Harper men, women take aim at national track titles
When the Harper College men's and women's track and field teams arrive in Columbia, Md. for this weekend's NJCAA national championship meet, both squads will be looking to hoist championship trophies.
If the No. 3-ranked men's team is successful in this endeavor, it will mark the fifth straight time the Hawks have come home with the nation's ultimate prize.
For the women, this could be the year the Hawks get their big break. The women have never finished better than fourth place.
Both teams have qualified a total of 25 athletes to compete in this weekend's meet, which runs Thursday through Saturday. Both teams will be competing against about 30 other schools.
Women's outlook: The women's team is ranked second in the most recent NJCAA Division III poll; rival College of DuPage is ranked third.
"They have talent in a lot of events," Harper coach Renne Zellner said of COD.
The Hawks and the Chaparrals hooked up April 21-22 in the three-team Region IV meet held at COD, which finished second, almost 100 points behind the Hawks. Both teams have qualified for the national meet.
"We just have to out-perform them in more events," Zellner said.
On paper, the team to beat is top-ranked Mohawk Valley Community College.
"They have really good depth and a good distance team." Zellner said of Mohawk.
Two teams that could be darkhorses for the women's national championship are Herkimer (New York) Suny-Delhi (Delhi, N.Y.).
The Hawks could have several indivudual champions. The most likely title contenders are De'Larissa Morris (Streamwood) in the long jump and heptathlon, Robin Bingham (Barrington) in the discus and Karoline Banasik in the 800 meters.
Men's outlook: The men's team has followed the same general path to Maryland as the women's team. The Hawks won the Region IV championship meet, and several individuals could contend for national championships: Trak Myers (hammer throw, discus), Mark Niemann (decathalon), Garrett Dorsey (sprints and pole vault) and Jesus Escareno (Rolling Meadows) in the steeplechase.
For the men to win No. 5 in a row, they'll have to defeat Region IV rival and No. 2-ranked COD. The Chaparrals placed second, 31 points behind the Hawks at the Region IV meet. COD will contend in the jumping events and in the throwing circle. The Hawks' toughest test will come from the nation's No. 1-ranked team, SUNY-Delhi of New York.
Delhi "is loaded in every event," according to Zellner, but especially in the distance events and sprints.
Zellner thinks it will be "one of us three" who will win the national championship.
"But I think Delhi is just a really fine team," Zellner said.
Because of a variety of non-athletic issues. Harper doesn't have the depth that the team has enjoyed in past seasons, which might ultimately cripple their chance of winning.
"It will come down to who can do it on that day," Zellner said.