Notre Dame opens year indoors
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Assistant Sports Editor
With five returning All-Americans from a 1999 season in which both the men's and women's squads had their best-ever finishes in the Big East conference, the Notre Dame track teams are aiming for the top of the league in 2000.
"We told the kids today that our main goal we have is to win Big East indoors and Big East outdoors," said head track and field coach Joe Piane. "That's not to say that we don't want to get kids to NCAAs, but our big goal is Big East.
"The men's strengths are that we have some outstanding individuals in both the field events and the sprints," Piane said. The women are going to be pretty solid all the way through."
The Irish kick off their season today with a home meet against Michigan State, Ball State, and Western Michigan.
"We've been working a long time and you go all the way through the fall semester," field events coach Scott Winsor said. "It's a long hard workout process without competing. Everyone's excited about starting to compete."
The Irish will be using this quadrangular to test their fitness level and see where they are in preparation for the Big East meet next month.
"Really this meet is sort of a benchmark to see where we're at," sprints coach John Millar said. "It's hard to really get a feel for where we're at until we have a meet."
Long distance runners Ryan Shay, and Alison Klemmer, middle distance runner Antonio Arce, sprinter and long jumper Marshaun West, and high jumper Jennifer Engelhardt were All-Americans a year ago, and will lead the Irish ranks this season.
"Basically again this year," Engelhardt said, "We just have a great opportunity with the incoming freshmen to really win the Big East. We have a lot of added depth. The Big East is the pinnacle of our season."
Engelhardt placed ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships, in addition to winning the Big East Outdoor Championships. She serves as one of two team captains this year.
Besides Engelhardt, Winsor will look to freshmen Tameisha King in the long jump and Jamie Volkmer in the pole vault and triple jump.
West is coming off of a standout season in which he was named the Big East Conference's most outstanding track performer. He captured indoor All-America honors in the long jump, with a 24'10" mark in placing sixth. He also won the 200-meter race at both the Big East Indoors and Outdoors Championship. This season West is concentrating on matching and surpassing his efforts from '99.
"Of course as a team, we'd like to win the Big East indoors and outdoors since we were so close last year," West said. "I think we're even a little bit better than we were last year. I look to break the 200 meters record for Notre Dame indoors, and look to go back to nationals both indoor and outdoor."
The Irish lost All-American pole vaulter Mike Brown to graduation and high jumper Andrew Cooper for the season.
"Points that we got from Mike Brown winning we're trying to get through depth now," Winsor said. "Andrew cooper was really coming along and looking like he was going to be our number one high jumper, so that definitely hurt, but hopefully Quill Redwine can fill in for Andrew and we've also got Nick Setta. Hopefully those two guys can fill in and get the job done."
For throwers, Notre Dame will rely on Dore DeBartolo, who recorded a NCAA provisional mark in the discus in 1999. On the men's side, senior Matt Thompson returns who is the Irish record holder in the 35-pound weight throw.
West, senior Chris Cochran and junior Terry Wray will anchor the men's sprints team. Cochran was the Big East outdoor champion in the 400-meter run last year. All three runners competed on Notre Dame's 1600-meter relay team that placed third at the Big East outdoor championships.
"The main goal for track is the overall team championship indoors and outdoors at the Big East," Cochran said, "And personally trying to do all that I can to help us do that. I don't think the other teams in the conference gained much on us."
For the women, sophomore Liz Grow is the most successful veteran. She ran the fastest indoor team for the Irish last year in the 60 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. King and fellow freshman Kymia Love also have strong potential coming out of high school.
"I think mainly for the team to win Big East is a big goal of mine, and to hopefully qualify for nationals," Grow said. "I feel like I'm more experienced just because of the season I had last year. Losing in nationals helped me a lot in terms of experience."
Returning All-Americans Shay and Klemmer will pace the distance squads, although the women will have to make up for the loss of JoAnna Deeter. Neither Shay nor Klemmer will compete tonight. Seniors Patty Rice and Arce will be strong at the middle distance.
"We're not necessarily running people in their best events this weekend," Connelly said. "In terms of track fitness, Alison may be in better shape than ever.
Distance coach Tim Connelly has placed improvement at the top of his priority list.
"I think overall we want to continue to improve," Connelly said. "We made some big steps last year, especially on the conference level. Probably the biggest improvement and she showed this during cross country, was Chrissy Kuenster. She's gone from a girl who struggled to be on the team to being one of our better kids."
Tonight's meet is the first of three indoor invitations at home for the Irish this season.
All Sports Stories for Friday, January 21, 2000
