Hamline University men’s track team and their coach, Paul Schmaedeke, have set the same two goals it has for many years. The first is to be the best team Hamline can be at the outdoor conference meet in May. The second is to send as many athletes to the national championships as possible. Last year, the Pipers placed seventh at the MIAC indoor conference championships and fifth at the MIAC outdoor championships.
“Our coaching staff if very excited about the coming track season,” Schmaedeke said. “We have one of the largest groups of track and field athletes in the history of Hamline University. Not only is it one of our largest teams, it is also a highly committed team. Numerous individuals across a range of events have prepared hard and well for the coming season. It will be fun to see what we will be able to accomplish as a team and as individuals with this level of preparation and dedication.”
Senior co-captains Dave Brosnahan (Spirit Lake, Iowa), Ralph Rosario (St. Paul, Minn), and Jeff Metzdorff (Wadena, Minn.) will be depended on for points and leadership this season. While Brosnahan looks to improve on his seventh place finish in the decathlon in 2004, Rosario and Metzdorff will be staring down tough throwing and distance competition, respectively. Rosario placed eighth in the discus (42.27 meters) and just missed qualifying for the conference finals in the hammer. Metzdorff, who placed 67th at the cross country nationals this fall and scored in the 5,000-meter (third) and 10,000-meter (sixth) runs last spring, will be supported by strong sophomore runners Tony Klappa (Hopkins, Minn.) and Chris Lutz (Pine City, Minn.). Klappa was fifth (seventh indoors) in the 1,500-meter run and Lutz was seventh in the 5,000-meter run. Additional distance runners set to compete this season include juniors Mark Bowden (Maple Grove, Minn.), Ned Branigan (Roseville, Minn.), Alexander Brylev (Moscow, Russia), Eric Langsev (Bricelyn, Minn.), Josh Piotrowski (Wausau, Wis.), sophomores Ryan Beckman (Lake City, Minn.), Travis Bristow (Pine River, Minn.), Lars Seljevold (Moorhead, Minn.), Chris Yotter (Annandale, Minn.), and first-year athletes Paul Comery (Portland, Ore.), Brandon Gleason (Mantorville, Minn.), Dan Peterson (Edina, Minn.), and Dan Steinbrecher (Hinckley, Minn.).
Rosario is one member of a solid team of throwers including juniors Jake Courrier (Wells, Minn.) and Rob Oliva (Howard Lake, Minn.), and sophomore Drew Jones (Coon Rapids, Minn.). Oliva scored points at the outdoor conference meet in the hammer (eighth). Courrier finished fifth in the discus and the shot put at the outdoor championships last season. As a first-year, Jones threw the shot 13.32 meters placing sixth (outdoor), directly behind teammate Courrier. Jones placed fifth in the shot put during the indoor championships with a throw of 14.24 meters. Senior John Aurentz (Monticello, Minn.), and first-years Gerald Wallace (Duluth, Minn.) and Patrick Mitambo (Minneapolis, Minn.) are developing throwers that will compete in 2005.
Hamline’s sprinting speed will come from returning sophomores Adam Lehner (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Shawn Smith (Blue Earth, Minn.) as well as first-year Grant McDonald (Mound, Minn.) and Mankato State University sophomore transfer Ben Ganske (Eau Claire, Wis.). Also competing in sprint events this season will be juniors Jermaine Davis (Roseville, Minn.) and Mike Dugas (Coon Rapids, Minn.), and first-year runners Jason Engedal (Eau Claire, Wis.), Chris Hubert (Lester Prairie, Minn.), Dan Sullivan (West St. Paul, Minn.), and Anthony Wilson (Minneapolis, Minn.).
Sophomore Jake Kruger (Cascade, Wis.) pole vaulted over 15 feet in 2004, and has great potential to improve this season. First-year Isaac Fordyce (Atwater, Minn.), a third place finisher at last spring’s Minnesota Class A High School State Championships, will add depth for the Pipers in this event. Following Krueger and Fordyce’s lead, sophomore Phil Brondyke (New Brighton, Minn.) and first-year Julian Borgia (Edina, Minn.) are working hard to break into the competitive MIAC field. Senior Mark Jones (Cottage Grove, Minn.), sophomore Aaron Smith (Mahtomedi, Minn.), and first-year Brandon Johnson (North St. Paul, Minn.) will jump for the Pipers while seniors Chris Fream (Shoreview, Minn.) and junior Josh Johnson (Worthington, Minn.) handle the hurdle events. First-year Edwin Elfmann (Maple Lake, Minn.) will compete in multi-event this season.
This team will have to fill the gaps left by graduated senior Will Sallee, who single-handedly won three outdoor events last year, to steal a much-desired fourth place finish at the outdoor championships. Last year’s crew missed this mark by 1.5 points.
The Hamline Pipers are focused on performing well at the outdoor championships this spring, and will use the indoor championships in March as a “mid-term exam” to determine progress made. Much can happen in a long season, but, traditionally, the Pipers have found a way to be their best when it matters most – the MIAC conference championships in May.
