Jan. 16, 2003
The Georgia Tech women’s track and field team opens the 2003 season with a label attached to its name for the first time in program history: defending Atlantic Coast Conference indoor champions.
The Yellow Jackets captured the program’s first ACC track title a year ago, dethroning nine-time defending champion North Carolina.
“We are coming off an exciting year,” said Tech head coach Alan Drosky. “We’ve been talking about winning a conference championship for a long time and to finally see it come to fruition was pretty rewarding and exciting. It was a great experience for the program as a whole.”
But this group of women is not about to rest on the laurels of last season. Despite the graduation of some key performers, the team has established the same lofty goals as last season.
“Going into this season having won indoors last year and finishing within a point of second place outdoors, we feel like as a program we are moving in the right direction,” said Drosky.
“As far as goals, they are pretty simple. We want to defend our ACC championship indoors and win the conference meet outdoors. We want to qualify kids and score at the national championship. We want to move into the top 20.”
With six All-ACC performers and three NCAA qualifiers back in the fold from last season, as well as a very talented freshman class, Drosky believes this year’s bunch can exceed the record-setting heights of the 2002 team.
“I think we have the right people in the program to accomplish these goals,” said Drosky. “We did lose some significant people from last year’s team. We didn’t lose a whole lot of numbers, but they were a pretty strong group. We’ve got some new, exciting kids, as well as some older people that are developing well. I think we were a better team than we were last year and hopefully that will result in better performances.”
Despite all the potential on the roster, Drosky is also cautious because of injuries that could derail even the most talented teams.
“As we head into the season we’ve got some key injuries to deal with,” said Drosky. “We’ve got to get them healthy and keep everyone else healthy. We can’t afford injuries. We’ve got great coverage in all events but we don’t have a great deal of depth in any particular area.”
SPRINTS
“The sprints was an area that really came around for us last year,” said Drosky. “We added some significant points in the sprints, namely in Amandi Rhett. She had an awesome sophomore year and established herself as one of the better sprinters in our conference and as an up-and-coming sprinter on the national scene.”
Now a junior, Rhett returns as Tech’s top short sprinter in 2003. A year ago, she owned the team’s top times in the 60 (7.41) and 200 meters (24.22) indoors, as well as the 100 (11.48) and 200 meters (23.73) outdoors. Rhett earned All-ACC honors on three occasions last season and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100 meters.
Joining Rhett in the short sprints will be senior Jessica DeFreitas, who scored at the conference meets in both the 60 meters indoors and the 100 meters outdoors. She was the Jackets’ second-fastest competitor in each of the short sprint events.
“It wasn’t anything that we didn’t expect but we saw them compete at the level we knew they were capable of,” said Drosky of Rhett and DeFreitas. “They have great confidence now and those two are going to be a great one-two punch in the short sprints.”
Sophomore Shanta Smith returns as Tech’s top 400-meter runner. She posted times of 56.42 indoors and 54.22 outdoors. Smith also placed sixth in the event at the ACC Indoor Championships and took seventh at the outdoor meet.
“Shanta had a great freshman year and is very talented and hard working,” said Drosky. “She was bothered by a bad back last season and as long as she can stay healthy, I think we are going to see Shanta establish herself as one of the top long sprinters in the conference.”
Adding depth in the 400 meters will be senior Jamie Ostrov. Primarily a high jumper until this season, Ostrov has shown a great deal of promise in limited action in the 400 throughout her career.
Additionally, Nicole Kieliszak is healthy after struggling with injuries last year and could contribute significantly.
MIDDLE DISTANCE
“This is an area where we probably took the biggest hit after last year, losing Nicole Campbell and Sara Pardue,” said Drosky. “We’re going to be a little thin and our hopes are going to rest with Jenny Lentz, but I’m comfortable with that.”
A junior, Lentz has found her niche in the 800 meters. She came to Tech as a swimmer, and is now focusing on middle distance events after beginning her collegiate track career in the hurdles. She finished 13th in the 800 meters at last year’s ACC Outdoor Championships and recorded her personal best of 2:12.17 at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
Drosky expects vast improvements this season, as Lentz gained tremendous strength this fall after running cross country for the first time.
DISTANCE
Led by three-time All-American Renee Metivier, the distance events were a strong suit for the Jackets a year ago. Metivier placed ninth in the 5000 and 11th in the 3000 at the NCAA Indoor Championships and finished eighth in the 5000 at the outdoor national championships. She also set four school records last year.
In addition to Metivier, senior Katie Griffin also reached new heights last year, setting a school record in the 10,000 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships in that same event.
Senior Amy Dock gives Tech a solid third distance standout, as she was fourth in the 5000 and sixth in the 3000 at the conference indoor championships.
“Renee, Katie and Amy are three solid, proven competitors at the conference and national level,” said Drosky. “However, we’re having to deal with some injury issues with Renee Metivier and Katie Griffin, who were both hurt during the fall.”
Adding depth to the distance corps will be freshman Carly Matthews, who, according to Drosky, “had an excellent fall and has the ability to develop into a conference-level scorer this year,” as well as junior Neta Ezer and freshman Carla Uribe.
“Neta has continued to develop each and every season,” said Drosky. “Hopefully she’ll be able to score in the 5000 or 10,000 at the conference meet.”
RELAYS
Tech’s 4×400 relay brought home the ACC indoor title a year ago and returns three of its four legs in Jessica DeFreitas, Dana Rogers and Shanta Smith.
Drosky is not sure who will make up the squad this season but he has a wide range of talented personnel from which to choose. He also expects big things if he has a group that runs together consistently throughout the season.
“If we can get a solid lineup in the 4×400 that runs together consistently I think we have the kind of talent that could get to the nationals,” said Drosky.
With middle distance runner Jenny Lentz, as well as a standout group of distance performers, Drosky should also be able to field a strong distance medley relay.
The same can be said for the 4×100 during the outdoor season as standout sprinters Amandi Rhett and Jessica DeFreitas return. Hurdlers Rogers and Melanie Waits should also figure into the sprint relay mix.
HURDLES
“The hurdles have been a consistently strong area for us, and we think it can be again this year,” said Drosky. “That being said, we did lost some good hurdlers from last year’s team.”
Returning this season will be sophomore Dana Rogers and junior Melanie Waits, who gained valuable experience last season training with the likes of NCAA qualifier Alisha McClinton and Mishanta Reyes.
Both also enjoyed success on the conference level, as Rogers took seventh in the 60-meter hurdles at the ACC Indoor Championships and Waits placed eighth in the 100-meter hurdles at the conference outdoor meet.
Freshman Andriane Lapsley will add important depth in the high hurdles.
Tech also has a solid group of 400-meter hurdlers led by senior Jamie Ostrov and juniors Nicole Kieliszak, Courtney Thomas, Priscilla Reed and Alberta Watkins.
Ostrov, Thomas and Watkins have each scored at the conference championships over the last two seasons.
JUMPS, POLE VAULT
“Overall the jumps are probably our deepest area,” said Drosky. “In the long, triple and high jump we’re got a large number of competitors, but they are of excellent quality as well.”
Senior Jessica DeFreitas and sophomore Dana Rogers return in the long jump. DeFreitas earned All-ACC honors by placing third at the conference indoor meet. She recorded the team’s top mark during the indoor season with a NCAA provisional leap of 20’3.50″.
Rogers saw little action in the long jump last season due to a foot problem but is healthy and ready to go in 2003.
Freshman Chaunte Howard should also make a huge impact this season, as she owns a personal best jump of 20’4.5″, which was among the top prep marks in the country a year ago.
Classmates Brandy Depland and Andriane Lapsley will also add depth in the long jump.
In the triple jump, Tech returns sophomore Shanta Smith, who won the ACC indoor title and set the school record with a mark of 41’10.75″ a year ago.
Howard, who owns a career-best mark of 41’3.00″, was a high school All-American in the triple jump. DeFreitas is also a solid triple jumper, as she placed eighth at the ACC Outdoor Championships in 2002. Depland, Lapsley and freshman Alex Van Heuven are also expected to make an impact this season.
Howard enters Tech having posted the nation’s best prep high jump mark of 6’1.50″ a year ago. This height would have won both the NCAA indoor and outdoor national titles.
“Chaunte is one of the best high jumpers in the country in college or out,” said Drosky. “We are excited to see what she can do this season.”
Adding depth in the high jump will be sophomore Megan Byrd, who was fourth at the conference outdoor championships, and junior Emily Hopkins, who took fifth at the league indoor meet.
Drosky expects big things from his group of pole vaulters this season. “The vault was one of two events that we didn’t score in last year and it could be a good event for us this year,” said Drosky.
Junior Jodie Nettles is the top veteran and returns to competition after a year long absence. She was an important part of the 2001 team, earning all-conference recognition with a third-place finish at the league outdoor championships.
Joining Nettles will be five freshman pole vaulters. Headlining this group is Jessica Graff, who won the 2001 AAU national title and placed third at the adidas high school championships. She has a career-best vault of 12’7.25″. Drosky also sees classmates Kira Barcus and Melissa Einbinder as having a chance to score on the conference level.
THROWS
“We are a little thin in the throws,” said Drosky. “We’ve got some quality kids that can score in the conference and we’re going to need them”
Leading the way in the shot put should be senior Cassandra Worthy and sophomore Lauren Reimer. Worthy enjoyed a solid season last year, placing seventh in the conference in the indoor shot put.
As for Reimer, Drosky expects a vast improvement this season, as she was dealing with injuries a year ago.
“Lauren struggled with injury problems her freshman year but is healthy, fit and has had a great fall,” said Drosky. “She can be a scorer in the shot put.”
In the discus, Drosky expects Worthy, as well as freshman Simone Parker to lead the way. Worthy was the Jackets’ top performer a year ago, posting a toss of 133’9.00″ at the Auburn Springtime Invitational. She also placed ninth at the conference championships.
Reimer and junior Emily Hopkins give Tech a solid duo in the javelin, as both have placed well at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Reimer finished fifth a year ago, while Hopkins took 11th in 2001.
HEPTATHLON
Tech should be led in the hetathlon by sophomore Lauren Reimer, who is ready for a breakout season after struggling with injury a year ago. She did compete in the heptathlon at the ACC Outdoor Championships last season, placing 11th.
“She struggled with some injury problems but did compete outdoors,” said Drosky. “She probably wasn’t ready to compete but she is looking great now. I still believe that Lauren is a national-level heptathlete. We hope that will be the case this year.”
Joining Reimer in the heptathlon will be freshman Alex Van Heuven, who was a two-time prep All-American at Lake Braddock High School in Burke, Va.
