2013 - Eastern New Mexico Track Preview

Eastern New Mexico Track and Field Preview

2013 Season – by Don Garrett

It was a terribly difficult off-season for ENMU and that turmoil will no doubt carry over into the 2013 track season. Former coach, Mike Harney, resigned the third week of August. The college school year was slated to begin in one week. The ENMU men’s cross country team was able to hold together well enough to successfully defend their LSC title. In the 2^nd week of November, a new coach was hired, Mike Barbee, who is a good cross country coach, having been the XC/distance coach at D-I South Alabama, a school I am familiar with from working the Sun Belt Conf track meets the past 5 years. South Alabama’s only successful athletes were its distance runners (along with a couple of heptathletes). Coach Barbee will have his work cut out for him.

WOMEN

Athletes lost from last season – thrower Kassie Daugherty (4^th discus, 7^th hammer throw) and LaDawn Spiller, who was 12^th in the long jump, but who did run on the 4x100 that scored 1 point for 8^th place. The ENMU women only scored 25 points last year and they lost 7.25 of that – about 29.5%.

Key Returnees – ENMU did have some young kids come through last year

·         Sabrina Huelga – So from Lancaster, CA, Paraclete HS – 6^th 800

·         Alesha Jones – Jr from Wilcox, AZ – 5^th steeplechase and 11^th 800

·         Emily Lubbers – Sr from Yuma, AZ – 6^th pole vault

·         Breanna Pendleton – Jr from Bakersfield, CA, Centennial – 6^th hammer throw

Other returnees – ENMU will need to see several of these current athletes take the next step – Beth Blind (10^th 10K); Brittany Buchanan (12^th 5K and 7^th in the LSC XC meet last fall); Ashley Dahle (12^th shot put); Shamprea Henderson (12^th 400); Bree Anna Lucero (9^th high jump in 2011 and 2012); Adrienne Montoya (15^th 1500, but she was 9^th in that event in 2011 and she was 13^th in the LSC XC in 2011 – a kid that should be scoring points at conference); Leigh Anne Omarkhail (11^th steeplechase); and Mika Willis (12^th 400H)

Newcomers – have a few kids who could help

·         Kris-Ann Walters – Jamaican Tr from Adams State – while at Adams she was 4^th TJ and 6^th LJ in the Rocky Mountain Conf indoor meet and 3^rd TJ  and 4^th LJ outdoors – a quality addition

·         Adrienne Trujillo – Fr from Clayton, NM – in the NM 2A meet she was 2^nd SP, 3^rd DT

·         Clarissa Salazar – Fr from Tucson, AZ, Magnet – 11^th AZ Division I shot put

·         Amber Saiz – Fr from Belen, NM – she won the NM 4A 800 and was 6^th in the 1600

·         Jherica Rhodes – Fr from Hobbs, NM – 10^th NM 5A 800

·         Stephanie McCorkle – RS Fr from Albuquerque Volcano Vista – in the NM 5A meet in 2011, she was 7^th long jump, 7^th 200, 9^th 100

·         Farrah Hood – Fr from Gallup, NM – 11^th NM 4A 3200 in 2009

·         Laura Grube – Fr from Eugene, OR, Crow – in the OR 2A state meet she won the discus and javelin

·         Candace Eckels – Fr from Westminster, CO – in the CO 5a meet, she was 10^th HJ and 14^th TJ

This team could possibly score as many as last year, with the addition of a few kids who will produce points immediately. The new coach will need to do some heavy recruiting for the 2014 season to make this team more conference competitive.

MEN – this team will have to largely start over this coming season. ENMU knew it was losing 3 outstanding performers from last year to graduation. They lost several more between the XC and track seasons. After this season, they lose their top scorer and only All-American (Isaiah Samoei). Coach Barbee will have a challenge to re-load an ENMU team that could drop 2-3 places in the standings this year.

Athletes lost from last season – already knew these three had finshed their eligibility: Daniel Draper (3^rd JT, 7^th SP); Tallam Kipruto (2^nd steeple and 5K, 7^th in the 1500); and Mohammed Noor (4^th in the 5K and 6^th 10K in 2012, but 1^st in both events in 2011). That is 34 points right there. Now, the athletes who appeared on the roster in the fall, but no longer are on the roster this spring include: Jose Arias (8^th-800); D’Omar Boyden (4^th 110H); Jacob Lozano (3^rd 10K, 8^th 5K); Pedro Martinez (5^th steeplechase); Dante Mosley (7^th TJ); Marcus Oakley (7^th HT, 8^th DT); Tyler Saiz (4^th 1500); and William Welch (4^th decathlon and 8^th Javelin). These losses represent another 33 points – a total of 67 points lost from the 2012 season or 66.3% - almost exactly 2/3rds of their total points.

Key Returnees – a very small list now:

·         Eric Paz – Sr from El Paso Parkland – 6^th 800

·         Isaiah Samoei – Sr from Kenya – 1^st 5K and 10K, plus 8^th in the D-II 10K

Other returnees who could help – many of these kids are capable of scoring at conference and they will have to step up and do just that: Thomas Colvin (11^th 400H); Matt Dominguez (22^nd 800); Jake Espinoza (only 28^th in the 200, but 14^th in the 400 in 2011); Zach Fort (16^th 1500 in 2011, RS in 2012); Patrick Lueras (24^th 5K last spring, but 13^th in the LSC XC meet this past fall); Trevor Merhege (21^st 5K, but he was 11^th in the XC meet this past fall); John Takeuchi (13^th 400H in 2011, RS in 2012); Zerrick Vriseno (14^th 5K, 15^th 10K); Robert Wride (24^th 400 and 26^th 200).

Newcomers – a few that should show immediate dividends, but  not enough to make up the loss of 67 points from last year’s team:

·         Jonathan Bindues – Fr from Farmington Piedra Vista HS – 7^th NM 4A 800

·         Kaspars Briska – So Transfer from Latvia and Cloud County – 3^rd JC steeplechase back in 2010 – was 4^th in the LSC XC – a high-quality addition

·         Zach Castro – Fr                from Denver Westminster – 12^th CO 5A High jump

·         Daniel Forbush – Fr from Alamogordo, NM – 3^rd NM 5A pole vault

·         Richie Garban – Jr transfer from Hartnell Col in California – 4^th in the JC Coast Conf 800 in 2011

·         Ryan Herrera – Fr from Moriarty, NM – in the NM Dist 5-4A 3^rd in the TJ and 200

·         Marquez Hobson – Jr transfer from North Iowa Area CC – 23^rd in the LSC XC this past fall

·         Jaleel Jackson – Fr from Lancaster, CA, Eastside – 9^th Golden League TJ-2012

·         Chazz Mathes – Fr from Moriarty, NM – at the NM 4A state meet , he was 3^rd LJ, 7^th TJ

·         Kamron McKnight – Fr from Albuquerque La Cueva – 4^th NM 5A long jump

·         Joseph Metcalf – Jr transfer from Butler County CC – 24^th in the LSC XC meet last fall

·         Ricky Milks – Fr from Las Cruces Mayfield – at the NM 5A state meet, 3^rd 200 and 4^th 100

·         Michael Moore – Fr from Lancaster, CA, Eastside – 5^th Golden League 200

·         Kevin Roa – Jr transfer from Hartnell College in California – California JC championships 7^th 10K, 12^th 5K

·         Justin Samaniego – Jr transfer from Riverside CC (CA) – steeplechaser

I see ENMU capable of scoring somewhere around 50 points this year, half of last year’s total, unless they get fantastic production from some of their best kids, like Samoei.