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Season in Review
June 10, 2006
MEADVILLE, Pa. – The men’s track and field team had another outstanding season. The Gators exceeded even the highest expectations, four-peating at both the NCAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, finishing first in the region and in the top 20 in the country in the national power rankings, and collecting the team’s 18th All-America performance from senior javelin thrower Vince Werner.
The indoor season got off to a fast start, and was highlighted by the NCAC Championships, where the Gators won easily with a record score of 213 points. Ryan Place was named the Distance Athlete of the Meet, Sean Laird the Field Event Athlete of the Meet, and head coach Bill Ross the NCAC Coach of the Year. Place picked up three conference championships in the two days, in the 5,000-meter run (15:03.07) on Friday night and in the mile (4:23.70) and the 3,000-meter run (8:30.85) on Saturday. His time in the mile was a conference meet and school record. Laird placed second in the high jump (6-2), third in the long jump (21-3.5) and sixth in the triple jump (41-0). In addition to Place’s trio of wins, Pat Confer won the shot put with toss of 47-5 and Conrad Rapp won the pole vault by clearing 14-4. Overall, the team had 21 top-three efforts.
“The men performed at their potential at the meet,” said Ross. “It was nice to see 21 All-Conference finishes by the men.”
For the outdoor season, the NCAC Championships were again the highlight, with the team setting another record point total, this one 237.50. Ross was named the NCAC Coach of the Year, and 18 different Gator athletes earned All-NCAC honors by virtue of placing in the top three. Allegheny’s six wins came from Conrad Rapp in the pole vault (14-3.25), Werner in the javelin (188-6), Chris Carrier in the 10,000 (32:10.92), Frank Tupta in the shot put (48-11.75), and Place in both the 1,500 (3:59.56) and the 5,000 (15:22.04).
“Once again, the men ran their best meet at the conference championships,” noted the head coach. “I didn’t foresee it being this easy to win conference again this next year, and it won’t happen again, as the conference as a whole is getting stronger every single year.”
The season wasn’t done yet for Allegheny though, as NCAA provisional qualifiers Place (5,000 - 14:34.01), Werner (javelin - 197-0), Garrett Piispanen (800 - 1:53.40), and Ben Mourer (5,000 - 14:42.51) were looking to make the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship field. Place and Werner each made the cut, Place going on to take 14th in the 5,000 and Werner throwing a season best 198-0 to take 7th in the javelin. Werner’s effort made him Allegheny’s third All-America javelin thrower and the Gators’ 10th different male All-America track and field athlete.
“It was nice to have four guys on the Nationals list,” said Ross. “With three of them are returning, so things look strong for the future. You couldn’t ask for a more fitting end to someone’s career than to be an All-American and to do it on his last throw.”