MSOE men's indoor track & field season preview
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Published: 01/14/2012 |
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The MSOE men's track & field team will be looking to defend its Northern Athletics Conference titles in 2012. The Raiders won both the indoor and outdoor championships last season. MSOE lose two national qualifiers from last year's indoor team. However, without those two student-athletes, the Raiders still expect to be very competitive in all events they take part.
Jordan Werner is studying in Germany. Werner competed at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championship in the 55-meter dash. Kevin Diederich placed tenth at the national event in the pentathlon.
Without Werner, MSOE will look to sophomores Matt Waech and Mike Cosentino and seniors Tom Monteverde and Steven Toll and junior Jerome Robertson to step up as sprinters. Waech came in sixth in the 200-meter dash, Cosentino finished fourth in the 55-meter hurdles and Monteverde was seventh in the 400-meter dash at the NAC Championships last year. Freshmen sprinters include Matt Keenan, Matt Schultz, Cody Johnson, Ryan Moldenhauer and Aaron Rick. Also new to the team in short distance events are seniors Christian Hoft and Tim Lang.
Experienced long distance runners for the Raiders include junior Ben Peterson who placed third in the one-mile run and finished ninth in the 3000-meter run at the NAC Championships. Junior Jake Schneider came in 12th in the 3000-meter run while sophomore Trevor Koziczkowski was 15th in that event. Koziczkowski was sixth in the 800-meter run and sophomore Milan Johnson was 17th. Senior Joe Klimowicz and sophomores Keith Hamilton and Steven Grousnick are be back as well and senior Tim Sonnenburg and freshmen Garrett Farin, Brian Janus, Jeffrey Sparks and Nik Stasinopoulos will make their Raider debuts in long distance events.
MSOE's returning throwers include junior Patrick DuBois who placed in the top five in the weight throw and shot put at the NAC Championships. Sophomore Josh Ruehlow came in 12th in the weight throw and 17th in the shot put. Monteverde will get opportunities in throwing events as well as freshman Christopher Gust.
The Raiders have jumpers who had solid marks last season including senior Arthur Weborg who was third in the long jump and seventh in the triple jump at the NAC event while Klimowicz came in sixth in the high jump. Waech (first) and Cosentino (second) finished in top two spots in the pole vault. New jumpers include freshman Dan Franke, Zachary Ipema and Ryan Moldenhauer. Dan Franke's brother, junior James Franke will compete in multiple events throughout the indoor season. Robertson, sophomore Eric Doubet and freshman Erik Terronez will take part in the pole vault.
The season for MSOE begins in Kenosha, Wis. at the Private College Invitational hosted by Carthage Saturday, Jan. 14. The NAC Indoor Track & Field Championships are set for Saturday, Feb. 25, also in Kenosha, Wis.
