2006 Track and Field Outlook: Replacing Legends
12/29/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Dec. 29, 2005
A new era in Baylor track and field begins in 2006 with Todd Harbour taking the reins of the program from new director of track and field Clyde Hart, who retired as head coach this past summer after 42 seasons at the helm of the program.
Since Harbour was coached by Hart and spent the past six seasons on his staff, there should be a smooth transition. While each coach has his own style, observers shouldn't expect too much change.
"I've learned so much from Coach Hart, he was the most influential person in my life beside my father, so there are going to be similarities," Harbour said. "I can't be Coach Hart, he had his unique style that I can't copy, there are things that I do a little differently and he's encouraged me to do it my way.
"He has built the foundation and what he did worked for so many years, so we're not going to stray too far from that. It's because of him and his work with Jeremy, Darold and Michael that the best sprinters in the nation are lined up to be a part of that sprint group."
There is much optimism on both the men's and women's side and eagerness as Baylor will have home-field advantage for the 2006 Big 12 Conference Outdoor Championships, which will be held May 12-14 at Hart-Patterson Track & Field Complex.
"We're excited about both teams coming off last season," Harbour said. "We host the Big 12 Outdoor Championships this season - that doesn't happen too often - so we want to do well at home and perform well in front of the home crowd."
The men should be much improved after going through the pains of losing key runners last year and adding a tremendous recruiting class. The women have lost a core group of scorers and school record holders, but also signed an outstanding class that is ready to fill the void. "We should be competitive on both sides," Harbour said. "We signed excellent classes and have some great transfers coming in that will be able to help us immediately. We have a little more depth this year, so we should have a lot of quality athletes competing for national titles."
Sprints
Sophomore Carla Grace (San Antonio, Texas) had a breakthrough freshman campaign and joins senior Angel Perkins (Cerritos, Calif.) as the women's two returning All-Americans.
Grace was an all-region and all-conference performer in both the 100 and 200 meters and played a vital role on the Bears' 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. She returns as the Bears' top short sprinter with the graduation of Lakadron Ivery, an All-American and runner-up in three events at the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, and Elizabeth Wilson, the school record holder and Big 12 Indoor champion in the 200 meters. Senior Marquisha Sefas also returns and led off as the Bears' broke the school record in the 100 meters. The Bears will also be looking for a significant contribution from transfer Kandace Tucker, an All-American at Arizona State.
Harbour expects a big season from senior quarter-miler Perkins, who had a solid season, but could not shake nagging injuries at the key championship meets.
"Angel battled a hamstring injury last season, lost some confidence and really was never the same," Harbour said. "But, she had a great fall, worked hard and I believe she is on a mission to improve this year."
Baylor also returns junior Rena Napoleon (Colorado Springs, Colo.), an all-conference performer in the 400 meters outdoors, and add freshman Katrina Taylor (Baton Rouge, La.), the Louisiana state champion.
After virtually not competing at all in the men's short sprints a year ago, Harbour feels he now has a group that could be equally as strong as the women. The Bears have added freshman Jacob Norman (Temple, Texas) as well as football player Queito Teasley (Katy, Texas).
The Bears may have lost their top athlete, but will be much deeper in the 400 meters with three of the four members of their indoor and outdoor All-America 4x400-meter relays returning in juniors Mark Teter (San Antonio, Texas), Kevin Mutai (Round Rock, Texas) and Wil Fitts (Desoto, Texas). Florida transfer Reggie Witherspoon (Marietta, Ga.) and freshmen R.J. Anderson (Big Pine Key, Fla.), Quentin Iglehart-Summers (San Antonio, Texas) and Sterling Farmer (Houston, Texas) will have the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Darold Williamson, the 2005 NCAA Outdoor 400-meter champion as well as the anchor on the United States' gold-medal 4x400-meter relay at the 2004 Olympics.
"A guy like Darold is hard to replace and we were fortunate to have two at one time with him and Jeremy (Wariner)," Harbour said. "It's been a luxury to have athletes who stepped up and we could depend on, and I feel we have those in this group as well. Everyone is just going to have to work hard every race and will not be able to take a race off, because there's not a Darold there to bail them out at the end. "But when you put on that Baylor uniform, there's a lot of tradition and pride in the relay, so you bring your 'A' game every time, because everyone is trying gunning for you."
Baylor will also have a strong returning group of hurdlers with All-Big 12 performers senior Janelle Mulkey (San Antonio, Texas) and junior Lauren Tillman (Lawrenceville, Ga.) returning and the addition of freshman Rachael Long (Houston, Texas), who ranked fifth in the nation in the intermediate hurdles.
Senior Jerome Miller (Houston, Texas) was an all-region and all-conference performer in the 400-meter hurdles, while sophomore Jeremy Jackson (Round Rock, Texas) will be looking to step up after a good freshman season.
Distances Harbour is encouraged by what he believes is "the best middle distance crew" he's had heading into his seventh season at Baylor.
Sophomore Lauren Hagans (Little Rock, Ark.), the school-record holder in the 1,000 meters indoors and was the Bears' top 800-meter runner last year. She will be joined by veteran senior Shanta Bibbs (San Antonio, Texas) and sophomore Danielle Elliott (Waco, Texas), who earned all-conference honors in the 800 meters indoors.
The women will also receive a boost from transfer Ruth Waller (Manchester, England), who captured Southland Conference titles in the 800 and was the runner-up in the 1,500 meters while at McNeese State.
Fitts earned all-America status in the 800 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, is the school-record holder indoors and ran the third leg on the Bears' 4x400-meter relay. Mutai will also be making the transition back to the 800 after running the 400 for most of last year. Harbour said he had one of the best falls and has the potential to make as big a jump as anyone in the program.
Harbour also expects John Robertson to rebound after a tough year. "He just couldn't quite make the adjustment after transferring," Harbour said. "But we will be counting on him this season."
The Bears also have depth in the event with, junior Mitch Sanders (Katy, Texas), sophomores Rey Hinojosa (Cedar Park, Texas) and Hunter Garner (Keller, Texas) and freshman Trey Slack (Rowlett, Texas).
In the longer distances, junior all-American 10,000 runner Brittany Brockman (Houston, Texas) and freshman Erin Bedell (Plano, Texas) are coming off a tremendous cross country in which they led the Bears to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Brockman was the NCAA South Central Regional champion and All-Big 12 finisher, while Bedell was Baylor's top finisher at the NCAA Champion-ships and also was an all-Big 12 finisher.
"Erin has great range and can run anywhere from the 800 up," Harbour said. "Our main concern will be keeping her healthy with her trying to qualify for the Junior World Cross Country Championships in Japan right in the middle of the indoor season. She's just got a lot on her plate."
Junior Monique Ortega (El Paso, Texas) earned all-region and All-Big 12 honors, while sophomore Lyndsy Bedell (Plano, Texas) also was an All-Big 12 performer in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last year, while junior Brittany McGuire (Humble, Texas) will be looking for a breakout season in the longer distances. Harbour is also expecting contributions from sophomores Jessi Barnes (Bentonville, Ark.) and Adrian Robison (Alma, Neb.) and freshman Charity Williams (Corpus Christi, Texas).
Harbour is expecting good things out of the men's distance corps after the top three runners - senior Bo Price (Atlanta, Texas) and juniors Rob Morrow (Grapevine, Texas) and Cody Wells (Crawford, Texas) each redshirted the cross country season. Sophomore Jacob Jones (Willis, Texas) will also be expected to step up this season.
The women's indoor distance medley relay set a new school year record and Harbour hopes to keep improving on those marks in the future.
"We are trying to put together outstanding distance medley relays on both sides and we believe we have the people to do that," Harbour said.
Field Events Sophomore Brittany Devereaux (Denton, Texas) was outstanding as a freshman, breaking the school record and earning all-region and All-Big 12 honors in the discus.
The men return junior Chris Cardwell (Abilene, Texas), the school-record holder in the hammer and the weight throw, and senior Austin Heape (Dallas, Texas).
The Bears are looking to put together an solid group of pole vaulters on the women's side with the return of sophomore Brinn Newman (Salado, Texas) and senior Mercy Wagner (Lorena, Texas) and the addition of freshmen Kaleigh Teel (Friendswood, Texas) and Ashley Korol (Wheaton, Ill.).
The women lost the school's two best long jumpers with the graduation of school-record holder and all-American April Holliness and Lakadron Ivery, the runner-up in the long jump at the 2005 Big 12 Outdoor Championships. The Bears, however, are looking forward to the progress of freshman Stasia Kelly-Taylor (Atlanta, Ga.) in the triple jump.
Senior All-American Chris Gillis (Pennsauken, N.J.) headlines the Bears' jumpers on the men's side after placing eighth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and he will be joined by Teasley and sophomore Josh Camp (Baytown, Texas), a triple jumper.
No question, with all of the young, talented fresh legs in the Baylor stable, Harbour is looking forward to his first season as head coach and expects the "Tradition of Excellence" not only to continue, but improve. "Usually I'm tired from the fall, but I have a lot of adrenaline going right now and am ready to get going," Harbour said. "We'll take a big group to Houston for the first meet and take a group to the Armory in New York, so I'm excited about that."
Players Mentioned
