The Drake University men's and women's track and field teams begin the indoor portion of their 2015 schedule this weekend, Jan. 16-17, at the Holiday Inn Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Friday's action at the Devaney Sports Center starts at 4 p.m. and resumes on Saturday at 11 a.m.
The Bulldogs, who opened the indoor season on Dec. 6 at Iowa State, return to competition to face Nebraska, Iowa State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota, Omaha, Oklahoma State as well as top-notch Division II, III and junior college competition.
“Team-wise it will be a competitive and challenging meet,” said Drake head coach Natasha Kaiser-Brown. “The tricky part is most of our training is on flat tracks and now we're running on a banked track. If you can negotiate that, it can be amazing, but we're coming off 5-6 weeks off. Based on this week, we'll know what we need to work on going forward”
Heading into the start of the indoor season, Kaiser-Brown has a roster that – while lacking in depth – has extremely talented competitors in nearly every event. Additionally, the Bulldogs return seven competitors that scored as individuals at last season's Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championship.
“The indoor season and its limited events ties everyone's hands and if we're going to do some damage at the conference level, now is the time to do it,” Kaiser-Brown said. “The athletes of the team understand that need to compete.
The women's hurdles, always a strong event for Drake, welcome standout freshman Mary Young (Urbandale, Iowa) to the fold. The Iowa state meet record holder in the 100-meter hurdles, Young is very familiar with the Drake Stadium track where she was a two-time Drake Relays Champion.
“Mary Young looked amazing at our first meet in South Dakota and looked like a senior with her composure in the hurdles,” said Kaiser-Brown. “Destani Welch (Des Moines, Iowa) is right behind her as well.”
Welch finished 12 in the 60-meter hurdles at the MVC Championship last season and aims to move up those standings as a junior.
Rai Ahmed-Green (Irvine, Calif.) will bolster the Bulldogs' lineup in the 200 and 400 meters after a senior season of high school that saw her record season bests of 24.87 in the 200 meters and 56.85 in the 400 meters.
“She's very strong and I don't think she knows how good she is,” Kaiser-Brown said of Ahmed-Green. “Once she figures that out, she'll be amazing.”
Ahmed-Green also has the potential to compete in the 60 meters alongside veteran Danyelle Cole (Kansas City, Kan.). Cole was 12th in the event last season at the MVC Indoor Championship.
Experienced runners Erica Bestul (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Samantha Nielsen (Maplewood, Minn.) will anchor the Bulldogs' middle distance crew. Last season as a freshman, Nielsen was a member of the team's distance medley relay. In the longer events, Kaiser-Brown has experienced runners in the lineup such as Emma Huston (Des Moines, Iowa). The junior competed in both the mile and 3,000 meters at the MVC Indoor Championship a season ago and is coming off of a very successful cross country season, something Kaiser-Brown is anticipating carrying over onto the oval.
In the horizontal jumps, the Bulldogs return Kayla Bell (Bollingbrook, Ill.) who took third-place in the triple jump at last year's MVC Indoor Championship with a then personal best of 38-7.75 and Kaiser-Brown is anticipating even bigger marks from the junior this season.
Jaclyn Aremka (Plainfield, Ill.) is also poised for what Kaiser-Brown hopes is a breakout junior season after finishing 10th at the 2014 MVC Indoor Championship.
“I think this is her year, it's time,” Kaiser-Brown said of Aremka. “She's had her ups and downs but she's got the ability to push it this year.”
In the pole vault, the Bulldogs will again be relying on the consistency that Kathryn Ambrose (Warrensburg, Mo.) brings to the runway.
“I've never seen a vaulter that consistent,” Kaiser-Brown said. “For the most part she comes in and clears bars. She's stronger than she was last year.”
The men's roster is similar to the women's in that it features talent and multiple events, but will work throughout the year to cultivate the depth needed rise up the team standings at the MVC Indoor championships.
“We have a nice pool of sprinters with Kai Asberry (Carrollton, Texas) who does great in the 60 and 200 meters and you'll see more of him sprinting indoors.”
Asberry will be joined by Price Vincent (Fayetteville, Ga.), a transfer from the University of Georgia, and Steven Jordan (McFarland, Wis.). Last season, Jordan was third in the 200 meters at the MVC Indoor Championship and Kaiser-Brown anticipates him taking another step this season to become one of the conference's elite competitors.
The 800 meters will again be anchored by James Saxton (La Crosse, Wis.) after the junior finished fourth in the event at the MVC Indoor meet last season. Freshman Chris Kaminski (New Lenox, Ill.) will serve as his understudy after a strong cross country season in the fall.
“James is always solid and a competitor that just figures out how to get it done,” Kaiser-Brown said. “Chris is so much like James with his competitive nature.”
The Bulldogs' longer races will have some of the Bulldogs' most experienced competitors in Rob McCann (Mississauga, Ontario), Conor Wells (Des Moines, Iowa) and Reed Fischer (Minnetonka, Minn.) McCann is coming off an outdoor season that saw him qualify for the NCAAs in the steeplechase and all three are hoping to carry over the momentum they generated during the cross country season to the indoor track.
The jumps should garner points against for the Bulldogs with the return of former MVC Champion Ryan Cook (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the high jump and Johnathan Osifuye (Woodbury, Minn.) in the triple jump. As a freshman, Osifuye finished fifth in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump at the MVC Indoor Championship. With a personal best of 48-7.5, the sophomore hopes to eclipse the 50-foot mark this season.
Following this weekend's season opening meet, the Bulldogs return to action the following weekend for the Big Four Duals in Ames, Iowa, on Jan. 24.
