TOWSON, Md. - A big bus and several sharp pencils with good erasers are items of necessity for coach Roger Erricker as the Tigers begin their 2012-13 indoor track season at the Navy Lidlifter Thursday evening (5:00 p.m.) in Annapolis.
Erricker is shepherding Towson's largest indoor squad ever, numbering over 50 student-athletes. It's also the youngest in his years as the Tigers' coach, considering there are 23 freshmen and 11 sophomores.
"We recruited a lot of kids last year," says Erricker. "Some of them you'll be amazed at how talented they are right now. Many of them were state and conference champions during their high school careers. This should be an exciting, fun year for us."
Towson's all-time top ten lists could undergo quite a makeover this year. Based upon some of the newcomers' prep times, they could already be among the top five in Towson's program. Most of those changes, however, won't occur until the spring when the Tigers take to the outdoor oval. The indoor season is really the tune up for outdoors.
"Especially with as many freshmen as we have the indoor season is a chance for them to gain experience and to see what it's like to compete on the college level," says Erricker. "So the main focus is experience and getting us ready for outdoors but we hope to take quite a few bodies to Boston for the ECAC Indoor Championships in early March."
Towson's main concerns are filling gaps in the distance events and throws where graduated record holders abounded for the Tigers. Katie Ogden (10,000- and 5,000-meter run recordholder) and Kaylin Gilmartin-Donohue (1,500-meter run recordholder) are gone along with the multi-talented throws tandem of Shannel Shivers (shot put and discus) and Shianna Smith (20 lb. weight and hammer). Those are quality points for Towson to make up.
Sophomore Elizabeth Tauber, the leader of the pack during the 2012 cross country season, figures to be out front for the Tigers in the 5,000-meter run. She enters the indoor season with a personal record of 18:09.46. Sophomore Kara Bucaro should have the lead in the middle distances. Her personal best in the 1,500 of 4:41.57 is 11 seconds off Gilmartin-Donohue's record pace. In good support are sophomore Ashley Simmons and seniors Hannah McKenzie and Niki Schaefer.
Junior Liz Shaw is expected back healthy to run the middle distance events. Freshman Ali Coning improved steadily during the cross country season and could score points for the Tigers, too.
Erricker needs the roster to help him with all the new faces among the sprinters and hurdlers. Both groups are talented with solid depth.
The top returning short sprinter is junior Desiree Vaughn. She had a bit of a down year last year after a sterling freshman campaign when she posted a 7.74 in the 60 dash.
"We're hoping she comes back around to where she ran as a freshman when she ran very well," says Erricker.
Giving chase are several freshmen who bring impressive credentials.
Kaitlyn Davis from North Brunswick Township H.S. arrives as the number two sprinter in New Jersey last year, finishing second in the state meet's 100 meter dash with a time of 11.96 that would tie Ashley Adams for second at Towson. Davis also clocked a 7.15 in the 55-meter dash which would be a Towson record if the event was still being contested.
Kelsey Fiddes of Mercy H.S. was one of the top sprinters in the Baltimore private school league. She was runner up in the IAAM's 100 (12.35), 200 (25.79) and 400 (58.51). All of those times would put her in the top 10 at Towson.
Alyse Williams from Elizabeth Seton was a top WCAC sprinter in the 100 (12.85) and 200 (26.10). She has looked very good in pre-season workouts.
A hurdler and jumper from Edgewood, Wilhelmina Austin, figures to score points. The Harford County champion in the 100-meter dash (12.74) 100-meter hurdles (14.91), long jump (18' 3.5") and triple jump (37'4.25"), she won the 2012 Maryland State 2A long jump title with her record jump to go along with several regional titles.
Senior Kamilah Browne has improved over last year in the 60 hurdles. Sophomore Emily Wenger, an All-CAA hurdler last year, is back in the 400 and 500 along with junior Maya Hinton and senior Katie Salke, also a pentathlon competitor. Salke is being counted on for top places in the 60 hurdles. Salke is running indoors but will redshirt the outdoor season.
Joining Austin in the jumps is veteran Jessica Cooke, another pentathlon and heptathlon competitor. Freshman Lindsay Pinckney of Springbrook H.S. was the Maryland State 4A long jump champ as a sophomore with a jump of 17' 7".
There's plenty of depth in the triple jump with sophomore Vanessa Pierre, Salke and Austin pounding down the ramp.
The high jump is in the capable hands of senior Ashley Dabney, an ECAC qualifier, and junior Evan Campbell. Both have cleared the bar at 5' 7" during their careers. Campbell's 5' 7" at the Thomson Invitational was the top height hit by any CAA jumper last winter. Freshman Michelle Keller from Liberty High School was a county high jump champ who finished second in the Maryland 2A State meet with 5' 5" leap. In addition, she was the runner up in the outdoor shot put at 37' 2.5".
Junior Emilee Petti is back as the Tigers' top returning pole vaulter (10' 0") but freshman Maggie Rampolla from Maryvale Prep is a serious challenger. Rampolla was unbeaten in the pole vault last spring, winning the IAAM title with a private school conference record 11' 6" vault. That would put her second on Towson's all-time list. Also, freshman Amanda Eng from Liberty High School is a contender. Eng won the MVAL Piedmont Indoor Pole Vault title last winter and was third in the Maryland State 2A championships at 9' 6".
Junior Melissa Shirley is back as the top thrower. She'll be joined in the 20 lb. weight throw and shot put by freshmen Leone Evans-Anfom of Thomas Johnson and Jader Godsey of Mt. Hebron. Evans-Anfom was third in last year's Maryland State Indoor championships with a shot put of 37' 11".
