FIGHTING TIGER TRACK & FIELD LOOKS AHEAD TO OUTDOOR SEASON

On the heels of their most success indoor season in program history; the SUNY Cobleskill track & field program heads into the 2008 outdoor season with designs on, improving on the 2007 outdoor season which saw the Fighting Tiger women place second at the NJCAA Division III National Championships and the Cobleskill men finish in tenth place. Based on the indoor season during which the women won the NJCAA Region III Championship for the first time in program history with the men taking the regional runners-up spot this could be an interesting spring for the Orange & Black.

The Cobleskill men will depend heavily on their four NJCAA Indoor National Championship qualifiers: freshman middle distance runner Emille Barnett, Huntington, NY, John Glenn High School, the NJCAA Region III Indoor Champion and a national qualifier at 600 Meters, senior sprinter Carlton Wildman, Huntington, NY, John Glenn High School, the regional indoor champion and national qualifier at 400 Meters, freshman mid-distance/distance runner Richard Garnett, Yonkers, NY, Roosevelt High School, the program record holder and national indoor qualifier at 1000 Meters and senior-mid distance runner Eric Graber, Troy, NY, Lansingburgh High School, a national indoor qualifier at 1000 Meter and the reigning NJCAA Region III Division III Outdoor 800 Meter Champion.

The Orange & Black will count on senior sprinter David Suarez, Hauppauge, NY, Hauppauge High School, regional indoor champion in the 55 Meter Dash, freshman multi-event athlete/decathlete Aldin Gomez, Westbury, NY, Westbury High School, the regional indoor champion in the Triple Jump and the Heptathlon and senior thrower Joe Valentin, Swan Lake, NY, Liberty High School, the region’s indoor champion in the Weight Throw for additional scoring throughout the campaign.

Cobleskill is also counting on freshman hurdler/sprinter Jon Figueroa, North Branch, NY, Sullivan West High School, along with freshman sprinter Brad Boice, Cambridge, NY, Cambridge High School, freshman multi-event athlete Tomas Valesquez, Catskill, NY, Catskill High School, freshman Leon Thompson, Manhattan, NY, Fredrick Douglas Academy, and freshman middle distance runner Joe Singer, Onteora, NY, Onteora High School, to continue to improve on their indoor success.

The distance corps will rely on freshman Eric Wipple, Pine Bush, NY, Pine Bush High School, freshman Dan Bulson, St. Petersburg, NY, Berlin High School, freshman Nick O’Neil, Ballston Spa, NY, Ballston Spa High School, freshman Alex Macbeth, Schenectady, NY, Schenectady High School, and senior Jon O’Connor, Deposit, NY, Deposit High School, to carry the load during the season.

The Cobleskill women will be led by a trio senior of NJCAA All-Americans as senior multi-event performer and five-time NJCAA Outdoor All-American Jen Villanova, Clifton Park, NY, Shenendehowa High School, returns after taking indoor regional titles in the Long Jump, Triple Jump and Pole Vault, along with fellow outdoor All-American sprinter/jumper Regina Morgan, Brooklyn, NY, Prospect Heights High School, who captured a regional title indoors in the 400 Meters during the winter. Senior distance standout and five-time NJCAA All-American in cross country and outdoor track & field April Ackermann, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, also returns for the Fighting Tigers this season after placing second this fall at the 2007 NJCAA Division III Cross Country National Championship.

Providing flexibility to the roster will be senior multi-event athlete Kayla Evers, Oneonta, NY, Lighthouse Academy, who returns after an indoor season that saw her post scoring efforts in three individual events at the Region III Indoor Championships and from freshmen All-Region III Indoor Team honorees sprinter/jumper Tamarra Jenkins, Queens, NY, Jamaica High School, who also scored in three separate individual events at the championships and freshman sprinter/mid-distance runner Brittany Armstrong, Schenectady, NY, Mohonasen High School.

The Fighting Tigers look to be strong in the middle distance and distance events as freshman Alex Devine, Cherry Plains, NY, Berlin High School, and senior Meghan Newton, Torrington, CT, Wamogo High School, have already qualified for the NJCAA National Championships in the 5000 Meters off their indoor season performances and freshman Meghan LaPoint, Schenectady, NY, Colonie High School, who established a new program indoor record at 3000 Meters. Also expected to contribute will be freshman Amy Cunningham, Durham, NY, Cairo-Durham High School, freshman Beth Tranes, Goshen, NY, Goshen High School, and freshman Angie Villanova, Clifton Park, NY, Shenendehowa High School, who each showed promise indoors this year running multiple middle distance events.

“Given the success that we had this past indoor season, we’re excited to finally get outside and see what we can accomplish,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Brad Fichthorn. “Both teams should have improved depth over last year and if we can stay relatively healthy; I think that we have the potential to establish a number of new program records and be legitimate contenders come the post season.”

The Fighting Tigers will open the 2008 season on Wednesday March 26th when they host a non-scoring qualifying meet at their SUNY Cobleskill Track & Field Complex beginning at 3:00 PM.