Season PREVIEW
2006-07 MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Season PREVIEW CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW
The 2006 UMass cross country team will be made up of a strong nucleus of veteran runners aided by the addition of several talented newcomers. Head coach Ken O’Brien expects his group to be on the upswing and feels that his team has a great deal of depth that will help the team train to championship form throughout the season. “We have three returners who should lead the way anchored by our number one runner from last year, junior Nils Fischer. He is joined by his fellow classmate Ryan Durkin,” said O’Brien. “Our other top runner is sophomore Jesse Regnier who was our top freshmen a year ago. I think those three should be the team leaders heading into the season in terms of both running ability and leadership characteristics.” The trio will be bolstered by several incoming newcomers and returning veterans. “The second component of the team will be made up of mostly younger runners whether they be true freshmen like Nicolai Naranjo and Andrew McCann or even sophomores like Dan Moriarty who was solid last season as a freshman and did a great job training over the summer,” said O’Brien. O’Brien feels that his roster size and quality will give the Minutemen an advantage and that his top-five runners will be a strong pack from meet-to-meet. “We have between eight and ten people who could finish in our top five on any given day and in any given order. I think our depth will ensure that we have a quality group making up our top five runners in each meet.” The Minutemen return 12 veteran runners and add nine newcomers for 2006. Having a roster this size will certainly give UMass depth this season. “The depth we have this year will help us in several ways. Because we have depth and people of fairly even ability throughout the roster, it helps with the team’s competitiveness when we get to the championship races where we have limited entry spots,” said O’Brien.” “So I think it provides that internal team competition that encourages individual development. At the same time it gives us flexibility. If we suffer any injuries, having that depth it becomes easier to substitute people in and out of the lineup and we won’t see any major drop-offs. Being able to ‘platoon’ will keep us fresh and healthy, especially with the younger runners who are making the adjustment to collegiate running.”
Nils Fischer
O’Brien thinks there are several runners to keep on the ‘radar screen’ this season. “I think Nils Fischer and Jesse Regnier are certainly two of those people, but last season they were competing at a higher level than some of our other runners. Ryan Durkin did a great job last year and is one of our top milers,” said O’Brien. “But when we get to the longer distances and more hilly courses, Nils and Jesse will be our top guys. In terms of some of the younger guys, Nicolai Naranjo and Andrew McCann both come from excellent high school programs. They are runners who train for the championship races, not as a pipe dream, but because they expect to be there. That stems from their high school success and I think that will be beneficial to them at the collegiate level.” With that experience and influx of talent, O’Brien feels that this team has the potential to finish strong this season and build the foundation for future success. “I don’t think we would put this team in terms of some of our past groups who finished in the top-15 nationally because it is so young. In recent history where we had teams finish among the top-six in the conference, I think this group is better than those teams,” said O’Brien. “The conference overall has gotten much better as well to date. With at least another year of experience, I think this group can make that climb back to the top of the conference and back to the top of the New England region. The bulk of that success will depend on how quickly our younger people can adjust, but I think overall we are moving back into that top realm.”
TRACK PREVIEW
Like the cross country season, the track and field seasons look to unfold similarly with several top student-athletes providing consistent performances, stable leadership, and deep-rooted enthusiasm. “I think the track season will shake out much like the cross country season in that we know who are leaders are and we have younger performers who will make impacts for us. There is again some depth and that will promote internal competition and make us better overall,” said O’Brien. “We do have some holes that will hurt us, such as in the throws, but that is something we are addressing as we recruit. We have several sprinters who are good in a range of distances, but a probably better as a group in the relays than in certain events. Our distance events will continue to gain strength following the cross country season and we have several very good athletes in the jumps that can also cross over into the sprints and relay events.” Several of those leaders include Nathan Barksdale, James Godinho, Erik Hoagland, and Tyler Simpson. Godinho and Hoagland have garnered much of the press of late. Godinho is a past New England Champion and UMass record holder in the indoor 500 meters, while Hoagland burst onto the scene last year winning A-10 titles in the indoor long jump and triple jump and the outdoor triple jump. Barksdale and Simpson are both versatile athletes who give consistent performances in a range of events. “Nathan does a little more in the sprints for us than most, competing in everything from the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and 400 meter hurdles along with the relays. Tyler picked up the decathlon again last year after not competing in the event since his
Season Preview
Na
tha n tal Bark spr ente sdal e int ers d gro lead u sa thi s s p of eas on.
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2006 UMASS SOCCER 2006-07 MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
p) (to s e op are is-L land r r Ha oag top nny rik H Mass ers. a M dE fU p an o o g jum tw rnin u ret
10
freshman year and will give us some versatility there and in those related events,” said O’Brien. “Erik and James are both high-level competitors who I expect to continue along their same lines, but will help us with some of our younger athletes as well with their leadership qualities.” “I think some of our younger student-athletes who competed last year but maybe didn’t grab all of the headlines will contribute more this season and move up a few levels in terms of performances. We have some real enthusiastic leaders from top to bottom who can help bring this team along.” Two key characteristics of this season’s track and field teams are versatility and passion according to O’Brien. He feels he has a roster of student-athletes who are cross-trained in several events which will give the Minutemen depth across the board. Along with that, he sees passion for not only the sport, but for the team as well, to be a key ingredient to success. “Manny Harris-Lopes is one of the people who embody our versatility and passion,” said O’Brien. “He started out as a triple jumper and moved into our sprints and relay groups. He has done whatever he can to help the team. He is one of those who works to help and inspire those around him. He is just one of several people on this team who embody those two notions: versatility and passion. I think that is a contagious thing that carries over to whomever is around you. We have a lot of top athletes who are really committed to working hard individually, but at the same time helping their team get better. I think that provides us a really solid foundation. When some of our younger athletes or those who aren’t necessarily as talented see that sort of attitude from our top guys, it motivates them to work harder and they have a better time during the course of the season.” With a season of experience under their belts, O’Brien feels Harris-Lopes is one of a handful of Minutemen who could have breakout campaigns this year. “As I mentioned before, Manny is one of our leaders who should do well this season. He really took on a leadership role last year, but as the year wore on he struggled a bit because he had been out of track and field for a year or so. I don’t think that will be the case this year. He is so into his sport and his teammates that I think with that experience from last year he will make that jump into one of our elite performer.” Along with Harris-Lopes, O’Brien thinks sophomores Mark Anderson, Steve Gerome and Kevin Ianetta are poised to do good things in 2007. “Mark had a good freshman year last indoor season in the high jump and working in the high hurdles. He finished third at the indoor conference meet in the high jump, but missed most of the outdoor season with injury. Steve was one of our top scorers in the long jumps, sprints and hurdles, while Kevin was a conference scorer in the 400 meter hurdles and scored in several events throughout the season. He should be one of our leading contributors in the 4x400 meter relay.” The middle distance group is one that O’Brien also singles out. “We have a good middle distance group led by Zack Przysiecki, Kevin Murphy, David Lopes, and Peter Fortunato that will form the backbone of those events as well as the 4x800 meter relay and the distance medley relay.” Several newcomers should make immediate impacts and fill some voids from a season ago.
“It is an interesting group of newcomers this year,” said O’Brien. “We have a lot of guys who were good performers at the state level meets in high school. They possess some very good upside potential.” A trend O’Brien expects to see this year will be older, veteran athletes mentoring the newcomers and helping introduce them to a variety of events to expand their skills. “Sam Laorenza is one of those. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school who competed in the long jump and 400 meters and I think he will improve with the influences that Erik Hoagland and James Godinho will provide,” said O’Brien. “Andrew O’Donnell and Patrick Phelan, primarily 400 meter and 500 meter runners in high school will be helped by athletes like Peter Fortunato who is one of our 800 meter and 1,000 meter guys. That will give them a nice range to begin working with.” “Ian Hackney and Brian Miller are both versatile athletes who will help us in the sprints. They are coming from programs where they were just starting to really develop and I think they will help us where we had some gaps.” This outdoor season, UMass fans will get the chance to see the track and field team in action at home – something they have not been able to do in over a decade. With the completion of UMass’ new track and field complex, the Minutemen will host three outdoor meets this spring. Along with the completion of the facility, O’Brien feels hosting the meets will provide another spark for the team. “It’s one of those things that has been building over the last several years, so I think it is going to be exciting for all involved. Our returners have enjoyed practicing at the new complex and I think that has really motivated them. It has certainly helped us in terms of recruiting as well,” said O’Brien. “The momentum that the project has had over the last several years is really starting to pay dividends for us. Having those home meets will give us a true home field advantage that will inject some more excitement and passion into our team. For our newcomers those meets will certainly be exciting, but even for our veterans because these will also be the first home meets of their careers. The new track has helped us in two distinct ways because our veterans are excited by having the facility and it was a big reason a lot of our freshmen came here.”
Erik Hoagland
Season Preview
Season PREVIEW CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW
The 2006 UMass cross country team will be made up of a strong nucleus of veteran runners aided by the addition of several talented newcomers. Head coach Ken O’Brien expects his group to be on the upswing and feels that his team has a great deal of depth that will help the team train to championship form throughout the season. “We have three returners who should lead the way anchored by our number one runner from last year, junior Nils Fischer. He is joined by his fellow classmate Ryan Durkin,” said O’Brien. “Our other top runner is sophomore Jesse Regnier who was our top freshmen a year ago. I think those three should be the team leaders heading into the season in terms of both running ability and leadership characteristics.” The trio will be bolstered by several incoming newcomers and returning veterans. “The second component of the team will be made up of mostly younger runners whether they be true freshmen like Nicolai Naranjo and Andrew McCann or even sophomores like Dan Moriarty who was solid last season as a freshman and did a great job training over the summer,” said O’Brien. O’Brien feels that his roster size and quality will give the Minutemen an advantage and that his top-five runners will be a strong pack from meet-to-meet. “We have between eight and ten people who could finish in our top five on any given day and in any given order. I think our depth will ensure that we have a quality group making up our top five runners in each meet.” The Minutemen return 12 veteran runners and add nine newcomers for 2006. Having a roster this size will certainly give UMass depth this season. “The depth we have this year will help us in several ways. Because we have depth and people of fairly even ability throughout the roster, it helps with the team’s competitiveness when we get to the championship races where we have limited entry spots,” said O’Brien.” “So I think it provides that internal team competition that encourages individual development. At the same time it gives us flexibility. If we suffer any injuries, having that depth it becomes easier to substitute people in and out of the lineup and we won’t see any major drop-offs. Being able to ‘platoon’ will keep us fresh and healthy, especially with the younger runners who are making the adjustment to collegiate running.”
Nils Fischer
O’Brien thinks there are several runners to keep on the ‘radar screen’ this season. “I think Nils Fischer and Jesse Regnier are certainly two of those people, but last season they were competing at a higher level than some of our other runners. Ryan Durkin did a great job last year and is one of our top milers,” said O’Brien. “But when we get to the longer distances and more hilly courses, Nils and Jesse will be our top guys. In terms of some of the younger guys, Nicolai Naranjo and Andrew McCann both come from excellent high school programs. They are runners who train for the championship races, not as a pipe dream, but because they expect to be there. That stems from their high school success and I think that will be beneficial to them at the collegiate level.” With that experience and influx of talent, O’Brien feels that this team has the potential to finish strong this season and build the foundation for future success. “I don’t think we would put this team in terms of some of our past groups who finished in the top-15 nationally because it is so young. In recent history where we had teams finish among the top-six in the conference, I think this group is better than those teams,” said O’Brien. “The conference overall has gotten much better as well to date. With at least another year of experience, I think this group can make that climb back to the top of the conference and back to the top of the New England region. The bulk of that success will depend on how quickly our younger people can adjust, but I think overall we are moving back into that top realm.”
TRACK PREVIEW
Like the cross country season, the track and field seasons look to unfold similarly with several top student-athletes providing consistent performances, stable leadership, and deep-rooted enthusiasm. “I think the track season will shake out much like the cross country season in that we know who are leaders are and we have younger performers who will make impacts for us. There is again some depth and that will promote internal competition and make us better overall,” said O’Brien. “We do have some holes that will hurt us, such as in the throws, but that is something we are addressing as we recruit. We have several sprinters who are good in a range of distances, but a probably better as a group in the relays than in certain events. Our distance events will continue to gain strength following the cross country season and we have several very good athletes in the jumps that can also cross over into the sprints and relay events.” Several of those leaders include Nathan Barksdale, James Godinho, Erik Hoagland, and Tyler Simpson. Godinho and Hoagland have garnered much of the press of late. Godinho is a past New England Champion and UMass record holder in the indoor 500 meters, while Hoagland burst onto the scene last year winning A-10 titles in the indoor long jump and triple jump and the outdoor triple jump. Barksdale and Simpson are both versatile athletes who give consistent performances in a range of events. “Nathan does a little more in the sprints for us than most, competing in everything from the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and 400 meter hurdles along with the relays. Tyler picked up the decathlon again last year after not competing in the event since his
Season Preview
Na
tha n tal Bark spr ente sdal e int ers d gro lead u sa thi s s p of eas on.
9
2006 UMASS SOCCER 2006-07 MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
p) (to s e op are is-L land r r Ha oag top nny rik H Mass ers. a M dE fU p an o o g jum tw rnin u ret
10
freshman year and will give us some versatility there and in those related events,” said O’Brien. “Erik and James are both high-level competitors who I expect to continue along their same lines, but will help us with some of our younger athletes as well with their leadership qualities.” “I think some of our younger student-athletes who competed last year but maybe didn’t grab all of the headlines will contribute more this season and move up a few levels in terms of performances. We have some real enthusiastic leaders from top to bottom who can help bring this team along.” Two key characteristics of this season’s track and field teams are versatility and passion according to O’Brien. He feels he has a roster of student-athletes who are cross-trained in several events which will give the Minutemen depth across the board. Along with that, he sees passion for not only the sport, but for the team as well, to be a key ingredient to success. “Manny Harris-Lopes is one of the people who embody our versatility and passion,” said O’Brien. “He started out as a triple jumper and moved into our sprints and relay groups. He has done whatever he can to help the team. He is one of those who works to help and inspire those around him. He is just one of several people on this team who embody those two notions: versatility and passion. I think that is a contagious thing that carries over to whomever is around you. We have a lot of top athletes who are really committed to working hard individually, but at the same time helping their team get better. I think that provides us a really solid foundation. When some of our younger athletes or those who aren’t necessarily as talented see that sort of attitude from our top guys, it motivates them to work harder and they have a better time during the course of the season.” With a season of experience under their belts, O’Brien feels Harris-Lopes is one of a handful of Minutemen who could have breakout campaigns this year. “As I mentioned before, Manny is one of our leaders who should do well this season. He really took on a leadership role last year, but as the year wore on he struggled a bit because he had been out of track and field for a year or so. I don’t think that will be the case this year. He is so into his sport and his teammates that I think with that experience from last year he will make that jump into one of our elite performer.” Along with Harris-Lopes, O’Brien thinks sophomores Mark Anderson, Steve Gerome and Kevin Ianetta are poised to do good things in 2007. “Mark had a good freshman year last indoor season in the high jump and working in the high hurdles. He finished third at the indoor conference meet in the high jump, but missed most of the outdoor season with injury. Steve was one of our top scorers in the long jumps, sprints and hurdles, while Kevin was a conference scorer in the 400 meter hurdles and scored in several events throughout the season. He should be one of our leading contributors in the 4x400 meter relay.” The middle distance group is one that O’Brien also singles out. “We have a good middle distance group led by Zack Przysiecki, Kevin Murphy, David Lopes, and Peter Fortunato that will form the backbone of those events as well as the 4x800 meter relay and the distance medley relay.” Several newcomers should make immediate impacts and fill some voids from a season ago.
“It is an interesting group of newcomers this year,” said O’Brien. “We have a lot of guys who were good performers at the state level meets in high school. They possess some very good upside potential.” A trend O’Brien expects to see this year will be older, veteran athletes mentoring the newcomers and helping introduce them to a variety of events to expand their skills. “Sam Laorenza is one of those. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school who competed in the long jump and 400 meters and I think he will improve with the influences that Erik Hoagland and James Godinho will provide,” said O’Brien. “Andrew O’Donnell and Patrick Phelan, primarily 400 meter and 500 meter runners in high school will be helped by athletes like Peter Fortunato who is one of our 800 meter and 1,000 meter guys. That will give them a nice range to begin working with.” “Ian Hackney and Brian Miller are both versatile athletes who will help us in the sprints. They are coming from programs where they were just starting to really develop and I think they will help us where we had some gaps.” This outdoor season, UMass fans will get the chance to see the track and field team in action at home – something they have not been able to do in over a decade. With the completion of UMass’ new track and field complex, the Minutemen will host three outdoor meets this spring. Along with the completion of the facility, O’Brien feels hosting the meets will provide another spark for the team. “It’s one of those things that has been building over the last several years, so I think it is going to be exciting for all involved. Our returners have enjoyed practicing at the new complex and I think that has really motivated them. It has certainly helped us in terms of recruiting as well,” said O’Brien. “The momentum that the project has had over the last several years is really starting to pay dividends for us. Having those home meets will give us a true home field advantage that will inject some more excitement and passion into our team. For our newcomers those meets will certainly be exciting, but even for our veterans because these will also be the first home meets of their careers. The new track has helped us in two distinct ways because our veterans are excited by having the facility and it was a big reason a lot of our freshmen came here.”
Erik Hoagland
Season Preview
