Wake Forest Athletics
2012 Indoor Track and Field Season Preview
1/10/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track and Field
Jan. 10, 2012
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A year removed from a season in which six true freshmen saw extensive action, the Wake Forest men's track and field team will take on a much different look of seniority in 2012. Despite losing sprint specialists Tyler Dodds and Allan Lunkenheimer as well as distance runners Marcus Dillon and Tom Divinnie to graduation, this team possesses veteran athletes in all areas and should be a force to be reckoned with as the season progresses.
The Liberty Kickoff, a "warm-up" meet for the Deacons in early December in Lynchburg, Va., showed just how well they are capable of performing. The team came away with victories in two final events (60m hurdles and 1,000m run), a second-place finish in the 4x400m relay and a third-place overall finish in the heptathlon. Using that as a stepping stone, the Deacs will jump into their full indoor season at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Jan. 13 and 14. In 2011, Thomas Morrison and Tom Finneran brought home top-five finishes in the 1,000m run and the one mile run, respectively, at the event.
At least four athletes figure to be involved in the sprints and hurdles for the team, with Daniel Harrison, Kevin Smith, Booker Nunley and Malcolm Nunley all expected to see action. Smith, the veteran of the group, is coming off a solid season in which he set a personal-best time of 50.31 in the 400m dash. Booker, a junior, and Malcolm, a sophomore, each performed very well at the Liberty Kickoff as both garnered top-five finishes in the 60m hurdles event. Sophomore Michael Mastanduno, who enjoyed a solid finish in the 60m dash in Lynchburg, and freshmen Lucas Hoffman and John Bedingham could also get the call for the Deacs.
There is little doubt that Wake Forest will shine in mid-distance events thanks to the sheer amount of experience that the team retained from last season. Nine of the 11 athletes listed as mid-distance runners on the roster have competed extensively for the Deacons, highlighted by senior Thomas Morrison's excellent career. Only freshmen Reid Nickle and Scott Chamberlin have yet to compete at the collegiate level.
Among those returning are junior Sean Lunkenheimer and sophomore Alexander Rose, both of whom had breakout seasons in 2011 and will be seeking to continue that momentum. Senior Justin Bookheimer; juniors Tom Finneran, Nate Guthals, Michael McEnany and Anthony Marois and sophomore Kyle Eager round out the mid-distance group.
Capping off the track events are the six distance runners led by senior Paul Loeser. Although he has not competed in the indoor season since his freshman year, Loeser has had a decorated career both on and off the track as evidenced by his position on the 2011 NCAA All-Academic Track and Field team as well as placing in the top six for the ACC's 2011 Service Award.
Joining him will be juniors Garrett Drogosch and Jake Graham, both of whom also made the 2010-11 All-ACC Academic Honor Roll. Drogosch competed just once last season, but Graham specialized in the one mile run and turned in a personal-best time of 4:22.12 at the Virginia Tech Challenge. The veteran trio will also welcome three freshmen; Jake Dearmon, Connor Crowley and Brian O'Toole; for their first season in college.
In the field events, the versatile senior duo of Trey Blanton and Alex Hill returns for one more season as Blanton will compete in his signature pole vault event while Hill remains the lone competitor for the Deacs in the heptathlon. Blanton had six top-10 finishes in the pole vault last year, including a personal-best mark of 15-11 (4.85m) that earned him a victory at the Virginia Tech Challenge. Likewise, Hill turned in a fantastic performance and placed fifth overall at the ACC Indoor Championships in the heptathlon with a personal-best showing of 5,009 points.
Finally, Michael Wooten and Nate Wooten, the brothers hailing from Raleigh, N.C., will represent the Deacons in the shot put. In his debut season in 2011, Nate threw for a personal-best distance of 39-8.75 (12.10m) at the Liberty Quad Meet, a mark that his older brother bested with a career-best toss of 45-8.5 (13.93m) at the same meet.
On the women's side, the Deacs will be led by a handful of talented seniors in the field events, including Sarah Brobeck in the throws and Erin Brooks in both the long and triple jumps. Brooks was the top thrower for the Deacs last season in the shot put, while Brooks currently owns the school record in the triple jump, a mark of 40-6.75 recorded in 2009.
Joining Brooks in the triple jump will be sophomore Phoebe Kershaw, who enjoyed immediate success in the event during her rookie season in 2011. The Sydney, Australia, native turned in a top mark of 37-6.75 last season at the ACC Indoor Championships en route to a 16th-place finish overall.
Freshman Nyki Caldwell will look to make an instant impact for the Deacs in the high jump, as she enjoyed an illustrious high school career highlighted by two Michigan State Championships in the event. Caldwell has already competed in the opening meet of the season for the Deacs, clearing a height of 5-5 (1.61 meters) in December at the Liberty Kickoff.
Freshmen Montasia Golden and Brianna Dekine also saw action in December, as Dekine finished second in the 500m (1:18.47) and Golden claimed third place overall in the 60m hurdles (8.92). Golden also competed in both the long and triple jumps for Wake Forest, in addition to running the second leg of the 4x400m relay team.
Wake Forest returns two talented multi-event athletes from last year's squad in sophomores Erika Martin and Julie McCauley. Martin placed 10th overall at the 2011 ACC Indoor Championships in the pentathlon with a total of 3,258 points. Her strongest events in the pentathlon include the 60m hurdles and the high jump.
McCauley competed in multi-events for the Deacs last season during the outdoor campaign, but did not see time in the pentathlon during the indoor season. She made her pentathlon debut at December's Liberty Kickoff, finishing seventh overall with 2,847 points, including a third-place finish in the long jump.
In the sprints, Wake Forest returns sophomore standout Mytoia Gathings, who had perhaps one of the most successful freshman campaigns in school history in 2011. The local product from Winston-Salem set the school record in the 60m dash with a mark of 7.72 at the Liberty Quad Meet, in addition to running a team-best time of 24.89 in the 200 meters.
Juniors Myesha Barr and Anneve Waithe will also look to contribute to the scoring totals for the Deacs in the sprint events, as Barr specializes in the 400 and 500 meter distances, while Waithe excels in the shorter sprints.
Sophomore Caitlin Hartnett and senior Molly Binder will lead the way in the mid-distance events this season, as the duo finished second and third, respectively, in the 1,000m run at the Liberty Kickoff in December.
In the distance events, sophomore cross country standout Nicole Irving will pace Wake Forest, along with fellow sophomore Melanie Powers. Irving missed most of last indoor season due to an injury, but after a strong cross country season in the fall, she looks primed to make a huge impact for the Deacs in 2012.
Casey Fowler, Allison Homer and freshmen Kaitlyn Oliver and Aubrey Waggoner will also look to strengthen the Deacs' distance events during the indoor season.
Players Mentioned
