Coach Joe Koch doesn't expect his East Stroudsburg men's track and field men's to challenge for the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title, but he feels his 2000 Warriors may be "the most improved
team
in the conference."
At a Glance:
Affiliation: NCAA Division II
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
2000 PSAC Outdoor Finish: 10th
2000 ECAC Indoor Finish: 8th
Letter-Winners Back: 16
Letter-Winners Lost: 4
Coach Joe Koch doesn't expect his East Stroudsburg men's track and field men's to challenge for the
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title, but he feels his 2000 Warriors may be "the most improved
team
in the conference."
Koch has loaded up with talented freshmen who will enable the team to be competitive in almost every
event.
"We have the best depth we've had on the squad in many years," said Koch. "We may not have a lot of super
stars, but we have a lot of trackmen capable of scoring at the conference meet."
The Warriors tallied only 20 points and placed tenth of 14 teams in last year's PSAC championships.
Koch feels his team should at least double the point total and realistically have a shot at challenging
for
fifth or sixth place.
The team's top returnee is Russ Holmes, who missed almost all of last season with an injury, but still
managed
to place third in the conference in the triple jump.
He is a three-time conference place-winner who just missed qualifying for the NCAA Division II
championships
two years ago.
Also back are two other individual place-winners in distance runner Matt Stohl, who was sixth in
both
the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs, and Mitch Carfora, sixth in the decathlon.
Sprinters Mark Stinson, John Van Soest, Doug Springer and Nick Boehmer all
return
from a 4 x 100-meter relay team which placed fifth in the conference.
Boehmer and returnee Dan Garibaldi were members of a 4 x 400-meter relay squad which was sixth in
the
PSAC meet.
Stinson also made the finals of the 100-meter dash, but did not place. He will be joined in the 100 and
200
sprints by three lightning-fast newcomers in Stewart Ford, Nate Pendry and Tom
Schultz.
Garibaldi will run the 400 along with freshman Andy Morris, who ran a 49.1 quarter in high
school.
Handling the middle distances will be four freshmen, Darryl Brown, the top runner on the cross
country
team last fall, Jim Dawson, Tom Jackson and Aaron Roderick.
There is plenty of depth in the distance events with cross country runners Stohl, the ECAC indoor champion
in
the 5,000-meter run, Mike Webster, Mark Donio, Mike Browne and transfer John
Ferris
.
Brian Trentowski has been a conference qualifier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in which Koch tries plans
to
try freshmen Mike Loesner, Jared Sparks and Keith Davis.
There are three potential conference placers in the 400 hurdles in Boehmer, freshman Brian Rodak
and
Garibaldi. Boehmer also will run the high hurdles. The team is loaded in the jumps. The top newcomer is
freshman Mike Newhard, a national indoor champion in the high jump who has cleared 7-0 the last two
years.
Sophomores Brad Fees, who went over 6-8 last season, and Dave Apgar, who has a career best
of
6-10, also are gifted high jumpers.
Holmes and Strinson are two of six long jumpers who bettered 21 feet in December. The others are freshmen
Newhard, Rodak, Glen Kercher and Paul Saccente.
Holmes has a career best of 48-1/2 in the triple jump which would have enough to win the conference title
last
year. Ray Jackson also has great talent in the event.
Springer and Morris both are competitive pole vaulters.
Damien Deane will be the team's top competitor in the shot put and discus although his status is
uncertain because of a knee injury. Brian Bucher also will compete in the shot put and
Chris Barnes in the discus.
David Dean threw over 190 feet in the javelin last season. Freshmen Barry Krammes and
Sean
Kelly also should qualify for the conference in the event.
The team will have three quality competitors in the decathlon in Carfora and freshmen Rodak and
Kerscher.
"It's early to tell how well we'll do, but the team is drastically improved over last year. We have a
number
of freshmen who will be heard from over the next four seasons," said Koch.
ESU Home...Sports Information Director, Pete Nevins
Updated 2/11/99