1999-2000 Season Outlook

With eight returning letterwinners on the men's team, and 11 on the women's team, first year Head Coach George Philips is optimistic

about the upcoming season.

Philips anticipates excelling at the Atlantic 10 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. We will be starting this season with a very young and

inexperienced squad, and there will be a lot of changes in the program. I am sure everyone is going to need a little bit of time getting used to

things. With all of the new changes in the program Philips and assistant coach Hartwell will rely on seniors Andre Turner (Edgewood,

Md./Joppatowne), Shawn Wilson (New York, N.Y./Brooklyn Tech), and Errol C. Thurton (Jamaica,N.Y./Martin Van Buren H.S.) to set

examples as co captains of the men's team. Sophomore Melaine Crumbia (Plainville, CT./Plainville H.S.), seniors Roxanne John (Brooklyn,

N,Y./James Madison H.S.), and Erika Smith (Neptune, N.J./Neptune H.S.) will be co-captains of the women's team.

Men

Thurton will lead the Owls in sprinting this season, in the 200-800 meter distance events. The New York native, ran on the

4x400-meter IC4A qualifying relay team and qualified individually for the IC4A's in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He will be

supported by a cast of sophomores Otis Cheek (Syracuse, NY./Nottingham H.S.), Jonathan Horsford (Hemstead, L.I./Holy Trinity H.S.),

juniors Gregory Grainger (Baltimore, MD./Baltimore City College H.S.), Dave Parris (Sanatoga, PA./Pottsgrove H.S.) and Kamal Tucker

(Philadelphia, PA./Laukenau Motivation H.S.).

In addition to Thurton, Turner and Wilson return to the Owls' 4x400 meter relay team.

They will also bolster the middle distance and distance runners. Wilson who emerged during the early part of the training sessions is a

quiet runner, who shows by doing Hartwell said. In addition second-year letterwinner Jermaine Halsey (Lansdowne, PA./Penn Wood H.S.),

returns to bolster the Temple squad.

The field events will see the return of junior pole vaulter Jake Kammer (Haemmelstown, PA./Hershey H.S.). Kammer ended his

sophomore season by placing first at the Penn Invitational, with a height of 4.40 meters, and was third at the Lehigh Games with a height of 4.11

meters. The field events will also showcase a strong supporting cast of freshman shot putter Brian Chrisman (Stewartstown, PA. Kennaidale

H.S.), and long jump, triple, and high jumper William Springfield (New Castle, Del./William Penn H.S.).

Women

Leading the Owls will be senior co-captain Smith and sophomore Chanel Dale (Chester PA./Chester H.S.). Smith ended her junior year

by capturing a first place win in the 55-meter hurdles, with a time of 8.45 at the Princeton Invitational, and was second in the 100-meter hurdles

with a time of 15.28 at the Lehigh Invitational.

Perhaps the team's greatest strength this season will be the sprinters. Senior co captain John will lead a group of talented athletes in

returning, juniors Afia Brown (Lansdow, PA./Penn Wood), Latia Holloman (Greenbelt,Md./Eleanor Roosevelt H.S), Kasha Benson Craig

(Sechenville, N.J./Highland Regional H.S.), sophomore Shermaine Wilson (Tobyhanna, PA./Pocono Mt. Senior H.S.) and along with

newcomers Naomi Beveryl (Marrietta, GA./Marrietta H.S.), Nykia Johnson (Silver Springs, MD./Eleanor Roosevelt H.S.), Carla Miles

(Landover, Md./Parkdale H.S.), and Dionna Miller (Philadelphia, PA./Central H.S.) all will be looked upon to provide added depth.

The Owls middle distance and distance runners will be led by sophomore Patricia Swiggett (Chester, PA./Chester H.S.), and Dale. Dale

who made her mark during the early part of last season captured first place wins in the 500-meters with a time of 1:18.86 and in the 400-meters

with a time of 1:00.15. The Chester High School graduate, who ran most of last season in the shadow of 1999 graduate Benita Chandler, is

expected to make a large impact this year.

The field events will be lead by co-captain Crumbia, sophomores Danielle Medina (Absecon, N.J./Absecon H.S.), Noaimai Pannah

(Boothwyn, PA./ Chichester H.S.), and freshman Joi Brown (Cranston, R.I./Cranston H.S. East), Catherine Gormley (Pennsville, N.J./Pennsville

Memorial H.S.), Edith Lewis (New Castle, Del.William Penn H.S.), Ursula Moore (Uniondale, N.Y./Uniondale H.S.), and Kyesha Vann

(Wyncote, PA./Bishop McDevitt H.S.). We have taken a beating in the field events the past few seasons, said Hartwell. if everyone stays

healthy the experience of Crumbia, Medina, and Pannah should help change our fortunes.

With a positive mental approach, a group of talented freshmen and experienced upperclassmen, the sky is the limit and there is no telling whats

going to happen. said Hartwell.

Temple University Athletics