By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Likely favored to win both the 60 and 200 at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Trayvon Bromell could have finished in the top 10 nationally all by himself.

But with the All-American sprinter and reigning NCAA champion turning pro after his sophomore season, Baylor coach Todd Harbour is looking for a few good men to step up with the indoor season beginning Saturday at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station.

"We've got some guys that have been on that edge, and now they're juniors and seniors and it's time," Harbour said. "That's what we're hoping for on the men's side. They still have the potential to be a top-10 team at nationals and hopefully higher. But to score 20 points (for a top-10 finish) at the NCAA meet, without Tryavon, that's a stretch. Some guys are going to have to really step up."

The women, though, are a different story. They go in ranked 11th nationally ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢' ¬" their highest preseason ranking ever ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢' ¬" after finishing seventh at last year's NCAA Indoor Championship. But they have to do it without All-Americans Rachel Johnson, Mariah Kelly, Raena Rhone and Tiffani McReynolds.

"We definitely lost some huge ones. Those are four of the top kids we've had in the last 10 years, just with what they brought on the track, off the track, leadership. But we've had some girls that have stepped up. I like where our women's program is. You've got a little more margin for error on the ladies' side."

Headlining the list of returners on the women's side is senior Olicia Williams, who placed third in the 800 meters at last year's indoor meet with the second-fastest time in school history at 2:03.67.

"She's definitely one of the favorites," Harbour said. "She's No. 2 in the nation right now, time-wise." Half of the women's distance medley that placed fourth also returns, with Williams on the 800 and junior Maggie Montoya on the anchor mile leg. But if Washington transfer Chelsea Orr can fill in on the mile, it would free up Montoya to double in the 5,000 and 3,000 meters the way Johnson did last year when she placed second in the 5,000 and came back to place sixth in the 3,000.

"Maggie's pestering me to run the 5K indoors," Harbour said. "I'm kind of thinking it would be better for her to run mile (on the DMR) and the 3K, just to give her some speed to set her up for outdoors. But if it comes down to our ladies having a chance to go top four at nationals, I'll turn her loose in the 5K. Maggie's in great shape and is coming off an incredible fall season."

Other potential points from the women could come from juniors Annie Rhodes and Cion Hicks in the pole vault and shot put, respectively, and senior transfers Rachel Toliver and Danylle Kurywchak in the triple jump. Senior triple jumper Brianna Richardson, a 2014 outdoor All-American, is still recovering from a stress fracture injury and will likely redshirt.

"We feel like both of the transfers can hopefully help us, at least one of them will help us at nationals, to soften the blow of losing Bri," Harbour said.

Rhodes is ranked seventh in the pole vault with a best indoor mark of 14-1 ¼, but is "on a mission to get to the top echelon of vaulters in the country," Harbour said.

With the additions of Orr and Miami (Ohio) transfer Charlotte Myers, a 2:05 half-miler, Harbour said the middle distance crew "is probably going to be about as good as we were last year," when that group scored 23 of the team's 27 points for the top-10 finish.

"Hopefully, we can get up there and contend for a Big 12 title. You look at it, and we're just one or two girls away from really battling and scoring 130 points, which is about what it takes," he said. The men's points are on potential more than actual production, although senior triple jumper Felix Obi won the 2014 NCAA Indoor title and was the Big 12 Outdoor triple jump and long jump champion.

"Felix right now looks unbelievable," Harbour said. "He looks like he's back better than he was before, when he won the national championship. So, that gives you some hope if we can keep Felix healthy and put a 4x4 to go with him."

After failing to make the 4x400-meter finals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships for just the second time in 36 years, the Baylor men have their best depth of quarter-milers in a long time.

Junior George Caddick won Big 12 indoor titles in the 400 and 4x400 and ranks 15th nationally with a time of 46.54. Joining him in the 4x400 pool are seniors Isaiah Duke and Richard Gary, junior half-miler Brandon Moore and the talented freshman trio of Caleb Dickson, Antuwan Musgrove and Wil London, who won the Texas Meet of Champions last year with a time of 45.96 that ranked third nationally.

"I think out of that group, you've got about eight that can run on the 4x4," Harbour said. "That's the kind of depth we've had in the past and the kind of depth we need."

Outside of Obi, Caddick and the 4x400 relay, the chances for men's points at the national meet are slim. Senior Bryce Grace is ranked 33rd in the 60-meter hurdles in 7.90, Moore is a 1:48 half-miler and freshman Blaine Listach is a 7-2 high-jumper.

"This is the first year on the men's side that I can ever remember us not being preseason ranked," said Harbour, whose men are 89th. "That's a little bit of a blow and that's something that we're going to use to challenge them."

Sandwiched around meets at Texas A&M, the Bears will go to Lexington, Ky., Jan. 22-23 for the Rod McCravy Memorial, followed by a trip to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational, then the Big 12 Championship Feb. 26-27 in Ames, Iowa, and the NCAA Championship March 11-12 in Birmingham, Ala.