The men's track team is headed to Texas this weekend in their second meet of the outdoor season and has high hopes to excel and gain a few regional-qualifying marks. Though the team is sending only seven participants to this weekend's events, it has an optimistic outlook.
Head coach Ed Nuttycombe's expectations for this weekend are set high for the seven athletes going to the meet, which includes jumpers Alonzo Moore and Rick Bellford, sprinter Demi Omole and the 4-by-400 team of Joe Detmer, Scott Hogseth, James Groce and Luke Hoenecke.
"We're taking Alonzo Moore and Rick Bellford in the long and triple jump. Demi Omole is going to run the 100, and we're taking a 4-by-400. We're only taking seven people and they're all very good, high-level athletes," Nuttycombe said, "and so … even though [the group]'s small, I hope we get some things done with these guys."
Detmer is one of the members of the 4-by-400-meter relay team expected to excel this weekend.
"For this weekend, I wouldn't say that I'm 100 percent because I've been mostly focusing on my [decathlon] events, and this weekend I'm running the 4-by-400, so we'll see how we do," Detmer said this of his race.
Even though Detmer believes he is not at full strength, he still has high hopes to do well this weekend.
"We're just going to try to do what we can do and hopefully qualify," Detmer said.
Detmer has provisionally qualified in the decathlon for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"It was a good job for Joe Detmer this early in the year. I think that bodes well for him later on," said Nuttycombe.
By qualifying early in the outdoor season, Detmer can participate in other events where the team needs him. "We're trying to qualify this weekend for regions, and so were trying to put a good 4-by-400 [meters] together." He had most of the winter to prepare for the outdoor season after redshirting his indoor season. Detmer's outdoor season has gotten off to a good start. "[I'm] just getting back into it. I redshirted indoor [season]. [I'm] just getting back into the competing thing. It's not too bad, though."
After a successful indoor season, the bar is set high for Omole in the outdoor season. During the indoor season, the junior was the Big Ten champion in the 60 meters, while at the national indoor championships, he finished third in running a quick 6.64 seconds. Omole will run the 100 meters this weekend in Texas.
Moore, a senior, will see some action as well this weekend participating in the triple jump. Moore finished 10th in the triple jump at 51 feet, four inches at the indoor national championships. Moore hopes to jump better than that this weekend. Moore's personal record for the triple jump is 53 feet, nine inches.
Team captain Bellford ran on the 4-by-100-meter team last weekend that took second with a time of 40.31 seconds, qualifying them for the NCAA Mideast Regional. Bellford hopes to pull off a high mark to gain his own qualifying mark in the long jump this weekend.
Nuttycombe is confident in his small team and says they are ready to compete. "I think they're ready. I think they're excited. They know that this is one of the better, bigger, high-powered early-season meets. I think they're ready and they'll do well."
