2011-12 Men's Indoor Track Outlook

The Worcester State University Men's Track and Field / Cross Country Program is thriving.  We had a stellar year in 2010-2011 and hope to continue to excel during the 2011-2012 school year. As we move forward in this year's campaign, the men's program at Worcester State University expects to combine the experience and talent of their returning athletes with a large and talented recruit class. With this lethal combination, the Lancers have their sites on the championship crown.

In addition to our successes this past year in track and field/ cross country and hopes of more this year, we have many student athletes who have been successful in the classroom. As we move into the 2011-2012 campaign, here are some 2010-2011 highlights of note:

• Eight members of the Cross Country squad attained a GPA of a 3.0 or better.
• Fifteen members of the track and field team attained a GPA of a 3.0 or better.
• A young cross country squad showed continuous improvement throughout the season competing all the way through the NCAA Qualifier, with many transitioning to the five mile distance for the first time.
• Over 75 personal bests were recorded during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
• Two indoor records were broken this indoor season, the 600m record and the 4 x 400m relay record, a record that had been in place for over 30 years.
• Indoors, Worcester State had  4 individual MASCAC champions and one relay champion (4 x 400m relay)
• The indoor track & field team qualified seven individuals and the 4 x 400m relay for the Division III New England Championships while the outdoor squad has doubled the number of individuals to 14 and 3 relays (4 x 100m, 4 x 400m and 4 x 800m).
• In the MASCAC Outdoor Championships, Worcester State scored in 15 events of 19 events.
• The outdoor track & field team had three individual MASCAC champions and one relay champion. The squad also produced two Alliance individual champions in the long jump and the 400m hurdles.
• The outdoor track & field team qualified half of the team for the Division III New England Championships. They finished 13th overall and were the top MASCAC university in the competition and the second highest finisher among public institutions.
• The 4 x100m relay gained "All Division" New England honors at the All Division New England Championships
• Concentrating on the relays at the D3 ECAC Championships, Worcester State placed in both the 4 x100m and 4 x400m relays to earn all ECAC honors in both events.
• Andrew Johnson, MASCAC indoor champion and All D3 New England and All ECAC outdoors in the high jump was named the Worcester State University's Freshman Male Athlete of the  of the Year.

Top Returnees:

Harrison McCann - Division III New England and ECAC qualifier in the throws

Nick Capone - All MASCAC in the shot put Division III New England Qualifier

Todd Paquin - MACAC/Alliance champion in the Long Jump, also All MASCAC/Alliance 100m & 200m/All Division III New England in the LJ, 200m, 4 x 100m relay

Luke Curtis - All MASCAC/Alliance in the 100m/Division III New England Qualifier in the 100m

Devlin Crawford - MASCAC 400m Champion/Division III New England & ECAC 400m, 4 x 400m & 4 x 100m relay qualifier

Ramses Rafael - All MASCAC/Alliance in the 400m/Division III New England/ECAC qualifier with the 4 x 400m relay

Kevin Maciel - 400m hurdle MASCAC/Alliance Champion/Division III New England/ECAC qualifier (400m H and 4 x 400m relay)

Jon Parella - 400m hurdles second place at MASCAC/Alliance behind Maciel/Division III New England 400m hurdles qualifier and 4 x 40m qualifier at Division III New England's/ECAC Championships

Tim Mazeika - All MASCAC in 3K steeplechase/veteran cross country runner

Neil Reilly - All MASCAC in the 800m/veteran cross country runner

Pat Daley - All MASCAC in the 1500m/veteran cross country runner

Nate Starling - previous MASCAC hurdle champion/NCAA provisional qualifier in the hurdles

Andrew Johnson - MASCAC high jump champion/All Division III New England/ECAC honors in the high jump

Top Newcomers:

Matt Begley –Throws (East Bridgewater - Transfer) - All state qualifier in the shot put his senior year in high school (2009)

Mike Berkowicz- Distance (Woodstock Academy, CT - Transfer) -  Already a top five performer in cross country

Pat Bova – Distance (Wachusett) - District E Indoor 1000m champion/already a top five cross country performer at WSU

Jeremy Burke - Horizontal jumps/Sprints (Mansfield) - Sixth in Triple Jump at Massachusetts Outdoor All State Meet

Kevin Kevin Conant - 100/200 Meters (East Longmeadow) - Fifth in 100m at the Western Mass Championships                                            

Mario DeJesus – Throws (Central Catholic) - Fifth in the Javelin at the EMass Division II Outdoor Championships

Steve Gannon - 100-400 Meters (Mansfield), 200 leg of the first place Scholastic National Championship sprint medley team as well as the indoor (lead off leg) and outdoor (anchor leg) state champion 4 x 400m relay team

Terrence Gibson – Horizontal Jumps/High Hurdles/Sprints (Rockland HS) - Second in the All State Championships in the Long Jump / had the third fastest time outdoors in the state High Hurdles

David Graziano - Long Jump/High Hurdles (Rockland) - Sixth place in the long jump at the EMass Division IV Championships

Parris Nathan - Throws (Randolph) - Fourth in the shot put at the EMass Division III Championships

Mike Norgaard - 400 Meters (Bridgewater-Raynham) - Competed in the 400m at the EMass DI Championships

Dan Ross - High Jump (Foxboro) - Fifth in High Jump at the Eastern Mass Division I Championshps

Jason Sliwoski - Multi (Leicester - Transfer) - Fourth in High Hurdles/Seventh in Javelin in Central Mass Championships (2010), also fourth in District E Decathalon

Duy Troung - Horizontal Jumps/Hurdles/Sprints (Worcester - Doherty) - Second in 400 hurdles/seventh in Triple Jump at Central Mass Championships (2010) and second in District E Decathalon

Robert White - (Ludlow) - Western Mass Shot Put Champion