Fresno State Athletics
2004 Men's Track and Field Outlook
1/28/2004 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Jan. 28, 2004
FRESNO, Calif.- With a talented blend of veterans and newcomers, this year's men's track and field squad appears poised to make a serious run at a WAC Championship title. Depth at several key positions should factor in nicely for the Bulldogs, who took fourth overall with 102 points at last year's conference championship.
Much like the women, however, the men will begin the season without several participants from last season's club. Fresno State lost a crop of talented seniors to graduation and will be looking at some emerging athletes to help pick up the slack. Among those not returning: Alex Mason, Kevin and Kyle Carano, Mark Unzueta, and Ryan Burgess- all of which qualified for berths at last year's NCAA Regional meet. Mason's career-best mark of 1:50.42 earned him a spot among competitors in the 800-meter dash, while Kevin Carano was a member of the Bulldog's impressive 4x100-meter relay team and Kyle Carano finished second among NCAA Regional competitors in the triple jump. Unzueta registered a 16-11 in the pole vault at the WAC Outdoor Championships to qualify for the postseason field, while Burgess notched a 200-01 in the javelin at the same event for a berth at NCAA Regionals. Roosevelt Cook and Aaron Vasquez, top upperclassmen who found themselves high on the team's depth chart in several events, will also not be back this season.
That being said, a fourth place finish at the WAC Outdoor Championships in addition to a fifth place showing at the WAC Indoor Championships have Fresno State on the brink of establishing itself as a legitimate conference contender.
"It's going to be an interesting team for sure," said head coach Bob Fraley, who is guiding a Bulldog squad that has not finished higher than third place in either the WAC indoor or outdoor seasons since 1998. "They are really motivated to get the season underway and have something to prove. This is a very hard-working, dependable group that should be well-challenged once the conference championships roll around."
A position-by-position breakdown follows:
- Jumps
Fresno State received tremendous contributions from the Carano brothers, Kevin and Kyle, last year and will be looking for an up-and-coming athlete to continue that success in 2003.
Kevin, who also finished with the third-best mark in the 100-meter dash, was a member of the NCAA Regional-qualifying 4x100-meter relay team and owned the team's second-highest mark in the long jump. Kyle led the squad in both the long and triple jumps, the latter of which he competed in at NCAA Regionals.
According to Fraley, the Bulldog's best option may be a fresh face. Freshman Robert Calzadilla, a native of Berlin, Germany, brings with him a high mark of 23-10 in the long jump and placed fourth at the 2003 National Championships in the same event.
"We're very excited to see how he performs," noted Fraley. "We are not as loaded among the jumpers as we have been in previous years, so we'll try and get a handle on what different people can do."
Senior Trevor Chatterton worked his way into the team's top-four of the high jump and long jump categories, while sophomore David Frazeur posted the second-highest mark in the high jump. However, both athletes tallied those marks during the decathlon portion of the WAC Outdoor Championships, so the Bulldogs are still searching for a true jumper. Freshman Dionte Holloway will also be worked into the mix.
- Pole Vault
Depth at the pole vault has always been something Fresno State track and field has been known for, with this season being no different. Junior Russell Weaver, a three-time conference champion, returns as Fresno State's top threat in the event. In 2003, he advanced to NCAA Regionals, where he finished 11th overall with a 5.06m mark. During the year, Weaver won the pole vault competition at the WAC Outdoor Championships, checking in with a career-best 17-0 (5.18m) and also claimed the title at the WAC Indoor Championships, clearing 16-8 (5.08m).
"I feel like we have some very good vaulters this year and we should be in a position to challenge for some of the top spots in conference," Fraley stated. "Russell Weaver is as good as it gets, and freshman Roy Phelps could have an immediate impact in his first season."
Joining Weaver is sophomore Adam Andresen, who was third overall on the team's depth chart last year. Andresen picked up his performance late in the year, recording a career-best 15-7 during a fifth place finish at the WAC Outdoor Championships. Junior Leif McMurry, who stood fourth on the team's depth chart among pole vaulters in 2003, is another experienced veteran who has top-five finisher potential.
The wild card is highly-touted freshman Roy Phelps, who the coaches think could develop quickly.
"With the pole vault being such a traditional event here at Fresno State, we tend to place a lot of emphasis on quality, point-driven performances," said Fraley.
- Sprints/Distance
"There is no doubt that the best runner we have is junior Chris Berrian, and he will develop into one of the top sprinters in the conference," explained Fraley when asked about his running crew.
Berrian's best event last season was the 200-meter run, where he led the 'Dogs with a 21.29 mark he achieved at the WAC Outdoor Championships. He also owned the team's third-best mark in the 400-meter run at 49.19, with that now serving as a team best since Reggie Allen and Aaron Vasquez will not be returning this year.
Another formidable option might be Jesse Smith, who joined Berrian as a member of Fresno State's NCAA Regional-qualifying 4x100-meter relay team last year. Smith was the Bulldog's top threat in the 100-meter run last year, clocking in with a career-best 10.40.
Also returning for another season is senior Darnell Hammock, who was third overall among 200-meter competitors last year with a time of 21.80. Kevin Holloway and Brandon Jones will also challenge for spots among the sprinter contingent.
Junior Kyle Cirrincione and sophomore Ian Mason will showcase their abilities among the distance runners. Cirrincione logged a career-best 9:20.50 in the steeplechase last year, a mark that was good enough for second on the depth chart. He was also fourth in the 5,000-meter run, which turned out to be Mason's breakthrough event as he finished with a top mark of 15:12.71 to lead the 'Dogs.
"We are stocked up with some very good half-milers among the distance crew," said Fraley.
- Hurdles/Decathlon
Senior Jesse White appears to be the top hurdler on the roster as the season draws near. White's best mark in the 110-meter hurdles last season was a 16.32.
"He (White) should have little trouble placing among the top-four in conference," said Fraley. In addition, sophomore Josh Mack returns to the lineup and he actually owned the team's high mark in the 110-meter hurdles last year at 15.54. The coaches rave about the upside of freshman Ryan Moore, who is being counted on to garner points in the hurdles. Fellow freshman Eric Welch represents yet another option at the position.
The Bulldogs have even more depth among the decathletes, as senior Trevor Chatterton and sophomore David Frazeur finished 1-2, respectively, at last year's WAC Outdoor Championships. Chatterton earned 6,083 points en route to winning the event on the second day of competition at the WAC Outdoor Championships. Chatterton captured titles in the discus throw and the 1,500-meter race, while Frazeur took second with 5,816 points. McMurry also competed and took fifth with 4,519 points. Freshman Josh Quiambao is another talented decathlete
- Throws
Fresno State's throwers have traditionally been a strong addition to the overall program, and the same can be said for this year.
Senior Joe Vasquez has solidified his status as the Bulldog's field-events specialist and proved it again last year. He notched NCAA Regional qualifying marks in two events: discus (169-03/51.60m) and hammer (191-11/58.50m). Both were personal bests for Vasquez, who led the Bulldogs in the hammer and ranked second in the discus.
Dustin Lawrenson collected the team's high mark in the discus last year and advanced to NCAA Regionals, although he is currently completing his Mormon mission and will not be active this year.
Sophomore Matt Studwell performed well in his first season, placing in the top-four of the discus (39.94m) and hammer (139-11) events. Freshmen Tyler Ellis and Joe Guerin will also get looks in multiple events.
