Men’s team heads to championships focused on taking SoCon triple crown

Chris Boyce - Sports Beat

As today’s 2002 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships get under way, only one question will remain.

Can they do it again?

The Appalachian State University men’s track and field team has a perfect 2-0 mark in SoCon championships this season, a record they hope to further perfect by capturing the triple crown of collegiate running.

Winners of both of this season’s cross country and indoor track championships, the men’s team will go for it all today and through the end of the championships Saturday.

Another victory would further highlight what have been several years of complete and utter dominance in the sport, giving Appalachian State five victories in the last six SoCon competitions over the last two seasons.

For both the men’s and the women’s team the chief competitor, as usual, will be the Western Carolina University Catamounts.

Appalachian head track and field coach John Weaver thinks both teams have a legitimate chance to win, but depth on the men’s team could provide the Mountaineers with an advantage against their opponents.

“Our strength is that we’re pretty well balanced,” said Weaver. “We have pretty decent depth on the men’s side but on the women’s we may not have quite the depth in all the events we really need, so it’ll be a little tougher.”

Numerous Mountaineers have made contributions this season, including consistent senior Ryan Linebarger in the hurdles and sophomore Bob Smith in throw events.

The real strength of this year’s squad lies in its sprinters. The NCAA-qualifying Ernest Wiggins along with sophomore Jason Green and freshman Reggie Williams makes this one of the most talented group of sprinters ever seen at Appalachian State.

Weaver expects all three to potentially make an impact at the NCAA Championships on May 28 in Baton Rouge, La.

“It’s fun to go there. You’re among the elite in the United States for NCAA Division I, and so it’s great just to be there and know that you’re good enough to be there,” said Weaver.

In addition to Linebarger, Smith and the three sprinters, Weaver expects both Tondra and Ronda White and Suzanne Makinson to qualify for their respective events.

But for now, the concentration is set on winning tomorrow’s championships, not the NCAA Championships.

And for the men, the three-peat.

“It’s always special when you’re able to do that. I think they’re taking up the test for that, and I think they’ll be up for it. I think our athletes really want that and they want to be able to say that they won all three in one year.”

And although the men’s team has enjoyed repeated and unrivaled success lately, there is no sense of complacency or routine in competing for conference championships.

“Before that, we didn’t win one for three or four straight times. We’ve got a nice streak going, the kids have performed very well, but just like anything else, streaks end. We’re just gonna try to keep it going as long as possible,” said Weaver.

Weaver attributes his team’s success over the last couple of years to the caliber of athlete they have been able to bring to Boone.

“We’re just lucky to have some good athletes that have decided to come to Appalachian both athletically and academically. They all work hard and want to accomplish these goals,” said Weaver.

The 2002 Southern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships begin today and conclude Saturday after the men’s 4x400 relay at 3:50 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony.