Q & A with Behrend Track and Field Coach Greg
Cooper
What
are your general thoughts on the season so far? Where do you feel
like your team stands right now?
We have had a good start
to this season so far. Currently, we have broken three outdoor
records with ten ECAC qualifiers, and I anticipate more to come. We
are now preparing for the Mason-Dixon conference meet and we should
be competitive with both our women's and men's teams.
Who is performing particularly well for the team right now?
So far, Mike Ferraro has
been outstanding. Mike broke the 100m record in his first attempt,
and in the second meet anchored the men's 4x100m relay team with
Doug Stevenson, Phil Stuczynski, and Vinnie Krawiec to a Behrend
record in the 4x100m. The women's side has been lead by Kim Chapman
who has qualified for ECAC's in the 400m intermediate hurdles for
the second consecutive year, as well as the 4x100m relay with
Virginia Rodgers-Owens, Caitlin Bahr, and Lauren Kremm. We have
also had some outstanding performances from Lisa Brozewicz in the
3000m steeplechase, Carolyn Carter in the shot put, Jessica Kloecker
in the high jump, Rodgers-Owens in the 100m, Dan Mitchell in the
javelin, and Jon McKinney in the triple jump.
How does
this year's team compare against teams from the past few seasons?
This team is very
competitive. In the past few years we have graduated some
outstanding athletes, but the team this year is stepping right in to
fill the holes, and in some areas is standing out above the others.
What has been the highlight of the season so far?
Our women's team was
sixth and our men's team was eighth at the Western PA Championships,
and second and third respectively out of Division III competition.
At the meet, we set two school records, and had an individual
champion beat some very tough competition.
What will be the biggest challenge for your team the rest of the
season?
Our biggest challenge
will be weather. We have already missed one meet due to the weather
conditions, but good weather will help our athletes to great
performance times and distances.
What are your expectations for the end of the season and into the
championships?
In the next two weeks, we
look to go to Slippery Rock and Westminster for invitationals and to
try to get more people qualified for the ECAC and NCAA
Championships. After that, we will travel to Salisbury University
in Maryland to compete in the Mason-Dixon Championship, and look to
improve on our fifth place finishes for both men and women from last
season. After that we will compete at the ECAC Championships and
NCAA Championships where our main focus will be helping Behrend
student-athletes to All-ECAC and All-American performances.
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