Wednesday, February 18, 2009
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
YOUNGSTOWN — Having finished as the conference runners-up at five of the past six championship meets, experience will be a big advantage for the Youngstown State men’s track team this season.
The Penguins have 27 returning athletes along with only one incoming freshman and just five other newcomers.
The veteran group will look to overcome nemesis Milwaukee in order to claim a title they last won in 2003 during the indoor circuit.
The Penguins will be in action Monday at the Kent State Tuneup before taking on the Horizon League Indoor Championships Feb. 28-March 1 hosted by Butler at DePauw University.
The sprints/hurdles group returns seven competitors who have all had great success in both the indoor and outdoor circuits.
Senior Michael Perri earned three fourth-place finishes at the Horizon League Championships last season and ranks second in school history in the heptathlon and 400m hurdles.
Fellow senior Clarence Howell will provide versatility as he will return after being redshirted last season during the outdoor season as he ranks in the schools top-10 list in three events.
The solid junior class is made up of Eric Baltputnis, Da’Michael Horne and Adam Kagarise. Baltputnis ran personal-best times in the 200m and 60 at the league indoor meet last season. Horne, a four-year letter-winner on the football team, returns to the squad after taking the 2007-08 campaign off and has competed in both the indoor and outdoor championships.
Kagarise holds the school record in both the indoor and outdoor 400m and was runner-up in the event a year-ago in the outdoor championships.
Junior Justin Dickman headlines the distance runners finishing as the Penguins’ top runner in five out of seven events during the cross country season.
Senior Dan Nemergut will also be a major contributor as he is the school-record holder in the outdoor 3,000m and earned Second-Team All-Horizon League honors in cross country in 2008.
Sophomores Joe Copploe, Jake Dialesandro, Jake Lape and Jim Ramson return this season along with an addition, fellow sophomore Rick Lape.
Copploe is coming off personal-best times in the 1,500 and 5,000m at the outdoor championships. Dialesandro will look to improve on his personal-best times in the 5,000 and 3,000m at the indoor championships. Ramson will be in his first full season as he was injured during the indoor season and redshirted during the outdoor campaign.
This season Jake Lape will be joined by his twin brother, Rick. Jake had a solid cross country season finishing as YSU top runner twice and its second finisher four times. Rick scored in three events in cross country in 2008.
In addition, the Penguins landed a big recruit in Kenyan Kiplangat Tisia, who can have an immediate impact.
The men have a talented and experienced jumps/pole vault squad with the return of eight of the nine members from a year ago with five seniors.
Senior high jumper Martin Vieth holds top-10 records in six events along with a victory at the 2006 outdoor meet.
Senior Shayne York won the long jump at the 2008 Horizon League Outdoor Championships and was the runner-up in the triple jump the previous year.
Howell finished 13th at the indoor championships a year ago and was redshirted during the outdoor season.
Perri owns top-10 marks in five events, including top-five accolades in the high jump and heptathlon.
Three sophomores return: Bryin Ehrhardt, Clowes Jerrill Hall and Johnny Copley.
Last season Hall was named the Horizon League Field Newcomer of the Year after the indoor and outdoor conference meets.
The throws squad may be the most dominate of any group and this year should be no exception as accomplished seniors Aaron Merrill and Joe Lahmon return.
Merrill hit the NCAA Mideast Regional automatic qualifying mark in the shot put in 2008 and is the only thrower in school history to qualify for the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Merrill also owns the shot put school record and was named Horizon League Field Newcomer of the Year in 2006.
Lahmon was an automatic NCAA Regional qualifier in the hammer in 2008 and is the school record holder in the event. Lahmon is one of three throwers in school history along with Jarrod Davis and current coach Shawn Cobey to rank in the top 10 in all four throwing events.
He was recognized as the Horizon League’s top thrower during the 2007 indoor season.