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2019-20 Stevenson Track and Field Preview Mustangs' Season Kicks Into High Gear This Weekend

As the Stevenson University men’s and women’s indoor track seasons kick into high gear this weekend with a meet at Shenandoah, head coach Dave Berdan is excited about where his team is at this point of the season, coming off a season-opening meet December 7 at Franklin & Marshall.

“The first meet went really well. A lot of people were ahead of where we thought they would be on both the men’s and women’s side,” said Berdan.

On the men’s side, the Mustangs will be attempting to win their third straight Middle Atlantic Conference title in both indoor and outdoor track, and on paper have the depth returning to do just that.

Coming off his national championship in cross country, senior Patrick Watson laid down a blistering 14:25.40 in the 5K at F&M, a mark that still stands nearly nine seconds better than the rest of the Division III field. He was also an All-American in the steeplechase at outdoor nationals last season. Iddriss Iddriss also figures to be a factor in distance after finishing fourth at the MAC cross country meet. He won the mile in the season opener.

Junior Ritchie Case qualified for indoor nationals last season in the heptathlon and will be looking to make a return trip this season. While the Mustangs graduated several standout sprinters, junior Dereck Davis returns after qualifying for nationals in both indoor and outdoor track in 2019, narrowly missing the final in the 100 in outdoor.

Freshmen Cameron Summers and Damon Green figure to be competitive right out of the gate for Stevenson. Junior Clement Onyebadi will also bolster the sprints group as well as give the Mustangs points in jumps.

On the women’s side, the Mustangs graduated a strong throws group, but senior Danika Ani figures to carry the torch. At F&M she posted a MAC-record throw of 16.75 meters in the weight throw. She is a past nationals qualifier as well. Versatile junior Rachel Panek will continue be a factor in multis and should earn the Mustangs points this season.

Coming off her nationals appearance in cross country, junior Emily Gates figures to be a contender in distance, as she posted a 5K PR of 17:56.32 in the season opener. Sophomore Mikhayla Sabo also posted a strong time in the mile at the event, running in 5:19.87.

Sophomore Kelli Garriott, a transfer from Elizabethtown, narrowly qualified for indoor nationals last season in the high jump and took first in the event in the season opener. Freshman Nicole Osei figures to have an immediate impact in the jumping events as well.

This year’s MAC indoor championship takes place at Alvernia on February 28-29, and while the unstated goal is for the men to take their third straight conference crown and for the women to build off last season’s fourth place finish, Berdan prefers to focus on the process, trusting the results will take care of themselves.

“We’ve got to focus on the day-to-day, and if everyone performs to their ability and stays healthy, we should get to where we want to go,” said Berdan.