Shay returns to lead Irish in indoor season opener
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Assistant Sports Editor
Ryan Shay is back.
The senior distance runner, who missed the fall cross country season following an intense summer of preparing for the U.S Olympic trials, will compete in the mile run tonight as the Irish men's track team takes on Ball State and Western Michigan in Loftus.
Shay finished 10th in the 10,000 meters at the Olympic trials, following a 2000 track season that saw Shay take home four Big East titles. He won the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters at the indoor championships in February, followed by the 5,000 and 10,000 meter outdoor titles in May.
"I think he's real excited. He's fit," Irish head coach Joe Piane said of Shay, who took seventh in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA championships last season, finishing in 30:54.65.
"The kid is really fit. He hasn't done much speed work at all," Piane added. "In three or four weeks he could probably run a better mile. I think Ryan can go 4:12 or faster."
Shay's return strengthens an Irish distance core that is competing shorthanded with Luke Watson missing the meet with an IT band injury in his leg.
Piane expressed concern that Watson's injury could keep him out longer than just tonight's meet.
"He has an IT band problem," Piane said. "They can be really problematic. They can hang on for a long time."
Competing with Shay in the mile will be sophomore Marc Striowski, who is coming off a successful cross country season.
Freshman Colin Quinn, sophomore Doug Gunzelmann and senior Nate Andrulonis will run the 800 meters for Notre Dame. The trio has large shoes to fill, as last season's middle distance standouts, Phil Mishka and Tim Kober, both graduated in the spring.
Despite the graduation of Big East champions Marshaun West and Chris Cochran, the Irish boast a strong group of sprinters.
Senior Terry Wray showed flashes of brilliance last season in the 400 meters while running in the shadow of Big East champion Cochran. Wray should challenge a talented group of Ball State sprinters for first place in the 400 tonight.
Senior Travis Davey and sophomore Tom Gilbert will compete in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes. Davey ran a 6.93 in the 60 meters last season, while Gilbert, whose best event is the long jump, ran a 21.68 in the 200 meters.
A surprisingly strong addition to the team this spring is William "Red" Croker, a junior who did not compete last season for academic reasons. Croker will run the 200 and 400 meters tonight.
"Red has been one of the big surprises of the fall," said sprints coach John Millar. "He's come on and he's shown that he's got really good range from the 60 meters all the way to 400. Now I'm trying to figure out what to do with him."
Another addition to the short events is freshman James Bracken, who also will compete in the 200 and 400 meters.
"James Bracken has surprised me as far as what he was running in the fall compared to what hit in high school," said Millar.
In the 500 meters, the Irish will look for football kicker Nick Setta to kick the event into an extra gear. Setta, who starred in the middle-distance and high jump while at Lockport High School in Illinois, will compete along with Nick Saracco and Mike Ansour in the event.
After a season in which Notre Dame did not even bother sending a hurdler to the Big East Indoor Championships, the Irish have two freshmen who look able to contribute immediately. Although Napolean Suarez won't compete tonight due to a hamstring injury, look for Mark Barber to compete right away.
"He was the Michigan state champ," Millar said. "He's developed in the hurdles and has made big improvements in the course of the fall."
The Irish also have to replace All-American West in the long jump. However, with the development of his younger jumpers, field events coach Scott Winsor feels the team is stronger this season than it was last.
Gilbert just missed the elusive 24-foot mark as a freshman, jumping 23-feet 11 3/4 inches to take fifth place at the Big East outdoor meet last season. Sophomore Ed Faustin and freshman Godwin Mbagwu have proven to be more than solid over the fall. Mbagwu has jumped 23 feet already.
"I think overall we're better in that event than we were last year," said Winsor. "We've got Godwin, Tom and Ed. I think Ed is looking a lot better this year. He's faster than he was last year. Tom has lost weight."
Mbagwu also will compete in the triple jump, as will junior Quill Redwine, who Winsor sees having a breakout season after being injured much of his first two years.
"He had a really good Gold meet in the fall. He's just looking better and better all year," Winsor said of Redwine. "He's done better all fall than he's done in the past freshman and sophomore year. He's about ready to do some good things."
Redwine and Andrew Cooper will compete in the high jump. Cooper, who took off last season for personal reasons, has already cleared the 6-foot-5 mark in practice.
In the throwing events, look for junior Derek Dyer to place well in the shot-put. In the 35-pound weight throw, Winsor has been impressed with the improvement of sophomore Brian Thorberg.
"He gained a lot of strength over the summer," Winsor said. "He's going to do some pretty good stuff."
In the pole vault, Winsor is impressed with his trio of junior Josh Heck and sophomores Nathan Cahill and Joe Yanoff.
"Josh is looking really good. He'll vault higher than he did last year," Winsor said. "I'm really happy with the number of pole vaulters I have this year."
The gun goes off at 7 p.m. tonight on the Meyo Track.
All Sports Stories for Friday, January 19, 2001
