Track and field teams hope to challenge for the conference title
Coming off a pair of second-place finishes during last year's indoor season, the Cowley College men's and women's track and field teams are eager to compete again for conference titles.
The Tiger men are led by returning All-American Julien Washington in the hammer throw.
"He is looking bigger and better this year," Cowley head coach Cameron Rieth said. "I have little doubt he will also transition well to the weight throw indoors."
The Lady Tigers return All-American javelin thrower Jamilet Bautista and track athlete Dheniffer Vaz.
"We believe Jamilet will be able to help us more during indoor with the weight throw as well," Rieth said.
Randy Rojas (1,000-meter run), Davonte Pruitt (4x100-meter relay), and Riley Hunter (pole vault) were Tiger men's athletes who qualified to compete at last year's national indoor meet.
Genesis Bautista, the school record holder in the outdoor triple jump, and Isabella Kupka, the school record holder in the indoor 400-meter run, also return to the team.
"Isabella is such a team player," Reith said. "She is willing to help the team in whatever events the team needs."
A few athletes to watch are Nafew Mohammed in the men's javelin, Jacob Creswell in the men's weight and hammer throw, and Victor Morfin in the high jump.
Cierra Gray will also be an athlete to watch in the weight throw and shot put, while Mayce McDonald is also expected to do well in the weight throw.
Both squads have good depth in the pole vault, with Riley Hunter and Randy Coble on the men's team and Dakota Dapper, Kennedy Kizar, and Kaylen Mills on the women's team.
The Lady Tiger cross country team is coming off a national championship in the fall and adds Kayli Myers, Leticia Belo, Taverie Campbell, and Britannia Willis to the track team. They will add range from the 4x400-meter relay to the 10,000-meter run.
Tiger men's runners Austin Schaeffer, Mason Bickle, and Miquel Cruz can compete between the mile and the 5K.
The Lady Tigers placed 11th at last year's national championships, and the men placed 18th.
"It is still early, but we always have high hopes for our groups," Reith said. "We turned over a bunch of our leaders and staples of our program last year, but that is just an opportunity for newcomers or returning sophomores to step into those roles," Reith said.
The Cowley track and field teams will compete at the University of Nebraska Graduate Classic on Friday and Saturday at noon in Lincoln, NE.
"Since the vast majority of our squad is new, we will have a bunch of question marks," Reith said. "There is potential for this group, but we will see how we stack up after we return from winter break and break some rust off at the first meet in Nebraska. Our goal as a squad is to focus on the little things, keep making improvements, and stay injury-free. I believe if we continue to do that throughout the semester, it will put us in a position to compete for conference and regional championships and make a splash on the national scene."