Building on Success
1/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Jan. 21, 2005
The Baylor track and field teams enjoyed great success and worldwide acclaim in 2004 with Jeremy Wariner winning gold in the 400 meters at the Olympics in Athens, Greece, then handing the baton to teammate Darold Williamson on the anchor leg of the United States' gold-medal winning 4x400-meter relay.
Legendary head coach Clyde Hart, now entering his 42nd year at Baylor, was named Nike Coach of the Year and alumnus Michael Johnson headlined the list of United States Track & Field Hall of Fame inductees. The Baylor men's team scored top-10 finishes at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships as Wariner claimed both 400 meter titles, becoming the first athlete ever to sweep the collegiate, U.S. and world championships in the event. The indoor 4x400-meter relay set the collegiate record with a time of 3:03.96, then capped off the year with the outdoor title as well. Kyle King wrapped up his collegiate career by earning indoor and outdoor All-America honors in the 5,000 meters, including an outstanding fifth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The women also received outstanding performances as April Holliness qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and earned All-America honors both indoors and outdoors in the long jump. Holliness had an amazing leap of 21-10 ½ to break her own school record and win the Midwest Regional title, then finished third at the outdoor championships. Lakadron Ivery was an indoor All-American in the 60 meters, but had her season cut short with a hamstring injury at the regional championships. Jordan Willmann closed out her career by finishing fifth in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships and finished a close second in the heptathlon at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
As rewarding as 2004 was, the Bears have a lot to look forward to in 2005. Williamson, who posted the second-fastest time in the country behind Wariner last year and was named Big 12 Outdoor Athlete of the Year, is hungry for his first individual 400-meter NCAA title and the three-time defending Big 12 outdoor champion will look to complete the sweep for his career. With Wariner turning pro, the third-leg of the 4x400-meter relay is open, but Braelon Davis, Wil Fitts, Jamen Saziru and Mark Teter all return after running on at least one of the national championship squads.
"Losing Jeremy changes our optimism," Hart said. "But losing him can cause other kids to believe in what they can do and that they are ready to contribute. We've won national championships with far less talent than we have now, so I'm looking forward to the others stepping in and running to their potential."
Holliness and Ivery both return for their senior seasons. Holliness has come close to the national title and is determined to break through in her final season. Ivery will attempt to overcome the disappointment of unfortunate incidents leading up to the national championships each of the last two years. At the 2004 regional championships, she was running neck-and-neck with the top sprinters in the country until pulling up with the hamstring injury and had complications from a root canal prior to the 2003 meet. Ivery will be healthy heading into the season and is confident after coming back to claim the gold medal in the 200 meters at the Under-21 NACAC Games in July.
Both squads have reloaded with fresh talent and have many young athletes who gained valuable experience last year and are waiting for their time to shine.
"I'm optimistic for both the men and the women," Hart said. "On the men's side, we have added some high hurdlers, so we're once again strong there. We have good people in every event on the track. With Chris Gillis and Dominique Zeigler returning, we have some people who will help out in the field events as well. The women are a little deeper in the field events, so this is the most complete women's team we've had in a while."
WOMEN
Sprints
Ivery, an all-conference performer in the 100 and 200 meters, leads a group of experienced sprinters. Senior Elizabeth Wilson was an NCAA qualifier and All-Big 12 honoree in the 200, while junior Marquisha Sefas had strong performances last year. Sophomore Rena Napoleon earned All-Big 12 honors in the 400 meters in her first season and junior Angel Perkins, a transfer from Arizona, was an All-Pac 10 selection in the 400.
Assistant coach Michael Ford has been pleased with the progress of freshman Carla Grace and is excited about her helping both relays. Along with Holliness, Sefas, Wilson and Ivery earned All-Big 12 honors in the 4x100 relay, and with Shanta Bibbs, Napoleon, Danielle Myricks and Ivery earned All-Big 12 accolades in the 4x400 relay.
With the addition of Perkins and Grace, both relay teams should have plenty of depth to compete for conference titles and have the ability to score at the NCAA meets.
"This group has the potential to be the best 4x400 relay we've had since the national champion squad in 1998," Hart said. "Angel Perkins adds a new dimension - the `stinger' we like to call it - to give us that push to challenge at the end."
Distances
Sophomore Brittany Brockman had an outstanding all-conference cross country season and will lead the distance corps. Sophomore Monique Ortega and senior Jessa Chance have enjoyed success in both the fall and spring and both are versatile runners who can compete in several events. Sophomore Brittany McGuire had a great fall and will most likely compete in the 1,500 and will be joined in the middle distances by freshmen Jessi Barnes and Lauren Hagans. Coach Todd Harbour will also look for freshmen Alissa McKaig and Lyndsy Bedell to contribute in their first seasons.
Hurdles
Senior Danielle Myricks was an All-Big 12 NCAA qualifier last year in the 400-meter hurdles and an All-Big 12 performer in the indoor 400 meters. Sophomore Lauren Tillman also turned in an all-conference finish in the 400 hurdles and will provide more depth on the 4x400 relay. Junior Janelle Mulkey is the lone experienced returnee in the sprint hurdles.
Field Events
The Bears will need many young athletes to step up to fill the void left by two-time All-American Jordan Willmann. Holliness and Ivery give Baylor a strong presence in the long jump. Senior Mercy Wagner worked hard in the pole vault in the fall, and will be joined by freshman Brinn Newman, who had an outstanding prep career. Freshman Brittany Devereaux is the Bears' throwing corps and was one of the state's top throwers in the discus and shot put. Assistant head coach Danny Brabham expects her to have an immediate impact at the indoor meets in the weight throw.
MEN
Sprints
Williamson, who finished fourth indoors and sixth outdoors, returns and will attempt to follow in Wariner's footsteps of capturing both NCAA 400-meter titles. Sophomore Mark Teter was an All-Big 12 performer in the 400 meters and ran the second leg on the record-setting indoor NCAA champion 4x400-meter relay. Sophomore Braelon Davis and junior Jamen Saziru will pace the Bears in the 100 and 200 meters and each were integral parts on the Bears' 4x400 relay champion squads.
Distances Junior Wil Fitts set the school record indoors in the 800 meters and was an NCAA qualifier outdoors. Fitts, the Big 12 600-yard champion as a freshman, also ran the the leadoff leg on the outdoor champion 4x400 relay. Sophomore Kevin Mutai earned All-Big 12 honors in the 600 yards and helped the Bears automatically qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the 4x400 relay. Assistant coach Todd Harbour says the addition of sophomore transfer John Robertson gives the Bears one of its best groups of half-milers in a while, which could challenge the school record in the 4x800. Senior Matt Chance returns after redshirting last year due to a relapse of mononucleosis. Chance has his eyes set on the school record in the 10,000 meters and will also take the torch from King to lead the distance corps. Juniors Bo Price and Rob Morrow have both been successful during the cross country season and have been solid performers in the spring in the past. Senior Jason Baker and junior Cody Wells will also look to contribute more during the spring.
Hurdles
The Bears have brought in a new group of hurdlers after a thin season in the events last year. Senior Brian McDonald, a Big 12 finalist in the intermediate hurdles in 2003, returns after redshirting last year. Junior college national champion Jerome Miller provides the Bears with a solid 1-2 punch which the coaches believe has the potential to be as good as Bayano Kamani and Michael Smith, who finished 1-2 for Baylor at the 2001 NCAA Championships. Freshmen Jeremy Jackson and sophomore Mike Berg will all be seeing their first action for Baylor this season.
Field Events
Senior Chris Gillis had a breakout year in 2004, claiming All-Big 12 and all-region honors and posting an NCAA qualifying mark in the long jump. Sophomore two-sport star Dominique Zeigler also had all-conference performances in the long jump and was an acclaimed high jumper in high school. Junior Brad Settles has been working harder on advanced techniques in the pole vault. Mutai spent most of his time on the track last season adjusting to collegiate competition, but was an outstanding prep high jumper. Sophomores Blake Havran, Austin Heape and Chris Cardwell each return a year stronger in the throwing events, while former football player Michael Tolbert will contribute as well.
Players Mentioned
