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2005 Season Outlook The possibilities for success are endless for the 2005 Cedarville University men’s track & field squad. A total of 12 returning athletes were NCCAA All-Americans last year and 21 have collegiate experience. Now, if the Yellow Jackets can get healthy and stay that way, it will go a long way in determining how well the season progresses. The health factor is always a major issue,” stated second-year head coach Jeff Bolender. “We have some outstanding athletes who could make their mark on the NAIA national level. However, an athlete who is 90 percent healthy will have difficulty succeeding in track & field events that are competed at a 100 percent level. Hopefully, our men will be in the best shape possible in order to compete at a high level.” The Jackets were well enough last year to be the American Mideast Conference runner-up and the NCCAA Indoor Championship runner-up. They also tied for 3rd place at the NCCAA Outdoor Championship.
Seniors Tim Beck, Andy Goodenough, and Adam Laskos as well as junior Kevin Hall have accepted the role as team captains. Beck, a multi-event performer, was the NCCAA and AMC javelin champion. He also won the NCCAA indoor long jump title. Goodenough specializes in the 800 meters and helped set the school record in the 4 x 800 meter relay in 2002. Laskos, an NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete, is a long sprinter who was an NCCAA Indoor All-American in the distance medley last winter. Hall is the defending NCCAA 3,000 meter steeplechase champion. The Yellow Jackets may be one of the deepest teams in the country in the pole vault with a half dozen vaulters that have the capability of going 13-6 and higher. Leading the group is sophomore Jason Scott, who won the NAIA outdoor national title last year as a freshman with a school-record leap of 16-7.50. He was also the NCCAA outdoor and AMC champion. Joining Scott in the pole vault are the brother tandems of Scott and Todd Marquardt, and Jason and Justin Mattern as well as freshman Chris Lehman. Junior distance runner Dan Campbell is the two-time defending NCCAA indoor 5,000 meter champion. Junior high jumper Joel Smith won the NCCAA outdoor title and placed 3rd indoors. Matt Clark and Bryan Pittman joined Laskos on the winning NCCAA indoor distance medley quartet.
Other returning NCCAA All-Americans include sophomore Ryan Bundenthal (indoor 55 meter hurdles and outdoor 400 meter hurdles), sophomore Chris DeLange (indoor 400 meters), and junior Mark Swan (indoor 800 meters). I still expect us to be among the top teams in the NCCAA and American Mideast Conference,” Bolender explained. “We have a handful of freshmen who will give us the opportunity to stay there.” The new Doden Field House has been a welcome addition to the Yellow Jacket track & field program especially for training and recruiting. Cedarville will host two high school indoor meets, one college indoor meet, and one college outdoor event. The outdoor track & field complex, opened in the spring of 2004, will again be the site of the Yellow Jacket Open. | ||||||||
