Irish have eyes on Big East Championship title
By KATHLEEN O'BRIEN
Assistant Sports Editor
After placing second each of the past three seasons, the men's track and field squad hopes this is the year it finally comes out on top in the Big East Indoors Championships.
"This is the best chance we've had to win it in a long time," junior sprinter Terry Wray said, "So a bunch of people are really pumped about it. Our sprint corps is really strong this year. We just feel very good and really strong right now."
The Irish return the core of their runner-up team from 1999, with the exception of All-American pole vaulter Mike Brown. But to come away with a victory, athletes will need to post the best performances of their lives.
"I think it's key for every event to go well," field events coach Scott Windsor said. "I'm not quite convinced that we have the depth that some of the other schools in the Big East have. We're going to have to have a perfect meet, frankly, for us to win it on the men's side. We're going to have to have people step up and get some PRs [personal records] for us to be in that meet."
Other Big East teams will force the Irish to push to the limit.
"I would say that the major competition will come from Georgetown or Connecticut, and they're both excellent teams," head track and field coach Joe Piane said. "We have to hit on all major cylinders to have a chance. The men and women that can score need to score."
It may be a close competition for the championship as opposed to last year, when Georgetown topped Notre Dame by about 100 points.
"This year, I wouldn't be surprised if the top three teams were within 10 points," distance runner Luke Watson said. "We certainly think that we're in a good position to win. I know we're capable of it. We certainly have the talent to win. It's just a matter of putting it all together on the same day. I think we have an advantage in the sprints. We need to maintain and match them in the distance and jumps, and then beat them in the sprints."
The Irish sprint squad is particularly strong. Leading the way are returning Big East champions Chris Cochran and Marshaun West, both seniors.
"All of them are key events because we have people who are going in there who are, if not leading the events, at least in the top two or three going in there," sprints coach John Millar said. "So we're hoping that they'll perform at the level they're capable of so they can score some big points."
Cochran won the 400-meter dash at the Big East Outdoors Championships a year ago, and will attempt to win the race indoors this weekend. Cochran is on the verge of qualifying for the NCAA Indoors Champion-ships. He will also head the list of Irish competitors in the 60-meter dash.
West, an All-American long jumper and 200-meter Big East indoor champion a year ago, is competing for the first time since injuring his hamstring last month.
"This is his first meet back since his hamstring pulled, but he's looked very good in practice," Windsor said. "He's running the 200 at the same time as the long jump. We're hoping he can hit a big one early in the long jump, so maybe he can pass through. He's going to have to buckle down. That's what being a senior is all about."
Wray and senior Tim Kober should pace the Irish in the 500-meter run.
"To win it, nothing else," Wray said of his goals. "I'm really not concerned with anyone else. I'm pretty much determined. I'm going to have to run the best race of my life, but I think I'm in shape to do it."
Kober will also be a leading contender for Notre Dame in the 800-meter run.
Senior Phil Mishka scored breakthrough performances in the 800-meter run earlier this year, but will compete in the 1000-meter run this weekend.
"It'll be interesting to see what Phil Mishka can do in the 1000," Piane said. "I think he can win it."
For the distance crew, Watson and junior All-American Ryan Shay should compete for titles. Watson will compete in the mile and the 3,000-meter run, while Shay aims for victory in the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs.
"Being my first meet, it's really hard to establish goals," Shay said. "I want to win; I just don't know if I'm physically capable of doing that this weekend. I definitely think I'm capable of being in the top three in the 5,000."
Shay suffered an injury prior to the first meet of the season, and the Big East will mark his first competition of the season.
"It's a hell of a meet to start with, but he'll do fine," Piane said. "We don't have any other choice. We can't not run him. We gain nothing by not running him."
In the field events, the men have no sure contenders for victors besides West in the long jump. However, they have a solid supporting cast.
Senior Matt Thomp-son placed fourth in the Big East Indoors Champ-ionships a season ago with his hurl of 58 feet, 3 1/4 inches in the weight throw. Fellow thrower Derek Dyer is Notre Dame's best chance for points in the shot put.
"I don't believe he [Thompson] has thrown his best this year," Winsor said. "I have four guys in the weight throw, and hopefully, we can get them all through to the finals."
Sophomore Quill Redwine is a key competitor in the high jump and triple jump.
"Quill Redwine is another key, I think," Windsor said. "I think he's going to have to step it up in the triple jump, and also score some points in the high jump."
In the pole vault, Notre Dame will enter sophomore Josh Heck, senior Jesse Masloski and freshman Nathan Cahill in an attempt to make up for the loss of Brown.
"We don't have a Mike Brown in the pole vault, but what we do have is three vaulters who can score and hopefully score pretty well," Winsor said.
The Irish will also enter teams in the distance medley relay, the 4x400-meter relay and the 4x800-meter relay.
"The last two relays could get really exciting, because I know Georgetown's got good teams entered, and so does Connecticut and so do we," Watson said. "It could come down to the last two events."
The meet begins Saturday morning in Syracuse, N.Y., and continues through Sunday.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 18, 2000
