A strong group of 16 seniors has coach Paul Nicholson looking fortyard to the seasorr

Starting with the very first event, the 3200-meter relay, Eastern's seniors stand to make an impact. The defending sectional champions in the relay, the team consists of seniors Brad Dean, Brent Hickman, Tony Martin and Johnathan Fansler. "That senior foursome has been successful since thier sophomore year [when it finished second in the sectional]," Nicholson said. "They missed the school record by 2 seconds and they're hoping to get that record.

"I think they'll be strong again. One of them has always had an injury at the end of the season to keep them from showing well at the regional. They're all strong this season."

Hickman will be a cornerstone for the team competing in four events. Hickman could find himself running any distance from 200 to 8O0 meters as he's one of the possible competitors in the 200 and 400 dashes along with Dean, Fansler - who are set for the 400 dash as well - and senior Weston Reed, he'll also run a leg of the 1,600 relay.

Martin is set to run three events. After setting the school record at the sectional last season, he returns in the 1,600 run and will also run the 3200 with his eyes set on breaking Chad Peters' school record.

A trio of sophomores off the basketball team - Drew Patton, Ryan Martin and Travis Cogdell will back him up in the 1600 and 3200 runs and they'll handle the 800 for the Comets.

In addition to the 3200 relay, there are several areas where Nicholsoh's squad is set as everyone returns from last season including the 100 dash. Seniors 'Tyler Kuhlman and Justin Rash are back as is sophomore Austin Roark. Rash, Roark and junior Brady Richie are set to take on the duties in the 200.

The 400 relay will be Rash, Roark and Reed with either Kuhlman or Ridde as the anchor.

In the hurdles, the Comets return juniors Brandon Hartley, Jason O'Haver and Jaron Walling.

In the field events, Richie and Parton return in the high jump while Roark is the top returnee in the long jump and Richie may jump.

Roark, the long jump looks good for him. He went 19 feet as a freshman. He still has a lot to give," Nicholson said.

Senior, Zach McDowell is the leading thrower returning. He'll he joined by classmate Tedd Shane in the discus and freshman Kyle Land in the shot.

In the vault, Ora Etchion returns for Eastern with senior Luke Sommers showing promise and freshman Cody McMahon is also a strong contender.

Kokomo

The Kats ,return all three of their North Central Conference champions and that gives coach Tom Byrnes a good building block.

"We feel like we have pretty good experience and there are several new kids who could help us. With the new and the young kids, I think we can be pretty good," he said. "It just depends on the new kids coming around, being careful with injuries and how hard we work over the next two months.

"Our numbers are good. It's just trying find the right place to put kids, finding that magic combination."

Rogers and fellow senior Brad Imbierowicz were NCC champs in the high jump and pole vault respectively while junior Justin Pugh won the title in the 300 hurdles.

Rogers and Pugh, a regional qualifier, give the Kats a strong presence in the high jump while the vault will be a strong area for Kokomo. Imbierowicz has won the NCC the last two years and is coming off finishing, fifth in the large class indoor meet at Bloomington. Junior Zeb Bartolome was a regional qualifier in the event and classmate Alex Holofchak is another strong contender.

Pugh will be joined in the hurdles by junior Collyn Ramsey, Imbierowicz, Holofchak and sophomores Jesse Rayl and DeAngelo McClatchey.

Rayl, the surprise winner in the sectional after jumping nearly 21 feet, and junior George Foreman give Byrnes a strong duo in the long jump.

One area that the coach likes is the distance events with sophomores Ryan Perry, Tony Robinette and freshmen Brandon Sheline, Devin White and Mason McGovern.

"That's one of the areas I think that, top to bottom, we'll be a lot better," he said. "We have good strong freshmen and sophomore classes."

Ramsey, Bartolome and senior Terrell Smith return from the 400 relay and will be counted on heavily in the sprints. Imbierowicz could also run in a relay and other sprinters include Rayl, McClatchey, senior Phillip Walker, juniors Alex Anglin and Eddiel Polk.

Kevin Moses and Joe Matel are showing potential in the shot put.

Northwestern

The Tigers' roster of 35 features 24 sophomores and freshmen, something that will benefit them in the future.

For now, however, the pickings are a little slim as just two athletes return who made a major contribution last season - senior Jon Gonzales and sophomore Matt Ullmer.

"You look at the freshmen and sophomores and there are good athletes in there. You can teach someone to hurdle or high jump. You can teach technique but it's hard to make athletes out of people," NW coach Pete Schroer said. "In track, you have to have a certain level of athleticism when you come in.

"I'm excited to see how much progress they make between now and the end of the season. We have guys who have some athleticism but it's going to take a while to round it into a track team."

Gonzales was the team's top sprinter and long jumper as well as the No. 2 high jumper behind state qualifier Jay Young. Ullmer is the top returnee in the distance events and is the top runner back from last year's sectional in the 800. Ullmer will run the 800 and 1600 as well as legs of the 3200 and 1600 relays.

Back joining Gonzales in the sprints will be senior Matt Gasaway, junior Dan Rozsahegyl and sophomore Josh Galloway. Seniors Andy Dicken and Aaron Mervis are out for track for the first time and will be in the sprints as well. The hurdles have junior Sean Padgett in both and possibly Rozsahegyi running the intermediates Ryan Mummert is a junior out for the first time.

Joining Ullmer in the distance races will be senior Kirk Kennedy, juniors Adam Hoeksema and Jordan Reid and sophomore Chase Hinkle, who is the top returnee in the 3200 run.

The field events find Gasaway, who will also high jump, and Senior Drew Alexander returning in the throws and pole vault.

Sophomore Patrick Hagmaier also compete in the throws. Schroer says there are some wild cards in the new athletes.

"We have some freshmen who will help us," he said, "Aaron Mervis is a good athlete, who I think can come out and make a big contribution. Patrick could be our best thrower. He has the potentiai and has a solid understanding of the events."

Taylor

The Titans' numbers are some of their best in years with 36 boys out and 10 of them returning letterwinners.

Senior Christopher Sinnett is the top athlete back for the Red and Black after winning the sectional in the 3200 and qualifying for the regional in the 1600.

"Christopher is always going to get his points. He's definitely our leader and does a great job," Titans coach Steve Hanlon said.

The only other seniors are Nick Garrett, a pole vaulter who is coming off knee surgery, and Justin Dunlap, who is out for the first time and throwing discus.

After that, however, the losses get stronger.

Junior Jason Thompson is the top returning sprinter and he'll be joined by sophomores Ishan Gohil and Alex Waltman and freshmen Zsan Black, Rovis Stamp and Tucker Gregory.

The throws look strong for the Titans with juniors Steve Richter and Brandon Stallion throwing the discus and classmate Josh Smith leading the way in the shot. Sophomore Zach Washington will work in both events and sophomore Cody Shuler is concentrating on the discus.

Another area looking good is the pole vault with sophomores Matt Wilburn and Ryan Rodriquez. Wlburn has already cleared 10-6 in just the short time the team has been outdoors.

"We're going to be decent in the throws. I'm looking for Zach to have a good year in the discus and Josh won the shot against Western," Hahlon said. "Jason, in the 100 and 200, is running some decent times.

"Our vaulters are very young, except for Nick. They haven't had very much work yet but it should be a strong event.

Sophomores Andrew Aaron and Brady Jester return to the hurdle events while Waltman, Black, and Gregory will fill the long jump sports. Black and Stamp are tabbed for the high jump.

Junior Jonathan Hart returns in the distances while classmate Cody Dourerie will be running the 800, up from the 400 he ran last season. Matt White, a first year runner, is a sophomore in the distances as well.

"And besides Christopher in the distance we're starting to get others to help. Cody has never run the 800 until this year. He's a big strong kid who ran the 400," Hanlon said. "Matt is showing a lot of promise and is only going to get stonger.

"In the long jump, we're showing a lot d improvement nnd I think We'll have two or three guys over 19 feet by the time the, year is over. I think those areas, will definitely improve."

Western

The numbers are astonishing at Western as 40 of the 70 out for the team are back from last season.

"We're very thankful for the numbers. We ahve some really good kids. With that many athletes we want to make sure that we keep all of them aclive and keep them successful in practice," Panthers coach Dana Neer said. "A lot of our kids are underclassmen. Our seniors have been very, very strong, but they're small in numbers."

Seniors Tommy Jenkins and Blayne Burkholder lead two of the strongest areas of the team: the sprints and pole vault.

Tommy has been running strong and confidently. He's looking to continue the success he's had," Neer said. "The one good thing about our sprinters is that we have a lot of quality there."

Joinlng him will be seniors Adam Trost, Eric Huey, juniors Will Thomas, Josh Mote and Luke Hollingsworth, sophomore Andrew Dzierla and freshmen Alex Sigler and Ros Alexander.

Back with Burkholder in the vault is junior Blair Stellhorn and sophomores Kyle Gann and Aaron Trust.

"They're all jumping well in practice and we have some high expectations for all of them," the coach said. Regional qualifiers Sean Holsappie and Kyle Irwin return in the hurdles and they're running much more aggressively, the coach noted. Freshman Patrick Lennon is also contending there.

Running the 400 and filling out the 1600 relay will be Holssapple, Irwin, juniors Brandon Youngdale and Brad Speck, senior Moshe Rison and sophomore Tom Grider.

Senior Michael Marley is back in the distances with juniors' Shawn Parkins and Adam Bahler, sophomores Luke Minor and Trevor Mann and freshman Rick Price.

Youngdale is the top high jumper returning with Speck, Rison and senior Andrew Truesdell the other possibilities. Sophomore Tom Henning leads the long jump competitors and will be joined by Thomas, Alexander, Sigler and freshman Chris Hunt.

Rison, Mann and Grider will run the middle distances along with juniors LeeDavid Resto and Ryan Orr and sophomore Daniel Gibson.

In the throws, the numbers are good with senior Jacob McDorman, juniors Eric Fiscus and Jake Timmons and sophomres Jake Cole, Nick Atkinson and Matt Deeter.

"We're young in some areas. Out of the 16 events, we'll be noticeably young in the middle distance and throws," Neer said. "Those are the areas we have to work most at getting stronger. I feel our other events, we have good depth in them."