BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University men's indoor track and field team will open the 2012 season this Friday, January 20 when they host the annual BW Mid-January Meet on the Harrison Dillard Track inside the Lou Higgins Center. Field events are expected to begin at 4:15 p.m. To view the entire schedule of events, please log on to the BW web site athttp://www.bw.edu/athletics/itf/sched/.
The annual goals of the BW track and field team are to win the Ohio Athletic Conference and Division III All-Ohio meet titles, capture as many titles in other meets and qualify as many studentathletes as possible to the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship meet.
"We return a strong group of veterans on the men's team," said veteran Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke, who has helped the BW cross country and track programs capture 48 titles in his 28 years at the College. "We have a number of performers back from a year ago who all improved last season. The key this winter is how much more each has improved again. We are looking forward to our first meet on Friday."
The men's team also is a veteran squad that returns 25 lettermen from a team that finished fourth in the 2011 OAC Indoor Championship Meet with 81 points. The Yellow Jacket men were picked to finish third in the OAC Coaches preseason poll. BW totaled 67 points. Ohio Northern University was picked first with 77 points and received six first place votes. The BW men will look to build on their improved performance from a year ago and compete for an OAC title this winter.
The men will be led by returning All-OAC student-athletes in sophomore sprinters Shawn Cordes (Litchfield/Medina Buckeye), Kevin Johnson (Maple Heights/St. Ignatius) and Josiah Holt (Elyria/Grafton Midview), sophomore multi-event performer Brandon Eddy (Cuyahoga Heights), senior sprinter Mike Smith (Wintersville/Indian Creek), junior Division III All-American thrower Mitch Supan (Medina/ Walsh Jesuit), senior distance runners Drew Beck (Canadaigua, N.Y./Canadaigua Academy) and Zach Szablewski (Tiffin/Calvert), junior 2011 OAC Men�s Cross Country Runner of the Year Kenny Janosko (Mentor) and throwers Zach Marinucci (Brunswick), Miles Moore (Gettysburg, Pa./Delone Catholic) and Jake Buckey (Geneva).
Janosko returns as the OAC champion in the 5000 meter run (15:15.59). His transformation from being a freshman in 2009-2010 to earning the OAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year award this fall is emblematic of the Yellow Jacket men's track program. Despite losing multiple All-American Kevin Phipps '11, now an assistant coach, to graduation last spring, Taraschke has a bevy of talented sprinters, runners, jumpers and throwers who could help his team make a run at the school's first OAC indoor title since 1981.
Supan, Marinucci, Moore and Buckey will anchor a strong corps of throwers. In the weight throw at last years OAC Indoor Championship Meet, Supan finished second to Phipps with a throw of 56' 6.75" with Marinuccisixth and Buckey eighth. In the shot put, Marinucci placed third and Moore fourth and Supan did not get off a quality throw (fouls) after coming into the meet with the second best distance. Look for the weights to be a real strong suit for the Jackets.
In terms of the jumping events, look for Eddy to be one of the top performers in the pole vault in addition to competing as a decathlete. Assistant Coach Eric Schmuhl has recruited a number of multi-event student-athletes who will join Eddy in making an overall difference in that area.
Look for Cordes, Johnson, Holt, senior Dan Sloat (Medina) and Smith to lead the sprint corps, and for Beck, Janosko and Szablewski to be the top middle and distance runners.
In addition to hosting the annual Mid-January Meet on January 21, BW will host the OAC North Split Meet on Friday, January 27 at 5:00 p.m., the annual Mid-February Meet on February 10 at 5:00 p.m. and the annual Greater Cleveland College Meet on February 17 at 5:00 p.m.
For more information on the meets and meet schedules, please contact BW Head Coach Dr. Bill Taraschke at 440-826-3322 and e-mail at wtarasch@bw.edu or Assistant Coach Eric Schmuhl by telephone at 440-826-2005 and e-mail at eschmuhl@bw.edu. You also can visit the Indoor Track Schedule page athttp://www.bw.edu/athletics/itf/sched/.
FOR MORE BW 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 BW 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.
