will look to continue their success with their final seasons. Along with the leaders, junior Mid D runner Hannah Belhe and junior hurdlers Abby Ralph and Jenny Na will all look to pick up where they left off as NIRCA All Americans.
The men’s side will also see a group of key returners lead the charge toward the season. Junior distance runner Jared Ripoli, the afore mentioned Brad Coyle, senior sprinter/jumper Sebastien Alvis, and sprinter Beau Barber will all look to help the team rise to the lofty expectations. Jared Ripoli has proven many times during cross country and indoor track his worth, and will look to have a healthy and promising season. Brad Coyle and Sebastien Alvis were both new members on the club last year, but have since proven their talent and work ethic through their all American results from last year. Beau Barber, through his tireless dedication and commitment to the team will also help lead the charge. The men’s squad, just like the womens’, shows a lot of depth as well, including recent cross country All American sophomore Michael Frintner, sophomore jumper Mateusz Lopez, sophomore thrower Geoff Segal, as well as sophomore Mid D runners Tyler Splitt and George Gunter. They all have the potential to place highly in their respective heats and post some sweet records to the books.
Overall the team is looking really hot, and not even the impending Illinois winter will be able to cool us down!”,2015-12-04 15:36:21+00,XC
