2004 Track and Field - Cougars Start Defense of GLVC Crowns

		Track and Field	SIUE Track and Field SIUE Athletics

January 11, 2005

Cougars Start Defense of GLVC Crowns

        Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men’s track & field team will look to continue its success from 2004. Last season, the men’s team was crowned as champions in both the indoor and outdoor Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships.
        Despite some key losses, the teams have their sights set even higher, and appear to be well on their way to achieving some lofty goals for the 2005 campaign.
        This past off-season saw the loss of numerous key athletes for both the men’s and women’s team, but perhaps the biggest loss was the resignation of long-time coach Darryl Frerker.
        New men’s head coach David Astrauskas looks to keep the Cougars string of success going. He will be aided by new women’s head coach Ben Beyers, as well as Eileen McAllister, who will focus on the distance events, and Kevin Koller, graduate assistant.
        In the sprint, hurdle, and jumping events, the Cougars are stronger and deeper than ever. On the men’s side, Jeff Fearday (Teutopolis) returns for his senior year.
        Last year, Fearday was an All-Conference selection in the 400m Dash, and anchored both the conference champion 4 x 400m relay and the school-record 4 x 100m relay. Fearday was joined on the 4 x 100m relay by Brad Blevins (Gillespie). Blevins is also the defending conference champion in the 55m Dash.
        Phil Freimuth (Effingham) returns for his junior campaign and will be counted on heavily in the High Jump after All-Conference finishes in this event both indoors and outdoors last season after being crowned champion as a freshman.
        Dustin Bilbruck (Gillespie) also returns for his junior season after winning the conference Long Jump title indoors last season.
        In the hurdles, Jonathan Bannister (Plano, Texas) returns for his first full season in an SIUE uniform. After coming back from knee surgery in the fall, Bannister was able to garner All-Conference honors in the 110 Hurdles as well as lead off the conference champion 4 x 400m relay team.
        Jeff Papenberg (O’Fallon) and Jason Hall (Chicago) are two returnees that will also be looked at to contribute heavily in this area.
        These returnees will be joined by a very strong freshman nucleus of newcomers. Kyle Rose (Kankakee), Anthony Hyatt (Newton), and Matt Oskielunas (Frankfort) will do sprints. Aaron Cook (Moline), Wes Smith, and Chris Wright (Richton Par) will be involved in jumps. Ryan Nowakowski (Rochester) will help out in middle distance.
        Anthony Weber (Marengo) is a transfer from the University of Kansas will help out with the pole vault. Adam Losch (Pittsfield) and Sam Jones (Belleville) are both students who have come out for track in college for the first time this year, and will see lots of action.
        Another area that promises to stay strong this year is the distance areas. On the men’s side, Cody Ellermeyer (DuQuoin) returns for his sophomore season looking to defend his indoor conference title in the 800m Run. Ellermeyer was also a provisional national qualifier last season in both the indoor and outdoor 800, as well as a member of the Outdoor Conference Champion 4 x 400m relay team last season.
        Brian Taghon (East Moline) provisionally qualified for nationals last season in the outdoor 1500m Run, the 3000m Steeplechase, and was crowned as conference champion in the 5000m Run indoors.
        Ryan Boyll (Normal) enters his senior campaign after earning All-Conference honors in the 3000m Steeplechase last season and provisionally qualifying for nationals in that event last season.
        Joining these three as returnees will be Trae Cotner (Springfield), Josh Bozue (Fairborne, Ohio), and Nick Campbell (Charleston).
        Complementing the returnees in this group is a strong group of newcomers including Blake Marcum (Centralia), a transfer from McKendree College, Keith Patten (O’Fallon), Justin Crain (McLeansboro), a transfer from Rend Lake Junior College, Brian Getz (East Moline), and Eric Steffens (Moline).
        The throwing events again figure to be strong for the Cougar teams. On the men’s side, Lee Weeden (Ferguson, Mo) returns after taking the conference championship in the Shot Put both indoors and outdoors last season.
        Phil Freimuth and Dustin Bilbruck demonstrate their versatility, and will also be looked at here. Freimuth is the defending conference champion and provisional national qualifier in the Javelin, and Bilbruck took All-Conference honors in that event as well. Steve Landers (Auburn) and Ben Willard (Manito) will also contribute heavily in this area.
        The Cougars open their 2005 season January 15th at the Illinois Wesleyan Relays in Bloomington, Illinois.

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