The Waynesburg University outdoor track & field team began practices last week in preparation for the 2018 season. Coming off of a fifth place finish at the indoor Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, the team is looking to use that season as a catapult into the spring.

Head coach Michelle Cross believes the team will benefit from the transition and different events being introduced as the team heads outdoors.

“The main differences are in terms of the events they offer in [outdoor] shift from what they offer in indoor,” said Cross. “I believe those events play more to the strengths of our team.”
This spring, a number of cross country runners from the fall are expected to emerge as track stars as well.

Cross is excited to see the transition of freshmen cross country runners Mac Colomb, Matt Durgin and Nate Jecelin who established themselves as premiere runners for the team during the fall for the Jackets.

“[Jacelin] scored for us in the mile in indoor and so he should be in the running for the 1,500-meter,” said Cross. “He is some new blood, new talent that we have. [Colomb and Durgin] as well as freshman Matt Mansfield had some impressive performances in the 3,000-meter as they were just on the outside of scoring. They are definitely willing to try the steeplechase.”

The difficulty of the steeplechase will present a new challenge for the younger runners, but it is one that Cross believes they will be up for.

“I am thinking that it will be more likely [the freshman] will score in outdoor whereas in indoor they were right on the cusp of scoring for us,” said Cross. “I think their potential will increase to possibly become top-eight conference runners.”

As far as leadership is concerned, Cross has a handful of upperclassmen that have been around the program that will likely take on that task.

“We have excellent leadership in the team,” said Cross. “The ones that really stick out to me are [senior] Matt Shinkle, he has captained for us in cross country. [Senior] Mark [Minjock] is full-force all the time and his enthusiasm is contagious and I think our athletes appreciate that.”

Cross also mentioned junior thrower Blake Feldner as a helpful and inspiring leader on the Yellow Jacket squad. Senior Mitch Kendra, a pole vaulter for the Jackets, has been around track & field before, allowing him to share some insight with the younger runners.

“[Kendra] is wonderful at giving feedback and encouraging them, but also doing what he needs to do as well,” said Cross.

As far as a team goal, Cross hopes for a higher placement in the conference, as well as continued personal improvement.

“The one thing I am super excited about is that the guys moved up this year,” said Cross. “Last year, they were eighth in the conference, only beating one team, and this year we hoped [based on talent] that they would have gotten seventh. They didn’t do as well as we wanted, so we talked about coming into the indoor championships and focusing on improvement. [At the PACs], we made the jump to fifth in the conference this year.”

For Cross, she hopes the program continues to climb in the stands during the outdoor season.

“I’m hoping that because of the transition and shift in events that we can continue the stride of improvement that we might be able to pull out a 4^th place at the [spring] conferences,” said Cross.

Waynesburg will open their 2018 spring schedule on March 17, with a trip to New Concord, Ohio for the Muskie Duals at Muskingum University.