2003 Ohio State Track and Field Season Outlook – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
The Ohio State men’s and women’s track and field teams are on the cusp of potentially one of the most exciting years in Ohio State history, with four NCAA qualifiers along with six returning All-Big Ten performers.
The 2003 season features numerous notable events with Ohio State playing host to the Jesse Owens Track Classic and the NCAA Track and Field Regional Championships in May. Ohio State will begin the 2003 season with an impressive regular season indoor slate that includes the Ohio State Invitational and the Scarlet and Gray Invitational.
Head Coach Russ Rogers, who enters his 15th year of coaching at Ohio State, looks to lead the Buckeye program to its 10th combined Big Ten championship.
After an injury plagued 2002 campaign, Rogers expects the Buckeyes to be in the thick of each meet this season as well as claim a significant amount of Big Ten individual and relay championships, along with numerous NCAA qualifiers.
“We always expect to do well in the Big Ten,” Rogers said. “We look to stay healthier and avoid the injuries of last season and make a push at a possible Top 4 finish at the NCAA’s. We are hoping to avoid the injuries we suffered last year. If we keep everybody healthy, especially on the men’s side I think we have a chance to win the Big Ten.”
The jump squad looks to be one of the strength of the team this season as the Buckeyes return All-American and defending Big Ten high jump champion in senior Tami Smith on the women’s side, while a group of All-Big Ten candidates lead the men’s side in senior Billy Mills, juniors Jeff Cerveny, Brad Hart, and Nosa Ehimwenman and returning all-Big Ten performer Drew Carter.
Smith will look to repeat as a national qualifier and Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor champion in the high jump. Smith bested the Ohio State record book with 6-0 leaps in the high jump in each of the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Jack Warner, coach of Ohio State’s jump squad, will look to Smith to captain a young OSU women’s group. “We have all of our jumpers returning,” Warner said. “Included in that group is Tami Smith, who is the defending champion for both indoor and outdoor track. I expect her to repeat both of those feats and set a new school record in the high jump. We look for pole-vaulter Becky Hientz to step up and place in the Big Ten competition and possibly place at Nationals.”
Warner will also look to fellow jumpers senior Natalie Gentry, junior Brandi Hogan and sophomores Rosalind Goodwin, Zakiya Harris and Shayla Moore, along with junior pole-vaulter Rebecca Heintz to compliment Smith in the jump events.
On the men’s side, Carter will look to build on last season’s Second Team All-Big Ten honor in the long jump. Ehimwenman returns for his junior season following a solid sophomore campaign for OSU where he topped the Buckeye charts in both the indoor long jump and both the indoor and outdoor triple jump.
Warner foresees a banner year from the men’s side of his squad in 2003.
“On the men’s side we have all three of my high jump guys back in Billy Mills, Brad Hart and Jeff Cerveny, all of which are very capable of placing at the Big Ten Championships,” Warner said. “Last year Drew Carter had a great season for us placing second at the Big Ten Championships and I look for him to not only win the Big Ten Championships but also to qualify for nationals. Nosa Ehimwenman returns in the triple jump and I expect him to step up and qualify for nationals as well.”
The throwing events will also serve as another strong point for this year’s team. Ohio State throw coach John Smith enters his third season with the Buckeyes with aspirations for the best team of his tenure. This season Ohio State returns All-Americans Dan Taylor, Krista Keir and Alexis McCall.
“We are pretty loaded in the way of throwers, especially on the women’s side,” John Smith said. “Last year, we had five All-Americans and five Big Ten champions. I think we could possibly have one of the top throwing programs in the country if things go our way.”
Taylor will look to lead an aspiring men’s side that features six upperclassmen that will look to pull off the best season in recent history. The veteran assemblage includes seniors Rusty Azbel, and Jon Norman, juniors Jason Caldwell, George Hoover and Jeff Matcha in the weights, while juniors George Hoover and John Ferguson will compete in the javelin. Freshman Mike D’Andrea joins the team after claiming the Ohio state high school shut put title.
“Dan Taylor is by far the top returning thrower,” Smith said. “Last year he was an All-American in the outdoor shot and broke the school record in the weight and the discus. We also have Rusty Azbel who should be able to help us in the indoor weight and the outdoor hammer and discus. Jon Norman is slated as a major contributor as well.”
On the women’s side, J. Smith will turn to Krista Keir and Alexis McCall to lead a deep and talented throwing squad.
“Krista Keir placed third at the NCAA Championships and was also the Big Ten champion in the discus,” Smith said. “I am hoping she can continue her strong performances and make a run at a national title. Ultimately, Alexis McCall is our mainstay. She is a returning All-American who I expect will win the shot put in the Big Ten and place in the Top 5 at Nationals.”
Also returning for the women’s squad is Erin Carter, who placed in four Big Ten meets in the shot. Smith is confident that she and walk-on Katie Houser will be able to score for Ohio State in the hammer throughout the outdoor season.
When the outdoor campaign begins, Ferguson and Hoover should hold interesting personal competitions in the javelin events. Hoover, the 2001 Big Ten champion and NCAA qaulifier, returns after a redshirt in 2002, while Ferguson looks to close out a solid OSU career by challenging Hoover for top team honors in the event.
The sprinters are led by senior Joel Brown and sophomore Greg Norman. Rogers expects both to serve as major contributors in this year’s relay events, as well as the individuals trials.
“Joel Brown, Greg Norman and John Morris should do well in the individual sprints,” Rogers said. “I think our strength lies in the relay events where we have Brown, Morris, and Mike Jenkins on our 4×400. We also have Maurice Hall on our 4×100 team with either Brown, Morris, Jenkins or Norman, which should be a really good team as well.”
In the distance events Ohio State features some of the best runners in the conference. On the women’s side, first year women’s distance coach Chad Myers has set a winning attitude in place since assuming the role of head coach of the women’s cross country team.
On the men’s side, the distance squad returns to action after compiling one of the most successful men’s cross country seasons under head coach Robert Gary.
Gary will look to seniors Rob Myers and Derrick Butler to lead the distance squad this season. During the 2002 cross country season both seniors played major roles in this year’s NCAA qualifying team.
Following the 2002 cross country season Butler was awarded the 2002 Ohio Cross Country Runner of the Year.
As Ohio State approaches the Outdoor season, the Buckeyes appear to have one of the most talented teams in recent years, along with strong senior leadership, the Ohio State appears poised for a championship run.
“We always expect to do well in the Big Ten,” Rogers said. “The talent is certainly here for a championship run. I think if we stay healthy then we should have a really good shot at taking the conference title.
