Temple University Athletics
1999 Men's and Women's Track Preview
2.17.99 | Men's Track and Field
(February 17, 1999) -- With 12 returning letterwinners on the men's team, and eight on the women's team, Head Coach Chuck Alexander is optimistic about the upcoming season.
Now in his 21st year as head coach, Alexander anticipates competing on the national level this season, while qualifying more athletes for the ECAC's, and the IC4A's. Last season, Temple's men's team was represented at the IC4A's by five of the 12 returning letterwinners. They included Bruce Sobers (Brooklyn, N.Y./George Westinghouse), Andre Turner (Edgewood, Md./Joppatowne), Shawn Wilson (New York, N.Y./Brooklyn Tech), Errol C. Thurton (Jamaica, N.Y./Martin Van Buren H.S.), and Kyle Walker (Columbia, Md./Oakland Mills H.S.).
Men
Leading the Owls in sprinting this season will be third-year letterwinner Thurton. Thurton will be counted on to score points in the 200-800 meter distance events. Thurton ran on the 4x100-meter IC4A qualifying relay team and qualified individually for the IC4A's in the 100-meter dash. The other members of the Owls' 4x100 meter relay team were seniors Elbert Dolberry (Ambler, Pa./ Wissahickon), Turner and Lucas. The 4x100 meter relay team placed 14th in the preliminaries at the IC4A's with a time of (41.97).
Walker a sophomore will be the top returning hurdler for Alexander, who will be looking for him to score points and better his individual sprinting events. Walker qualified individually for the IC4A's in the 110-meter hurdles and had a first place finish in the 110-meter hurdles at the Lafayette Invitational with a time of 14.5.
The Owls' middle distance and distance runners will be led by team captain Sobers who emerged during the early part of the training sessions. He is "a quiet captain, who shows by doing," said Alexander. In addition letterwinners Jeremy Nunn (Dublin, Pa./ Pennridge), a transfer from Kent State (Ohio), Wilson and Turner return to bolster Alexander's squad. Wilson qualified individually for the IC4A's in the 400-meter dash and placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.71 at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships.
The field events will see the return of junior Steven Shaw (Street, Md./North Hartford H.S.) and sophomore Anthony Stark (White Haven, Pa./ Whitemarsh H.S.). Shaw ended his sophomore season by placing third in the shot put, with a throw of 13.28 at the Seton Hall Invitational, and was second in the weight throw with a throw of 12.42 meters. Shaw's season was cut short due to injury, and he was not able to finish the indoor season or compete in the outdoor season.
At the Atlantic 10 indoor championships held at Rhode Island University's Mackal Field House, February 21-22, 1998, Wilson took first place in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:03.48 and ran the first leg of the Owls first place winning 4x400-meter relay team. Walker followed the same pattern set by his teammates by bettering his time in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.92.
The Owls concluded their outdoor season on a strong note at the IC4A's held at George Mason University. The mile relay team of Lucas, Sobers, Turner, and Wilson took third place, while Wilson helped scored points for his teammates by placing fifth in the 400-meters with a time of 46.84. Thurton placed 12th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.56, and Walker took 23rd place in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Women
Leading the Owls will be senior captain Benita Chandler (Philadelphia, Pa./Central H.S.), Chandler, the top returning middle distance runner, will be supported by sprinter Rhonda Underwood (Cliffwood, N.J./Matawan Regional H.S.). Perhaps the team's greatest strength will be the hurdles. Junior Underwood will lead a group of talented athletes in returning sophomores La'Tia Holloman (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt H.S), Afia Brown (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood H.S.), Erika Smith (Neptune, N.J./Neptune), and along with newcomer Teresa Covert (Starrucca, Pa./Susquehanna H.S.), will be looked upon to provide depth.
The Owls middle distance and distance runners will be led by senior Chandler and junior Erin Slocum (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) a top returnee, who will compete in the 400- and 800-meter events.
At the Atlantic 10 indoor championships, Chandler ran a season best 1:115.53 and took first place in the 500-meters. Brown placed fifth with a time of 25.82 in the 200-meter dash. The 4x400-meter relay team of Slocum, Lanin Revier (Wyncote, Pa./Cheltenham H.S.), Chandler, and Brown placed second with a time of 3:53.97.
The Lady Owls concluded their outdoor season on a strong note at the Atlantic 10 championships. The 4x100-meter relay team of Smith, Brown, Holloman, and Chandler placed fourth with an outdoor season best 48.19. Brown placed fourth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 25.41. The women placed eighth overall at the Atlantic 10 outdoor championships this 1997-98 season.
"With a positive mental approach, talented freshmen and experienced upperclassmen, things are going to happen for us this season," Alexander said.
