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Volume CXXXIII, Number 11 |
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On the right track for the New Englands
BENJAMIN PEISCH
STAFF WRITER
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| A Bowdoin pole vaulter gets in his workout during early season training. Led by Brian Grandjean ’04 and Jon Todd, ’05, the pole vaulters will prove to be a critical part of the team this season. (Hans Law, Bowdoin Orient) |
As the frigid winds relentlessly attack Bowdoin, the hottest place on campus is Farley Field House. Between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the evening, the men from the Bowdoin indoor track squad singe the track with blazing intervals and fill the air with the steam of sweat and testosterone as they lift weights and grind out explosive drills.
Encouraged by their fourth place finish as a team at the New England Championships last year, the Bears are eager to overcome the loss of key contributors from last season and aim to continue the high level of success that has become expected of the program.
"We lost a lot [of athletes] to graduation, and [we] may play the role of the underdog this year, but the team still looks strong," said senior captain Brian Laurits. "The first month of training has gone well. We've got a dominant senior class, and they'll be joined by promising returning [athletes] and a strong freshman class. It'll be interesting to see how the first meet turns out."
Bowdoin traditionally relies on outstanding individual performances for the bulk of its points. The Bears do not have the sheer size of New England rivals such as MIT and Tufts, so they must depend on high quality performances rather than several performances. Luckily, the Bears have several excellent athletes returning, but the men will have to be at their best in order to be competitive as a team.
"Hopefully everyone is able to peak and fulfill their personal goals collectively at the right time, enabling the team to have strong finishes at our championship meets," said senior captain Tung Trinh.
The men's roster is rife with talent. Captain James Wilkins '04 has been consistently outstanding for three years, and will threaten the school high jump record of 6'10.5" while attempting to improve upon his second-place finish at New Englands in 2002.
The sprints look exceptionally strong in the 400 meter to 600 meter range. Returning are Phil "the Concord Cannon" Webster '04 and Greydon "Hound" Foil '05, who placed first and second, respectively in the 600 meter run at New Englands last season. Combined with 400 meter specialist Laurits and the return of Greg Bangser '04 from an extended injury hiatus, the 4x400 team looks to be one of the best in the country. However, the men will rely on underclassmen to score points in the shorter sprints.
The middle distance program also appears to be strong largely due to the return of Andrew Combs '04. Combs placed fourth in the 1000 meters last season despite sparse training due to injury. He has built an incredible base of training during cross country and will look to place well in races ranging from 800 to 3000 meters.
Combs will be joined by seniors Jordan Harrison and Steve Franklin, both of whom helped guide the 4x800 team to fifth place finish last season. Versatile freshman Owen McKenna will also run well for the middle distance crew.
The distance group suffers greatly by losing Patrick Vardaro, a perennial contender for the individual crown in the 3000 and 5000-meter runs. They will need some athletes to step up in his absence.
The throws also suffered two huge losses from last season. James Salsich '03 graduated and Jarret Young '05 sustained a season-ending injury playing football. Regardless, throwing coach James St. Pierre has achieved remarkable results from his men in a short time, and several throwers, such as senior captain Chris Wagner and Pat Lyons '06, figure to be threats to score some big points for the team.
The pole vault has long been a strength of the team, and this year should be no different. Brian Grandjean '04 and Jon Todd '05 have both scored well at big meets in the past. When they are vaulting their best, they are difficult to beat, and they are looking strong in early season workouts.
The team has an enormous amount of talent and will look for that talent to overcome their relative lack of depth and propel the squad back into the top five at New Englands. Their training over the coming weeks will be critical for their success as they need to be firing on all cylinders come championship season.
"We've got potential, there's no doubt about that," Laurits said, "but potential is a dangerous word. There's a lot of work to do."
The men open their season at Bates on December 6, their only meet before winter break. They'll be looking to shake off some rust and see what they can do.
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