National title is next goal for tracksters

Ryan Moore
Staff Writer
Mar. 4, 2004, Page 7

Before the indoor season the Doane track team sets team goals.
The biggest goal the Tigers shoot for every year is to win the Great Plains Athletic Conference. This year the women accomplished this goal, as they have for the last 13 years. The Doane men fell just short, losing to Nebraska Wesleyan by 14 points.
Head coach Ed Fye was pleased with the conference results.
“Every year we aim our focus towards conference. This year we, as a coaching staff, felt as though both the men and the women accomplished our goals,” Fye said.
The conference meet was an exclamation mark at the end of a long track season for many of the athletes.
“The conference meet was my most memorable moment of the indoor season. At conference people do things that you don’t expect them to,” senior Rochelle Schmidt said.
Schmidt, who won the triple jump and long jump at the conference meet, stressed the importance of teamwork even though track is often thought of as an individual sport.
“I feel that the guy’s team often gets overlooked,” Schmidt said. “I see us men and women as one team, and with our combined team scores, we beat Wesleyan by 75 points at conference.”
Freshman Katie Kosmos emphasized the team concept.
“In high school I stood out individually,” Kosmos said, “but coming to Doane, we’re so good, nobody stands out. We are an awesome team.”
Fye, who was named GPAC women’s coach of the year, felt that one of the biggest surprises of the year was the contribution that the younger athletes made.
“The younger kids scored on a higher level than many of us expected,” he said. “It’s mainly due to the leadership of the juniors and seniors.”
Now that the regular season is over, 44 Doane athletes turn their focus towards a national championship as they start competing today at the indoor National Track Championships in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Fye is optimistic of the Tigers chances in Tennessee.
“We want to put ourselves in a position where we can compete,” he said. “We feel that on the women’s side we could have a top five finish, and on the men’s side a top 10 finish.”
Schmidt, who is ranked number one in the nation in both the long and triple jump, is a nationals veteran, this being the fourth year she has competed on the national stage.
“There is a little nervousness being number one because everyone will be after me,” Schmidt said, “but I also have to look at it from the other side and use it as a confidence booster.”
Although Doane has a lot of experience making the trip to Tennessee, many of the Tiger’s are first time national competitors. Freshman Derek Deyle is seeded first in the the shot put and is confident despite never competing at nationals.
“I have a lot of confidence right now, but that could go away once I get there,” Deyle said. “I’m just going to compare it to high school because I came from Kearney and we have won 10 straight Nebraska state titles so I am used to competing at important meets.”
Two other Tigers that are expected to place high are Kosmos, who is ranked second in the pentathlon. Kosmos will also compete in the 55-meter hurdles and the high jump. Sophomore Rhonda Egger is seeded second in the long jump only, behind only teammate Schmidt.
Senior Dusty Krusemark also heads to the national meet after being named GPAC indoor track and field male athlete of the year. Krusemark will compete in the 400-meter dash and is an anchor on the 4x400 meter relay.