The productivity of Tabor College athletics continues to look bright heading into the track and field season.
With conference titles already in hand this academic year, Bluejay track and field coach Dave Kroeker thinks his women's team has a legitimate shot at adding one more championship trophy to the school trophy case.
"Team-wise, our women have a great shot to win the KCAC," Kroeker said. "We're going to have to have a really great conference meet, but not unbelievable."
Kroeker began his fifth season by welcoming a record 47 athletes to his spring squad-17 women and 30 men.
With so many athletes on board, Kroeker relies on assistant coaches to help manage practices.
Suzy Best had coached middle-distance and distance runners until she departed for Florida last week.
Continuing as assistants are: Jeff Penner, throwers; Ken Christensen, sprinters and relays; volunteer coach Esther Richert and Andy Shewey, high jumpers.
Tabor women
Although the Bluejay women's team is smaller, Kroeker said many of them have the talent to compete in multiple events.
"We have the talent to win the KCAC, but we'll have to spread ourselves really thin," he said. "I told them after the two-day conference meet, five or six of them will be absolutely dead."
Kroeker's lineup will include:
--Shot put: Donya Anderson, Rachel Kostner, Natalie Regier.
--Hammer throw: Anderson, Kostner and Regier.
--Javelin: Kostner, Sara Ann Lyons.
--Pole vault: Kostner, Shelby Miller, Jennifer Palmgren.
-- Long jump: Lyons, Miller, Christine Van Doren, Ashley Scherrer.
"Ashley Scherrer just does a lot of things," Kroeker said. "She might be our best all-around athlete.
"Next fall in indoors, we're going to try her in the pentathlon so she's even learning the hurdles. She's just an athlete."
Tabor men
With two early meets under their belts, the Tabor men have already qualified two athletes for the national outdoor meet.
Matt Rorabaugh recently cleared 6-feet, 9-inches in the high jump, and Merle Johnson met the provisional qualifying time in the 100-meter dash.
Kroeker said the odds of the Tabor men winning a conference title are more challenging than for the Tabor women.
With 22 consecutive men's titles under its belt, Southwestern College is a major hurdle for the Bluejays and all other challengers.
"Last year we scored 100 points in the conference meet and Southwestern scored 120 points from the 1,500 to the 10,000," Kroeker said. "We were second and we were better than seven other schools, but nobody can really compete with them in the distance events.
"Our men aren't as close to winning a championship as the women are, but I'll never say we don't have a chance," he added. "But if anyone is going to beat Southwestern, they'll need some help from the other schools."
The Bluejay men will field a deep team in the throwing events:
-- Shot put: Cody Dick, Chad Malcom, Justin Mathias, Victor Munoz, Grant Myers, Ben Ottoson, Dan Raines, Jarod Richardson, Brent Wichert.-- Hammer throw: Cody Dick, Malcom, Munoz, Myers, Ottoson, Raines, Richardson, Wichert.--Discus: Cody Dick, Ryan Dick, Mathias, Munoz, Raines, Richardson, Jacob Sattler, Wichert.-- Javelin: Ryan Dick, Mathias, Sattler, Lee Waldron.
In the jumps, Rorabaugh leads a talented cast that includes:-- High jump: Jeff Harms, Rorabaugh.-- Long jump: Garrett Bryant, Aaron Gallaway, Brian Lightner, Caleb Marsh.-- Triple jump: Bryant, Rorabaugh.
-- Pole vault: Jeff Anenson, Will Higerd, Marsh.
On the track, Kroeker has decent depth in both the sprints and distance races:
-- 100 meters: Chris Baarts, Bryant, Jason Dietzel, Higerd, Johnson, Caleb Stanton.
--200 meters: Baarts, Higerd, Johnson, Stanton.
-- 400 meters: Rorabaugh, Anenson, Stanton.
--800 meters: Anenson, Ryan Haug.
--5,000 meters: Matt Lynam, Michael Norris.
-- 10,000 meters: Lynam, who broke the school record this spring.
Remarkably, Kroeker has no senior men in his deep talent pool.
"I have a lot of dual-sport athletes who say they don't want to continue (in track) their senior year," he said. "It's kind of funny because in other sports, sometimes seniors don't even get to play, but in track, everyone gets to play."
Kroeker said Tabor's track and field program is built on multi-sport athletes.
"I can't run a program without the support of the football, basketball, volleyball and soccer programs," he said. "And truthfully, the only events those athletes are affected by due to the late start are those that play basketball or the distance runners.
"Those runners need to have some base of mileage when they come into track, and the basketball players only have about six weeks left in the track season by the time they get here."
Kroeker said it's a privilege to be around athletes who represent the school so well.
"I love the quality of people we get here," he said. "They're respectful and thankful, and that makes it fun.
"When kids work hard and give great effort, it's a great experience to see them improve and succeed," he added. "My goal is to help kids reach the goals they set for themselves."
Whether either the men or women bring a home conference title will be determined in May, but Kroeker already knows his team is improving.
"Our goal is just to get better," he said. "I'm really pleased with where our teams are now. I think we have a good chance to get several more kids to nationals.
"We want to get their best performances at the end of the season," he said. "Track is objective-you have a watch and a tape measure. You take what you had and you make it better."
