2012 - Texas A&M-Kingsville Track Preview

Texas A&M – Kingsville Track and Field Preview

2013 Season – by Don Garrett

The Kingsville men came very close to dethroning ACU last year, losing the LSC title by 5.5 points. The Lady Javelinas continued their move up the LSC standings, finishing 5^th led by a group of young sprinters. It appears to me that the Kingsville men may very well have the firepower to unseat ACU this year. They lost some key athletes from last year, but they have some super athletes in the wings who redshirted last year and will be ready to climb the conference and even national podium.

WOMEN

Athletes lost from last season – a short list: Amy Rabalais (tie for 4^th in the Pole vault, 9^th in the javelin) and Ashley Zamora (7^th in the javelin). These 2 women represented 6.5 points last year, 9.8% of the team total.

Key Returnees – as this team has matured under Coach Ryan Dall, there are quite a few key returnees this year:

·         Aricela Alvarez –So from Bishop – 3^rd TJ, 11^th LJ

·         Samantha Alvarez – So from Victoria Memorial – 3^rd javelin, 4^th (tie) PV, 7^th HJ

·         Santia Deck – Jr from Alpharetta, GA, Milton HS – 5^th 200, 11^th 100

·         Amanda Haven – Jr from Corpus Christi Calallen – 3^rd high jump

·         Taylor McCumber – So from George West – 7^th pole vault

·         Amber Perry – So from Goliad – former 3A state 400 champ, she won the LSC 400 as a college freshman

·         Brittany Stafford – Sr from Victoria Memorial – 6^th 400 (she was 4^th in both the 200 and 400 in 2011)

·         Kathy Trevino – So from Rio Grande City – 5^th 400, 8^th 200

Other Returnees who might be able to help – Kingsville really needs some of these kids to emerge this season: Marissa Acosta (14^th steeple, but 9^th in the 10K in 2011); Brianna Bartosch (14^th 100H); Bethani Eberhart (21^st 400); Stephanie Garcia (20^th 200); Danica Huerta (16^th 800); Logan Nelson (13^th 400H, 18^th 100H); Amber Ramirez (20^th 100, 21^st 200); Anna Richburg (18^th 800); Tezna Roy (13^th 800); Rowena Trevino (16^th 10K in 2011); and Brianna Villareal (20^th 1500).

Newcomers – not a lot of them, but 2-3 who could provide immediate impact

·         Valerie Vrana – Fr from Geronimo Navarro – 2^nd in the 3A shot at the state meet

·         Marissa Reyes – RS-Fr from Corpus Christi West Oso – Dist 31-3A champ in the 1600, 3200 in 2011 (RS-2012)

·         Ana Reyes – Fr from Rio Hondo – won the Dist 32-3A 100

·         Janae Lewis – Fr from San Antonio Stevens – 5^th Dist 27-5A 800

·         Tarah Lacossade – Fr from N. Rockland, NY – 2^nd in the Rockland County championship triple jump

·         Rebekah Jimenez – RS-Fr from McAllen Memorial – 4^th Dist 30-5A 1600, 3200-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Britny Biles – Jr Tr from Gregory Portland HS and Sam Houston State – 11^th in the Southland Conf 110H

·         Victoria Bankes – Fr from Schertz Clemens – 73^rd in the LSC XC meet last fall

·         Mayra Alvarado – Fr from Brownsville Pace – 6^th Dist 32-5A 400

It appears that the Kingsville women can match last year’s point total, since they are losing so few points from last year. They will have to improve quite a bit to move into that 4^th spot ahead of Tarleton.   

      

MEN – the Javelinas took a couple of unexpected hits in their losses from last year, but they have had a strong recruiting year, supplemented by the arrival of 2 heralded redshirts from last season

Losses from last season – Kiya Dandena – 2^nd 10K, 5^th 5K; Micah Franks – 8^th long jump and triple jump; Tim Price – 2^nd 100, 3^rd 200, 1^st 4x100 (transferred to TAMU-Corpus Christi); Paco Trevino – 3^rd shot put; Matt Busker - 5^th Decathlon; Andre Fuqua – 9^th in the steeplechase, but 7^th in the same race in 2011); and Andrew Wells – 2^nd in both the Hammer and the discus, then he finished 5^th in the national meet discus – a big loss for Kingsville. A little internet sleuthing finds Andrew throwing this year for NCAA D-I Pittsburgh. These losses represent 58.5 points from last year, a hefty percentage of 34.2% of their 2012 total.

Returnees – a strong group tempered slightly by a football injury to a key athlete

·         Robert Armstong – Jr from Cuero – 2^nd (tie) high jump, 6^th long jump and triple jump

·         Nick Brown – Jr from Victoria Memorial  - 5^th PV, 10^th javelin

·         Catrell Butler – Sr from Pembroke Pines, FL – 3^rd 110H

·         Stoney Davis – Jr from Bay City – 6^th hammer throw  (8^th shot put in 2011)

·         Jesus Garza – Sr from Round Rock Stony Point – 8^th hammer, 9^th shot put (7^th SP in 2011)

·         Avery Griffin – Sr from Sweeny – 4^th discus, 9^th hammer, then 2^nd in the D-II discus

·         C.J. Griggs – Jr from Van Vleck – 2^nd triple jump, 3^rd long jump, 10^th 100, then won the D-II triple jump

·         Trent Hesseltine – Sr from Sinton – 1^st in the HJ in 2010, tied for 2^nd in 2011, RS in 2012

·         Geronimo Lopez – Sr from Rio Grande City – 4^th SP

·         Josh Prado – Sr from Orange Grove – 5^th 800

·         Dylan Riedesel – Jr from Victoria Memorial  - tied for 8^th pole vault

·         Sergio Rios – Sr from Brownsville Pace – 1^st 400H, then 3^rd D-II 400H

·         Brandon Russell – Jr from Midlothian – 6^th 110H

·         Anthony Washington – Sr from Houston Cypress Springs – 4^th 400, 8^th 200

·         Jonathan Woodson – Sr from Fort Bend Thurgood Marshall – 1^st 200, 4^th 100, then 5^th in the D-II 200 outdoors, he also WON the D-II 200 indoors – an amazing talent when healthy, he sustained a serious leg injury this past football season

Other returnees who could help – Brett Arredondo (11^th 1500 in 2011 and 5^th in the LSC indoor mile last year, but did not compete at the LSC outdoor meet); Russell Calais (9^th 400H); Marquis Cardinal (13^th 100, 18^th 200); Tyler Garibay (13^th 400); Brendan Grady (8^th in the LSC Indoor meet, but did not compete outdoors); Randy Lighteard (19^th 400); and Ryan Richardson (12^th 800).

Newcomers – the Javelinas have a great group of newcomers when you include 2 prominent redshirts

·         Patrick Alexshonis – Fr from A&M Consolidated – 5^th Dist 12-5A 800

·         Tyler Chovanec – RS Fr from Vanderbilt Industrial – Dist 29-2A 1^st TJ, 3^rd triple jump, 4^th long LJ in 2011 (RS-2012)

·         Dylan Dimock – Fr from Toronto’s Father Redmond HS – 3^rd Ontario HS 400H (1^st in that race in 2011)

·         Dasheen Ellis-Dall – So transfer from N. Rockland HS in NY and SUNY-Cortland – SUNYAC 2^nd TJ, 7^th LJ-2010

·         Jose Galvan – RS Fr from Los Fresnos – 2^nd Dist 32-5A 200-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Christina Garcia – Fr from Eagle Pass – 3^rd in the 5A shot put at the state meet

·         James Gilbert – Fr from Galena Park Northshore – 8^th in the 4A 110H at the state meet

·         Zach Griffith – Fr from Edcouch Elsa – 4^th 4A HJ at the state meet last spring

·         Richard Hernandez – Fr from Ingleside – Dist 30-3A 2^nd 3200, 3^rd 1600; then 68^th in the LSC XC meet last fall

·         Emmanuel Ibanez – Fr from Kingsville King – 3^rd Dist 31-4A 1600

·         Michael Idziak – Fr from Poland and Fork Union Military Inst in VA – VA Independent School Championships-1^st 800, 2^nd 1600

·         Tyler James – RS Fr from Buda Hays Consolidated – 2^nd Dist 27-4A and 4^th Reg IV-4A DT-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Jacob Luna – RS Fr from Vanderbilt Consolidated – at the Region IV-2A meet 3^rd 1600, 5^th 800-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Dallas Payne – Fr from Sonora – 2^nd 2A 300H at the state meet

·         Ty Ramos – Fr from Moulton – 6^th in the 1A 1600 and 3200 at the 2011 state track meet

·         Jeron Robinson  - RS So from Austin Travis – won the Texas Relays HS high jump in 2010 – jumped 7-2 in HS – finally academically eligible for the first time – I saw him jump 7-0 at an indoor meet in Lubbock a week in January – this guy is legit and cleared 7 foot by SEVERAL INCHES – I could see him in the 7-3/7-4 range this year!

·         Joseph Soza – RS Fr from Corpus Christi King – 3^rd Dist 28-5A 100, then 5^th in the Reg IV-5A 100-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Thomas Waclawczyk – RS Fr from Poth – 7^th Region IV-2A HJ-2011 (RS-2012)

·         Corbin Whalum – Jr Tr from Mt. San Antonio College in California – in the California community college state meet, he finished 3^rd 200, 6^th 100 (remember that the California JC’s do not compete in the NJCAA)

·         Hayden Woods – Fr from Corpus Christi Calallen – 4^th in the 5A pole vault at the state track meet

·         Jordan Yamoah – RS  Fr from Arlington, NY – the 2-time Penn Relays HS vault champ, ranked #5 in the nation among high school vaulters in 2011 – RS in 2012 – I saw him vault in Lubbock and he is a great talent – he vaulted 17-2 at that meet and barely missed at 17-7 – already leads D-II indoors after his first competition

Kingsville brings back a lot of young guns this year. Their recruiting class filled many holes in their roster. They are strong up and down the roster, except for a distance runner to take Kiya Dandena’s spot. Still, I have to think they will be the favorites indoors and outdoors going to the conference meet.