2006 Track and Field - Track Cougars Look to Improve on Record-Breaking 2005 Season

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January 9, 2006

Track Cougars Look to Improve on Record-Breaking 2005 Season
        (EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The 2006 SIUE men’s track team will have its hands full attempting to live up to the standards that have come in recent seasons.
        The 2005 season saw the team crowned as repeat champions in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Outdoor Championships and produced an incredible 12 All-Americans. The 2006 team will be looking to build on that unparalleled success with many of the key contributors returning with eyes set even higher.
        “Our men have always been very competitive, and I look forward to big performances from them in big meets,” said men’s track coach David Astrauskas. For the second year in a row, Astrauskas is joined on the staff by assistant men’s coach and head women’s coach Ben Beyers and assistant coach Eileen McAllister. “I look forward to this year because our roster has a good mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen who can get the job done.”
        Several key returnees and newcomers on the team will be integral in reaching higher levels of excellence in 2006. “We are returning some very talented people, and we believe that our exposure to national-level track and field will only serve to make us tougher both mentally and physically once we get to the bigger stages,” said Beyers. “I think the guys got a little taste last year, and now their hunger for even more could propel them to great things.”
        In the sprint, hurdle, and jumping events, the Cougars are stronger and deeper than ever. “Last year was sort of a breakout year for this group of guys,” said Beyers. “We return everyone to this group except Jeff Fearday who was the rock of this group last year. From a depth and an experience standpoint though, this could be an even bigger year for this area of our team.”
        This area is led by junior Jonathan Bannister (Plano, Texas). Bannister is a three-time All-American and received the 2005 GLVC Outdoor Athlete of the Year award last season after winning three events and setting three conference records in the process during the league’s meet. He was also named the team’s Co-MVP during the 2005 season. Bannister took home six conference championships and set six school records in those events during 2005.
        “Jonathan was recovering from knee surgery during the 2004 season, so he was never really able to show people what he was capable of doing,” noted Beyers. “Last season, he was extremely motivated and worked diligently to make a name for himself. Now that he’s done that, he’ll need to work even harder to reach the goals he has set for himself.”
        Joining Bannister in this area is senior Brad Blevins (Gillespie). Last year, Blevins was a part of the conference champion 800-meter relay indoors and helped set school records in the 800-meter relay both indoors and outdoors and the 400-meter relay outdoors. Blevins was the 2004 GLVC champion in the 55-meter dash and will look to contribute in the short sprints as well as the relays. Dustin Bilbruck also returns for his senior season after winning the conference long jump title outdoors last season and indoors in 2004.
        Kyle Rose (Kankakee) is another returning All-American, having finished sixth last year at the national meet in the indoor 400 meter dash as a freshman. In addition, Rose set seven school records and ran a leg on the 1,600-meter relay team that earned All-American honors both indoors and outdoors last season. “Kyle is just starting to prove to himself and everyone what he is capable of acommplishing,” says Beyers. “His talent is immense, and he’s beginning to learn to work into that talent to maximize his efforts.”
        Joining Rose on the 4 x 400 team that earned All-American honors was Chris Wright (Richton Park). Wright, a sophomore, was injured during much of the 2005 season but still managed to earn All-GLVC honors in the outdoor 1,600-meter relay in addition to being named an All-American.
        Anthony Weber (Marengo) was a national qualifier last season in the pole vault and will look to crack the ranks of the nation’s elite during his junior season. Joining the returnees are Aaron Cook (Moline) in the hurdles and jumps; Jason Hall (Chicago) in the sprints; and Anthony Hyatt (Newton) in the sprints and jumps.
        These returnees will be joined by a strong group of freshman newcomers. Chris Littleton (Champaign) in the sprints, Alex Kwiatkowski (Granite City) in the hurdles and jumps; Mike Horejs (Glendale Heights) in the hurdles, sprints, and jumps; Nick Schaecher (Kewanee) in the jumps, and Brent Rehkemper (Highland) in the sprints, were all very successful high school athletes and will be looked at to contribute heavily.
        Another area that promises to stay strong this year is the distance areas. Brian Taghon (East Moline) returns for his senior season. Taghon was crowned conference champion and provisionally qualified for nationals last season in the indoor mile and during the 2004 outdoor season in the 1,500-meter run and the 3000-meter steeplechase.
        Taghon is coming off arguably his most successful cross country season having earned his second trip to the cross country national meet this past season.
        Cody Ellermeyer (DuQuoin) returns for his junior season after provisionally qualifying for nationals as a freshman in both the indoor and outdoor 800. However, his 2005 season was marked by illness. “Cody was never really able to feel like himself,” noted Beyers. “I know he’s got some big goals for this season, and we’re all excited to see him have some more success.”
        Erik Steffens (Moline) returns after a strong freshmen year that saw him earn All-GLVC honors at 1,500 meters. Ryan Nowakowski (Rochester) is a sophomore that was relatively new at 800 meters last season but still had success in that event. In addition, Nowakowski earned All-American honors running a leg on the indoor 1,600-meter relay. Joining these four as returnees will be Trae Cotner (Springfield), Josh Bozue (Fairborne, Ohio), Blake Marcum (Centralia), Keith Patten (O’Fallon), Justin Crain (McLeansboro), and Brian Getz (East Moline).
        Complementing the returnees in this group are freshmen newcomers Aaron Wilson (Chicago), Kyle Cameron (East Moline), Martin Copeland (Alton), Marc Corcoran (Rockford), and Steve Werths (Granite City). Wilson earned All-State honors during his junior season at 800 meters, finishing seventh. Cameron finished 12th his senior season in the state cross country meet.
        The throwing events will look to stay strong after losing two-time All-American Lee Weeden to graduation last season. This group returns four seniors and will look to utilize its experience to help push its successes even higher.
        Phil Freimuth (Effingham) and Dustin Bilbruck (Gillespie) will look to push for even more success in the javelin. Freimuth, a senior, is the two-time defending conference champion and a national qualifier in the javelin. Bilbruck took All-GLVC honors in that event the last two seasons as well. “Freimuth and Bilbruck are both 200-plus javelin throwers which will give us a big one-two punch in that event,” said Astrauskas.
        Ben Willard (Manito) returns for his senior year after a junior season that saw him earn All-Conference honors in both the indoor and outdoor shot put. Another senior is Steve Landers (Auburn), who earned All-GLVC honors in the discus last season.
        In addition to these four seniors, two freshmen will join this group. Derek Rensing (Granite City) and Kris Kombrink (O’Fallon) will look both to contribute and to gain experience this season and look to take over next year as the leaders of the throwing area.
        “The SIUE track and field program has had some success in years past, and I look forward to another challenging season,” Astrauskas said. “We have a great group of athletes this year.” The Cougars open their 2006 season Friday at the Missouri Invitational in Columbia, Mo.

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