M. Track recruits are small group, but full of big promise

This past year, the men's track and field team won both the indoor and outdoor Heptagonal Championships. Penn hopes to repeat next year, but also hopes to do much better at the IC4A Championships against the best track and field competitors in the east. The Quakers also want to send more than one representative -- this year's was sophomore Robin Martin -- to the NCAA Championships next year. The incoming freshman class, the class of 2001, is expected to provide new strength and speed in the strides into the 21st century. This year's recruits include several young men who will be looking to improve upon already impressive high school performances. The additions for the 1997-98 year are the types of athletes that the team hopes will push it to new heights. "It's a smaller group in total numbers than we've had in the past, although I think the quality of the group overall is as good if not better than any other group we've had," assistant track and field coach Nathan Taylor said. The new Quakers who will be most likely to make an immediate impact are two hurdlers -- Eldron Blackwell and Mike Aguillar. Blackwell comes from Yoakum in Texas, the most competitive track and field state in the country, according to Taylor. Blackwell has run the 110-meter hurdles in 14.0 seconds and this year was a state finalist in that event. Physically, he is just 17 years old, so the coaches expect that he may mature after his arrival at Penn. Aguillar's recruitment took an interesting turn for Penn's track and field staff. Like Blackwell, he runs both the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. The Quakers had been interested in him primarily for the 400-meter hurdles, but in his senior year, the young man from Lakewood, NJ, improved so dramatically in the shorter event that he is now among the top 25 hurdlers at the 110-meter event. "We've got two guys who could have an immediate impact in both the highs and the intermediate [hurdles]," Taylor said. "We have two other guys that I think are really national caliber," he added. The first, Bryan Kovalsky, was the Connecticut state runner-up in the two-mile run. His two-mile time is the fastest of any recruit in "seven or eight years," Taylor thought. In addition to helping the track and field team, it is anticipated that Kovalsky will be a strong finisher for the men's cross-country team. He may have more difficulty in the transition from high school to college track because the two-mile race is not a distance at which collegians compete. The other national-caliber athlete is Kyle Turley, whom Taylor described as "a mountain of a guy." His best event is the hammer throw, at which the six foot four inch, 280-pounder recorded the third farthest throw indoors of all scholastic competitors last year. Taylor believes that Turley could flourish in the field events because Turley's frame may not be completely developed physically yet. These four recruits, while most promising, are not the only young athletes that are expected to make the Quakers better next year. Jeff Beadle, one of the nation's top 20 discus throwers, will have an opportunity to help Penn immediately. Last year, the Quakers had difficulty scoring points with their discus throwers. In other field events, Seth Beaver and Charlie O'Connell are both expected to be competitive in the javelin. O'Connell is contemplating playing football as well. Luke Stokes will be a freshman who could earn points -- he has already pole-vaulted 15 feet six inches while at Edison (Calif.) High School. Among this talented class of recruits there are several runners who, in their first year at Penn, may aid the Quakers. Andrew Girardin was the New England 800-meter run champion last year and has run a 1:54 in that race before. There are some sleepers in the group as well. Michael Wise comes to Philadelphia from Colorado as one of a few fast quarter-milers. He ran his home meets and trained on a grass track at Fountain High School. Damon Hamilton is another quarter-miler, but he may make a bigger impact in the shorter sprints. Darryl Olczak, from St. Thomas, Canada, is coming off of an injury and could replace Penn's departed senior captain Greg Davis in some of the shorter sprints. "We're pleased to have these guys," Taylor said. "It's a good group."