COBLESKILL TRACK & FIELD EYEING SUCCESSFUL 2007 OUTDOOR CAMPAIGN

Fresh from its successful indoor season, the SUNY Cobleskill Track & Field program now turns its attention to the 2007 outdoor campaign. The Fighting Tigers closed the 2007 indoor season with a second place women’s finish and a third place men’s finish at the NJCAA Region III Indoor Track & Field Championships and now look to make a successful transition to the outdoor season.

The Fighting Tiger women will be led by 2006 multiple event NJCAA National Championship qualifier senior sprinter/jumper Erinn O’Rourke, South Glens Falls, NY, South Glens Falls High School, and freshman sprinter Regina Morgan, Brooklyn, NY Prospect Heights High School, who saw her promising indoor season cut short due to injury. Freshman pole vaulter/multi-event performer Jennifer Villanova, Clifton Park, NY, Shenendehowa High School, and freshman multi-event athlete Kayla Evers, Oneonta, NY, Lighthouse Academy, should help make the Fighting Tigers more well-rounded this season.

In the long and middle distances freshman NJCAA Division III Cross Country Champion April Ackermann, South Huntington, NY, Sullivan West High School, should be a major factor in several events and will team with fellow freshman Cross Country All-American/All-Region III Indoor Track & Field honoree Sarah Furman, West Berne, NY, Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School, to cover the longer distances. Big things are also expected from 2006 NJCAA National Qualifier senior Tereasa Cox, Bellport, NY, Bellport High School, who comes off a solid indoor season looking to improve on her stellar rookie year.

The Cobleskill throwing corps is deeper this year and will be lead by senior Beth Conte, Herkimer, NY, Herkimer High School, joined by senior first-year performer Amanda Carfora, Wallkill, NY, Wallkill High School, freshman Brianna Holcomb, Glens Falls, NY, Glens Falls High School, and freshman Irvanda Boyce-El, Brooklyn, NY, Benjamin Banneker High School. During the indoor season: Conte, Holcomb and Boyce-El were all scorers in the Shot Put at the 2007 NJCAA Region III Indoor Championships.

The Cobleskill men will be led by a trio of indoor regional champions as senior thrower Kyle Robinson, Canastota, NY, Canastota High School, the Region III Champion in the Weight Throw, freshman Eric Graber, Troy, NY, Lansingburgh High School, the region’s 800 Meter champion and freshman jumper Kevin Almicar, White Plains, NY, White Plains High School, the regional indoor Long Jump champion will look to duplicate their success on the outdoor track. They will be joined by 2006 NJCAA All-American senior Creig Levens, Berlin, NY, Berlin High School, who was an All-American in the 10,000 Meters and has also been a two-time Cross Country All-American for the Fighting Tigers.

Senior distance runner Brandon Gillis, Hudson, NY, Hudson High School, and senior sprinter/mid-distance runner Jon Bates, Bronx, NY, Walton High School, will be counted on to bring experience to the squad this season as will senior multi-eventer Brian Keefe, Deposit, NY, Deposit High School, and senior sprinter Dustin Slingerland, Scotia, NY, Scotia-Glenville High School.

The Fighting Tigers will also boast a number of potentially solid mid-distance/distance performers as freshman Jeff Dufel, Fonda, NY, Fonda-Fultonville High School, freshman Kyle Kunes, Geneva, NY, Geneva High School, freshman Chris Franke, Otego, NY, Unatego High School, freshman Jon O’Conner, Deposit, NY, Deposit High School, and freshman Dan Ballou, Kingston, NY, Kingston High School, will all be counted on throughout the campaign.

“We have an extremely attractive schedule this year which is going to put us in competition at some very prestigious meets. I believe that competing against this type of competition will make us much better this season,” said Fichthorn. “I firmly expect us to be extremely competitive against our level this season and I think you are going to see a number of program records challenged this spring.”

The Fighting Tiger program will open the 2007 outdoor season at the United States Military Academy Invitational hosted by the Army in West Point, NY on Friday March 23rd and
Saturday March 24th.