It’s construction time for Emporia State coach Dave Harris and his men’s and women’s track and field teams.
Though Harris would prefer to have his team at the top of the conference standings, he knows that if either of his teams finishes in the top half of the MIAA this season it would be an achievement and also a stepping stone for the future of the program.
“Naturally we want to try to win a championship when we can build towards one,” Harris said. “We’re certainly not at that point right now. We’re at that building phase.”
Harris still can’t help but wonder what might have been after losing his top athlete this season.
All-American Shannon Butler, who competed in long jump and also running events, became pregnant during the offseason, and Harris does not expect her to ever compete for ESU again.
“The accolades that she could have obtained over the next two years ... I’m just sad about it,” Harris said. “Speed is something that is hard to replace, and Shannon is faster than anybody in our conference.”
The loss of Butler — who earned 30 points by herself in last year’s Indoor conference championships — turned the Lady Hornets from legitimate MIAA contenders to a team that should compete in the middle of the pack.
“I’m the one having the most trouble accepting it,” Harris said. “I know what this team could have been.”
ESU does return five All-Americans this season, including a defending National Champion in Andy Vogelsberg.
Throws
The strength of the ESU men this year can be found in the throwing events, led by Vogelsberg and Trent Olivier.
Vogelsberg won the National Championship in the javelin last season and is expecting the same performance out of himself again this year.
“I’ve worked as hard as I ever have this year, and I feel like I’m in as good of shape as I’ve ever been,” Vogelsberg said. “My numbers so far in practice and the weight room are better than they ever have been, so it should be an exciting season.”
Though the event can sometime be unpredictable with injuries, Harris said he believed Vogelsberg should be the “odds-on favorite” for the title again this season.
“What better guy to have on your team than the National Champion returning?” Harris said. “I think everybody in this conference is probably competing for second.”
Olivier, meanwhile, provides versatility to ESU, participating in the shotput, discus and hammer.
He was both a conference champion and All-American in the discus last season.
“I want to be another All-American. That’s my main goal,” Olivier said. “I’d really like to see a National Championship, but right now the main thing is just getting All-American and trying to repeat my MIAA title.”
Harris is hoping for a strong comeback from Connie Phillips on the women’s side.
Phillips, a sophomore, was an All-American in javelin two years ago before being held out the last year and a half with a back injury.
“She has a chance to be an MIAA champion — she’s that good,” Harris said.
Sprint/Hurdles
The women’s squad will have a host of veterans leading the sprints this year, paced by seniors Kara Euler and Danielle Sedivy.
Euler, an Emporia High graduate, has won the MIAA Championship in the 400 meters and also has earned All-America honors as part of the 4x100 relay team.
Sedivy has been an All-American on both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
“I’m a two-time All-American, and I’d love to be three,” Sedivy said with a smile. “That would be amazing.”
Sedivy admitted that it was difficult — especially in the indoor season — to try to move on without Butler, who ran a leg in the relays.
“It’s one of those things — you just have to get past it and put it behind you,” Sedivy said. “If you think about it, then you’re going to be like, ‘what if,’ and that doesn’t get you anywhere. You just have to concentrate on the future and what you can do with what you have.”
Harris also is expecting big things from sophomore Jaclyn Sill, who has shown the ability to run with Euler in workouts.
Sill finished .23 seconds behind Euler in the season-opening Spring Twilight meet.
“I think Jaclyn’s going to have a breakout year,” Harris said. “She’s going to push Kara every chance she gets.”
Senior Aubrey Folk will compete in the hurdles for ESU after scoring in both the 100- and 400-meter events at last year’s conference championships.
The men, meanwhile, will have mostly freshmen participating in the sprint events.
Travis Lee provides the best option for points, as he placed in both the MIAA indoor and outdoor meets. He also is a safety for the football team and has put some high expectations upon himself.
“I’ve got plans to break the 100-meter school record,” Lee said. “It’s 10.49 (seconds), and I can go 10.49.”
Modesto Gilstrap, who also has scored points in the past, is recovering from a strained hamstring that was injured at the MIAA Indoor Championships.
Though the Hornets do not have a lot of depth at hurdles, Cameron Babb will enter in the No. 1 position.
Jumps
The ESU men should be strong in the high jump, as freshman Dustin Andrews — also a member of the basketball team — joins previous placers Marshall O’Brien and Craig Saafeld.
Babb will compete in many of the other leaping events, participating in high jump, long jump and also decathlon.
The senior was runner-up in long jump at the Indoor conference meet and ninth nationally in the decathlon last season. The showing left him one spot away from All-American status.
The women will be extremely young in the jumping events, as mostly freshmen will compete with Butler’s absence.
Distance
ESU will be led by the big two when it comes to distance running.
On the women’s side, Jonel Rossbach looks to continue her amazing stretch after earning All-America status in both cross country and the indoor mile run this school year.
Because of a lack of depth, Harris said that he would lean heavily on the junior in the MIAA Championships.
“She knows what she has to do to help our women’s team, and that is probably to go out and run a lot of events in the conference meet,” Harris said. “It’s hard for me to put her in all those events, but she’s one that wants to do it and is willing to do it.”
For the men, Eric Wellman is the standout after returning from a stress fracture that kept him out during the cross country season.
The junior is the defending 1,500-meter MIAA champion.
“He’ll be a contender for whatever distance event he runs,” Harris said. “We need him there.”
Others who could have an impact at the conference meet are Michael Stephens (800-meter), Shea Camien (1,500-meter) and Skyler Delmott (3,000 steeplechase).
ESU will travel to the UT-Arlington Bobby Lane Invitational on Saturday before playing host to the ESU/State Farm Relays next weekend.