Season Preview: Indoor Track and Field

Amber Yingling

1/11/2013 9:16:00 AM | Track and Field, Women's Track and Field

Men are ranked first in preseason poll as they begin quest to defend national title

The Grand Canyon University men's and women's track and field squads are set to open their 2013 indoor slate tomorrow when they travel north to Flagstaff, Ariz., to compete in the NAU Lumberjack Team Challenge. The meet will mark the first of eight indoor meets for the Antelopes, as the men's team seeks to defend its 2012 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championship.

Tomorrow's meet is slated to begin at 9 a.m. with field events, while the running events will get underway at 10 a.m. GCU is slated to compete against athletes from a number of Division I schools, including Arizona State, Arizona, New Mexico and NAU. Live stats for the meet can be found by clicking here.

GCU will compete four times in Flagstaff and twice in Albuquerque, N.M., while getting acquainted with the championship facility in Birmingham, Ala., at the beginning of February in preparation for the indoor national championships, set for March 8-9 at the CrossPlex Complex.

The men's squad enters the new season as the top-ranking team among Division II squads, as announced by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The women's team is ranked fourth in the pre-season poll.

Entering just its third year of existence, the track and field program is under the guidance of head coach Tom Flood, who last year was named USTFCCCA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Men's Coach of the Year.

"I'm very excited for this season to begin, we've had a great fall," said Flood. "We will try and shake off a little holiday rust this weekend at NAU and start our preparations for both men's and women's team title runs at this year's nationals."

"Right out of the blocks in this first meet we will see where we stand against three NCAA Division 1 powerhouses in Arizona State, Arizona and NAU," added Flood. "ASU's and Arizona's men's programs had podium finishes at last year's NCAA Indoor National Championships (third and fourth respectively) and NAU's men finished fourth at this year's Cross Country Championships."

In total at last year's indoor national championships, the 'Lopes won All-American honors in 18 events and had seven different male and six different female athletes recognized.

On the men's side, the 'Lopes welcome back defending indoor long jump national champion Karlin Stewart and runner-up Ramon Cooper, who also finished third in the triple jump competition.

Other returners who reached qualifying marks last season in their respective events are Eric Frawley and Vince Frawley (pole vault), AAron Hill (60-meter dash, long jump), Kevin Lashley (long jump, triple jump), Robert Matthew (triple jump) and Oliver Smith (400-meters).

The women return Shavine Hodges, who collected two runner-up finishes at last year's indoor championships and was a three-time All-American for the indoor season.

Also among the returners with qualifying marks from last season are Callie Davis (60-meter hurdles), Petra Fanty (60-meter dash, 400-meters), Lesilia Foster (long jump), Brianne Kee (60-meter dash, long jump), Julia Wild (800-meters), Jessica Yates (triple jump) and Amber Yingling (long jump and triple jump).

The 'Lopes also welcome a number of newcomers to the squad, including 2011 Division II runner-up in the women's pole vault, Lauren Graham, and Dario Horvat, who was the fastest man in Croatia in both 2010 and 2011. More information about members of the 2013 recruiting class can be found by clicking here.

"As special as last year's team's performances were, I feel that this year's teams have better depth and should be even more spectacular," said Flood. "We have most of our All-Americans back and they all are looking to improve on last year's performances. We have also added several very talented recruits that will allow us to make even more noise on a national level!"

Fans can keep up with the team by visiting www.gculopes.com.