Devils open season at Golden Flash Gala
Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136
CONTACT: Jerry Reilly,
Sports Information Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Track & Field
FREDONIA, N.Y. -- The Fredonia State indoor track and field season begins this weekend at the Kent State Golden Flash Gala.
The Blue Devil men and women will compete over two days, the first chance interim head coach Liz Aldrich will have to see some of her newcomers in actual competition.
Aldrich already knows what to expect from her solid corps of returning women, led by three-time All-American thrower Julia Hopson (Poughkeepsie/Arlington). Hopson, a senior, already owns SUNYAC and school records in the 20-pound weight throw, her staple of the indoor season. She was second in the nation in the event at the 2008 NCAA Division III indoor championship meet and sixth in the same event at 2007 nationals.
Hopson also competes in the shot put -- she was first at SUNYACs and sixth in the event at the state meet -- and is a sprinter. She will team with sophomore Kate Brett (Webster/Webster-Schroeder), sophomore Laura Dickerman (Corning/Corning-Painted Post), and junior Rhea Williams (Windsor) in sprint relays, and Aldrich believes the quartet is capable of setting school records.
Brett should also make noise in the 55-meter high hurdles. She is the defending SUNYAC champ in the event, was second at the state meet, and provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet. In addition, junior Jackie Majka (Depew) is coming off a sophomore season which saw her make the NCAA outdoor meet in the high jump. She will be counted on to lead the Blue Devils in that event as well as the triple and long jumps.
Aldrich is counting on a pair of juniors, Jessica Bennett (Rochester/West Irondequoit) and Sarah Furman (West Berne/Berne-Knox-Waterloo), and senior Trisha Ippolito (Angola/Lake Shore), to earn the Blue Devils points in distance events. Bennett is coming off a strong cross country season and has tasted success in the past in SUNYAC track (she won the steeplechase title during the 2007 outdoor season). Furman, bouncing back from a cross country injury, is a transfer from Erie County Community College. Ippolito emerged as cross country's No. 1 runner last fall.
Sophomore Hailey Guard (Youngstown/Lewiston-Porter) is back in the 800 meters, junior captain Allyssa Kline (Newark) is experienced in the hurdles, while freshman Keri Heath (Farmington/Victor) should have an immediate impact in the throws.
The men are led by junior Mike Kelley (Geneseo), who as a triple jumper has the potential to contend for the SUNYAC title and perhaps a berth in the NCAA meet. An injury held him back last season.
In addition, Aldrich boasts a solid group of middle distance runners and a distance group headed by junior Tom Williams (Queensbury), an NCAA cross country qualifier this past fall. His running partners will include senior Chris Walters (Tonawanda/Sweet Home); and sophomores Josh Guarino (Bergen/Byron-Bergen), Eddie Novara (Angola/Lake Shore), and Matt Keppler (Valley Cottage/Nyack). All four had solid cross country seasons this fall. In addition, Guarino finished second last spring in the steeplechase at the SUNYAC outdoor meet.
The middle distance runners include sophomores David "Mac" McMahill (Hemlock/Livonia) and Nick Guarino (Bergen/Byron-Bergen), and junior Robert Rappole (Bemus Point/Maple Grove). McMahill will be used in both the 400 and 800 meters.
The stable of sprinters is relatively young. Among them is senior captain Aaron Borowczyk (Fredonia/Forestville) and junior Greg Jackson (Sherman). Returning after one season off is junior Vince Outerbridge (The Bronx/Willaston-Northhampton). Also back after a year away is senior hurdler Andrew Power (Farmington/Victor), backed up by freshman Steve Pastronostro (Angola/Lake Shore).
Greg Craft (Cheektowaga/John F. Kennedy), a sophomore, returns to the pole vault.
In addition to the Aldrich, the coaching staff consists of Paul Csont (sprints/jumps), Jeffrey Beck (distance), and Tom Wilson (pole vault).