By: Dan Rolinc '11

BEREA, OHIO --  Baldwin-Wallace College junior distance ace Ken Janosko (Mentor) had his best collegiate cross country and track season in 2010-11.  After just three meets of the 2011 cross country campaign, Janosko has stepped it up to an even higher level and has his sights set on just his next meet.

"Ken has run really, really well and is the leader of our men's team," said veteran Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke, who has led 49 Yellow Jacket track and cross country teams to OAC titles. "Right now, he is one of the best runners in the OAC and has the potential to be our first individual; conference champ since 1993."

The 2010-11 season was a breakout year for Janosko as he earned All-OAC honors by placing third at the 2010 OAC Championship Meet and then earned All-Region accolades when he placed 24th at the NCAA Division III All-Great Lakes Region Meet.  He completed the OAC course in 24:45 and the regional course in 25:47.8. Overall, Janosko was the top Yellow Jacket runner at seven of eight meets.

"Ken came into last summer's cross country team camp with some very ambitious goals," said Taraschke. "What he did throughout the cross country and track seasons was improve and really begin to come into his own."

The modest Janosko credits his improvements to two things -- hard work and great advice from his teammates and friends who also run.

"I have worked really hard to get better," said Janosko, who also earned All-OAC accolades in track last spring. "The hard work is beginning to pay off because I feel much stronger."

"I took the advice from other runners I know and pick the recommendations that I know work best for me," said Janosko, who majors in accounting in B-W's outstanding 3/2 Accounting MBA Program and is interested in being an auditor right now. "I also have been making better lifestyle choices such as eating healthier and getting enough rest.  It has really helped."

So far, the effort has paid off this season.

Janosko jumped out of the gate at The College of Wooster Invitational Meet at the L.C. Boles Memorial Golf Course on September 1 by placing first of 33 runners in the 4-mile run in a time of 21:36.89.  For his efforts, he was named the OAC's Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of September 5-11.  The following week, he again led the Yellow Jackets by placing third of 228 total runners at the annual Ohio Wesleyan University Invitational Meet at Liberty Park in Delaware, Ohio.

"Kenny really ran well at OWU," said Taraschke.  "He knows that he needs to stay right at the front of the pack and that he needs to feed off of the other top runners.

"The really cool thing about his transformation is that our other younger runners have seen him get better and they know how he got better -- through hard work, dedication and commitment," said Taraschke.

Now the rest of the team is feeding on his winning ways.

"The atmosphere of the team has become so much more positive this year and it makes me love going to practice every day," said Janosko.  "We believe that we can be strong contenders for the OAC title, especially with where our team attitude is at right now.'

"I came to B-W for the 3/2 accounting program and to run," said Janosko. "There are so many friendly people here. I feel like I'm a part of a nice little community here. Some of the classes are a bit challenging, but my friends are always here for me when I need to take a break from studying.�

After three races, the men's overall record  stands at 22-11 overall following a fourth place finish of 17 teams at OWU and a ninth place finish of 18 teams last weekend at the Calvin (Mich.) College Meet.

'We're just trying to take this season race by race without losing focus of the big picture, which is the OAC Championship," said Janosko.  "As long as we keep working hard and improving week after week, we should be among the top teams at All-Ohio and the OAC Championships."

At Calvin, a  much bigger challenge from a regional standpoint, Janosko placed seventh of 201 runners in 24:53.32. That effort, Taraschke feels legitimizes him to his fellow regional runners.

"Ken proved by his effort last Saturday that he belongs amongst the best runners in the region," said Taraschke. "He just needs to keep working hard, running his race and remaining confident in his abilities."

The Yellow Jackets have two more races before they head to Ada, Ohio on October 29 for the 2011 OAC Championship Meet at Ohio Northern University.  They are idle today and back in action next Saturday at the All-Ohio Championships at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. Then B-W competes in the Oberlin Inter-Regional Meet at Oberlin College in October 15.

Then it is on to the conference championships where Janosko hopes to join only four other B-W men as an OAC men's individual champion, and the first since John Finlay last accomplished it in 1993.

"We're just trying to focus on one race at a time and without losing focus on the big picture -- the OAC Championship Meet," said Janosko. "As long as we keep working hard and improving week after week, we should be among the top teams at the All-Ohio, Inter-Region and OAC meets."

Sure sounds like Janosko is focused.

FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.