By: by Scott Lipsky
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State Owls’ men’s track and field program begins its fifth season of competition on Saturday when they travel to Boone, N.C. to compete in the Appalachian State Invitational.
The Owls finished second at the Atlantic Sun Indoor Track and Field Championships last season after winning the event in 2008. This will be the first season that the team, as well as individuals, can qualify for the NCAA Championships, after the athletic program completed the NCAA’s mandatory four-year re-classification process.
Saturday will be the first of five meets that the Owls will compete in during the Indoor Track and Field season, which is immediately followed by the eight meet outdoor season in March. As this is the only meet on the team’s schedule during the month of December, it will serve as a preview of sorts for them, and will give head coach Don McGarey an idea of where his athletes are at this point in the season.
“I am really excited about this weekend. Our squad is loaded with talent, and I am really looking forward to seeing them in action after working so hard leading up to it,” said McGarey, who built the program from scratch in 2005. “In addition to our freshmen who have yet to compete at this level, most of our returning athletes have not competed since last May, so it will be good to be able to evaluate where they are, as well.”
As McGarey mentioned, this will be an opportunity for many of the Owls’ freshmen to get their first taste of NCAA competition, as nine out of 16 of them will be competing in this meet. Nabil Hamid and Ryan Burruss, who competed with the cross country team during the fall, will not be in action, along with the rest of the distance runners, who are just finishing their recovery period from the cross country season.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS/EVENTS
Travis Benton
55 Meter Dash
200 Meter Dash
Will Blythe
Men High Jump
Jake Bridges
Men Pole Vault
Aaron Chamblee
Men Pole Vault
Jeremy Easley
Men 55 Meter Hurdles
Brian Graham
Men Long Jump
Men 400 Meter Dash
Tremaine Grant
Men 55 Meter Hurdles
Daniel Grass
Men 800 Meter Run
Andrew Greeson
Men 3000 Meter Run
Mike Guntner
Men 800 Meter Run
Joshua James
Men 55 Meter Hurdles
Ethan Kasson
Men 400 Meter Dash
Jemir Martinez
Men 55 Meter Dash
Men 200 Meter Dash
Jerome McKinzie
Men High Jump
Joshua McNair
Men Shot Put
Men Weight Throw
Kendall Parks
Men 55 Meter Hurdles
Men 55 Meter Dash
Adam Reed
Men Pole Vault
Casey Reynolds
Men Shot Put
Men Weight Throw
Tyler Riberdy
Men Long Jump
Men Triple Jump
David Tansey
Men 400 Meter Dash
Kegan Thurman
Men Long Jump
Men High Jump
Men 55 Meter Dash
James Verdi
Men 400 Meter Dash
Wesley Wright
Men Shot Put
Men Weight Throw
Cameron Zeman
Men High Jump
TEAMS PARTICIPATING (Conference)
Appalachian State (Southern)
Benedict (DII, Southern Intercollegiate)
Charleston Southern (Big South)
Charlotte (Atlantic 10)
Claflin (DII, Southern Intercollegiate)
Davidson (Southern)
East Tennessee (Atlantic Sun)
Gardner Webb (Big South)
Guilford (DIII, Old Dominion)
Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun)
King (DII)
Lees-McRae (DII, Conference Carolinas)
Limestone (DII, Conference Carolinas)
Livingstone (DII, Central Intercollegiate)
Mars Hill (DII, South Atlantic)
South Carolina State (Mid-Eastern)
UNC Asheville (Big South)
Western Carolina (Southern)
Winthrop (Big South)
