Track & Field Opens Indoor Season Friday Evening

Dec. 3, 2009

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University men's and women's track and field teams open the 2009-10 indoor season Friday at the Blue and Gold Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind.

The field events begin at 4 p.m. Central Time with the women's high jump and men's pole vault, along with both long jumps and the weight throw.

In the women's high jump, Erynn James will look to best her school record after a healthy offseason of conditioning.

"Erynn was out all summer and fall last year and it was around this time that she really started training," head coach Bert Rogers said. "She is way ahead of the game and has been looking really good in practice."

Freshman Ron Vick from Morton Grove, Ill. will try to make up for the loss of graduated senior Nick Van Deraa in the pole vault. Vick is the lone men's vaulter on the roster this season.

Senior Rachel Thiel, after redshirting the 2008 indoor season, looks to move up the MU top-10 list in both the shot put and weight throw. Thiel currently sits fourth in the shot put with a top heave of 47 feet, 4.5 inches which she recorded in 2008. Kelly Corcoran will be the only other thrower competing for the MU women during the indoor season.

Closing out the field events at 5:30 p.m. will be sophomore Lauren Darnall and senior Carrie Schmid in the pole vault. Schmid will attempt to better her school record in event after a year spent redshirting.

Making his MU debut in the men's high jump is freshman Cheldon Brown. Brown, a 6'10" high jumper in the prep ranks will look to make an impact early for the Golden Eagles.

"Cheldon, in terms of raw talent, is the best incoming jumper that I have seen here," Rogers said. "He has got some springs which are pretty impressive. Right now we are working on the technical aspects of things. We will see how this indoor season goes, but I would expect that he is going to be jumping pretty high."

Action on the track will kick off at 5 p.m. with the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles and conclude following the men's 4x400-meter relay at 7:45 p.m.

At 7 p.m., junior Tyler O'Brien along with Jay Emmer, Michael O'Brien and freshman Jeff Pugh will take part in the 200-meter dash. Tyler O'Brien, broke Ralph Metcalfe's Marquette record in the 200 meters at the Blue and Gold Invitational in 2007 in his first collegiate meet.

The meet will include student-athletes from DePaul, Detroit and Notre Dame, in addition to Marquette.