Notre Dame Track & Field Archives
1997 Outlook
In its inaugural season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference,
Notre Dame's men's track team came away with two third-place
showings in the BIG EAST indoor and outdoor championships. Head
coach Joe Piane, in his 22nd year at the helm, has his sights
set on a higher finish with a solid group of returners and a
talented freshman class. "We were pleased with third place last
season," says Piane. "At the same time, we know that we can be
even more competitive in the conference this season and we will
be working on higher scores in the 1997 track season."
Sprints
Troy Langevine (Scarborough, Ontario) enters his senior season
as the most experienced Irish sprinter. "Troy has had a great
summer of training and will be a big contributor in his senior
year," says sprints and hurdles coach John Millar. "We will
really need him to be a scorer for us." Junior Danny Payton (Las
Vegas, Nev.) looks to return to the track after not competing in
1996. He gave the Irish some impressive results as a freshman
in 1995 in the 400 meters. Payton was a double winner in the
outdoor season and ran a season best 47.47 at the Central
Collegiates. "Danny Payton has the potential to qualify for the
NCAA championships," says Millar. "He will surely help us this
year, particularly in the BIG EAST meets in both the 400 and 800
meters and in the mile relay." Millar is also expecting reliable
results from freshman Chris Cochran (Crystal Lake, Ill.) who
comes to Notre Dame as two-time all-state selection and track
athlete of the year at Crystal Lake High School. "Chris Cochran
can be someone who can help us out in the 400 meters this
years," says Millar. The Irish will also look to the gridiron
for more sprinters. Track All-Americans Randy Kinder and Allen
Rossum and Bobby Brown are the trio of football players that
Millar is counting on. "Obviously, the addition of these
football players would be a tremendous boost to our team," says
Millar who is entering his seventh year as sprints and hurdles
coach. "They would certainly help us to be more competitive."
Kinder (East Lansing, Mich.) will look to rejoin the team after
not competing in 1995 and 1996. He set a Notre Dame indoor
record in the 200 meters when he ran a 20.11 in a 1994 dual meet
versus Drake. Kinder went on to earn All-America honors in 1994
at the NCAA indoor championships when he finished 10th in the
200 meters. Rossum (Dallas, Texas) did not compete in 1996 but
was an All-America in 1995. As the only freshman to make the
finals, he finished seventh at the NCAA indoor championships in
the 55 meters with a time of 6.29. Rossum ran his fastest time
of 6.23 in winning the 55 meters at the MCC championships. Brown
(Lauderhill, Fla.) saw limited time last season as a freshman
but was promising as he ran in the 400 meters in 49.91 at the
Cannon IV Classic.
Hurdles
Junior Errol Williams (Lauderhill, Fla.) should star once again
for the Irish in the hurdle events. Williams finished fifth in
the 55-meter hurdles indoors and eighth in the 400-meter hurdles
outdoors at the BIG EAST championships. He ran his best
55-meter hurdles at the Butler Open in 7.30, just off the school
record of 7.29 set in 1987 by Glenn Watson. "Errol Williams is
very good at the 100-meter hurdles," says Millar. "We are going
to put more emphasis on the 400-meter hurdles because he can be
very, very good at that event. He is really looking forward to
next year. Errol has the potential to qualify for the NCAA
championships in both the 100 and 400-meter hurdles." Also
helping out at the hurdle events will be junior Kevin Reher
(Sarasota, Fla.). Reher has impressed Millar with his work
effort. He cut .20 seconds off his time in the 55-meter hurdles
from his freshman year to his sophomore year. Reher had his
best time of 7.60 in the 55-meter hurdles with a fifth-place
showing at the Butler Open. "Kevin Reher has done a great job
improving every year," says Millar. "He will be a solid backup
to Errol Williams and will also give us depth in the 200
meters."
Middle Distance
Senior Jeff Hojnaki (Solon, Ohio) will carry the load in the
middle distance races once again in 1997. Hojnaki was the BIG
EAST indoor champion in 1996 in the 1000 meters with a time of
2:27.39. He also captured the 1000 meters at the Meyo
Invitational with a season-best time of 2:26.32. In the outdoor
season, Hojnaki had two second-place finishes in the 800 meters
at the Miami Invitational and the Stanford Invitational where he
ran a season-best time of 1:50.49. Hojnaki won the 1500 meters
at the Miami Invitational with a time of 3:51.22. "Jeff has
really been one of our most consistent middle-distance runners
over the last couple of years," says Piane. "We are counting on
him to continue to give us these good results that we have come
to expect from Jeff." Also expected to contribute in the middle
distances are sophomores Dan Ambrico (Altamonte Springs, Fla.),
Tim Mousaw (Queensbury, N.Y.) and freshman Phil Mishka (Toledo,
Ohio).
Distance
The talented group of runners that make up the cross country
team should transfer their efforts to the oval and give Notre
Dame a solid group of distance runners once again. "In track, if
we are going to do well in the BIG EAST championships and be
represented in the NCAAs, we will need our distance runners to
produce major contributions," says Piane. Junior Jason Rexing
(Pickerington, Ohio) returns this year after becoming Notre
Dame's second consecutive All-American in the 10,000 meters,
after Mike McWilliams earned the same honors in 1995. Rexing
finished 13th at the NCAA outdoor championships in a time of
30:12.09. He was also honored at the BIG EAST outdoor
championships as the meet's most outstanding performer by
winning both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter titles. Rexing also won
the 5,000 meters at the BIG EAST indoor championships. Seniors
Matt Althoff (Yankton, S.D.), Joe Dunlop (Grand Island, N.Y.)
and Derek Seiling (Allison Park, Pa.) should give the Irish more
high finishes. Althoff placed fifth and sixth in the 5,000
meters at the BIG EAST indoor and outdoor championships,
respectively. Dunlop placed ninth in the 5,000 meters at the
BIG EAST indoor championships. Seiling was sixth in the 3,000
meters at the BIG EAST indoor championships and fifth in the
outdoor conference meet in the steeplechase. Field Events
Notre Dame seniors Dave Gerrity (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Mike
Fleisch (Milwaukee, Wisc.) return for the field events after
posting some impressive results in 1996. Gerrity set a school
record in the pole vault on his way to winning the BIG EAST
outdoor title. Gerrity vaulted 16-10.75 to shatter the old
outdoor school mark of 16-6 by Paul Doyle set back in 1982. He
also placed second at the IC4A championships with a vault of
16-8.75. "Last year, Dave Gerrity really showed the improvements
that he had made in the off season," says jumping and throwing
coach Scott Winsor. "He should be even more improved this year
and should now challenge the indoor pole vault school record."
Notre Dame also will have the services of sophomore Michael
Brown (Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.). Brown highlighted his first
season with a third-place showing at the BIG EAST championships
by recording the best Irish pole vault in the indoor season at
16-2.75. He added two second places in the outdoor season as
well. Another BIG EAST champion, Fleisch will return for a fifth
year in the shot put in the outdoor season. He set the BIG EAST
record of 59-6.25 on his way to the indoor BIG EAST title, in
addition to winning the Meyo Invitational, the Butler Open and
the DePaul Invitational. Fleisch qualified for the NCAA
championships and despite dislocating his shoulder the day
before the competition, he nearly made the finals as he finished
13th with a season-high throw of 59-11.5. Another specialist in
the throws, junior Jay Hofner (Wheaton, Ill.) should give Notre
Dame more quality performances like he displayed in 1996.
Hofner finished sixth in the hammer throw in the outdoor season
with a season-long throw of 166-4. He also registered three top
10 results in the indoor season in the 35 lb. weight throw.
Junior Chris Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) impressed the coaches a
year ago with his dramatic improvements in the javelin. Smith
won two events last year at the Miami Invitational and the
Michigan State Sports Festival with a season-best throw of
191-11. He also took third in the javelin at the BIG EAST
championships. "Chris Smith was really a pleasant surprise for
us last year," says Winsor. "He is a perfect example of how
talent along with hard work can produce great results." Junior
Dan Frigo (Downers Grove, Ill.) should be Notre Dame's top high
jumper and sophomore Scott Schargen (Staten Island, N.Y.) will
help Notre Dame in the multi-events with his throws. After the
graduation of Lamarr Justice, Winsor will be looking to freshman
Marshaun West (Sikeston, Mo.) in the horizontal jumps. "Marshaun
West will help us tremendously in the horizontal jumps," says
Winsor. "He has long jumped 24-2 in the past so he will
contribute immediately."
