May 14, 2008

KENNESAW, Ga. - This weekend, the Kennesaw State men's track & field team will conclude their season as they travel to Clemson, S.C., to participate in the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Conference Championship. The two day event will be hosted by USC Upstate at the Rock Norman Track Complex. As the reigning A-Sun Indoor Champions, the Owls are well prepared to earn their second Division I title of 2008. They will enter into the meet with eight first place marks in the conference standings and two NCAA Regional Qualifying athletes.

"We've come a long way in a year," said head coach Don McGarey. "We've added a lot of fresh talent to this team that has taken us to the top. I'm proud of the guys, but we've got one more meet to go. All of the hard work that they've put into the last nine months comes down to this weekend. Clemson is our back yard, we've been there twice this season and I know that the guys are prepared to do their best. "

Leading the Owls on the field will be thrower Joshua McNair. The sophomore currently holds three of the top throwing marks in the conference, including a regional mark (169-10.00ft) in the discus. Last week at the Clemson Purple & Orange Classic, McNair came within five feet of setting his second regional mark as he tossed the hammer 180-0.90ft to surpass his personal record by eleven feet. He also holds a slight lead in the shot put (52-04.25ft) just ahead of Gardener Webb's Matt Kippen. McNair leads a solid team of throwers into the championship that could be the largest scoring block for the Owls. Discus specialists Eric Gill and Casey Strickland own the second and third highest marks in the conference, while veteran thrower Aymerick Kolokilagi sits in fourth place in the shot put and fifth place in the hammer throw.

"These are the guys that the whole team is depending on," said field coach Mike Goss. "At Indoor Conference they only had a chance to score in the shot put and the weight throw, but at outdoor they can score in all four of the throwing events. Josh could take home up to thirty points, but it's those second and third place finishes that could put us over the top."

Also on the field, high jumper Jerome McKinzie will attempt to surpass the seven foot mark for the last time this season. The sophomore has racked up numerous accolades in 2008, including four first place finishes and four NCAA Regional Qualifying marks, which have propelled him to the top of the conference standings. Still the seven foot mark has eluded McKinzie. At Clemson he will face conference rivals Andrew Houston of ETSU and Perrish Goggins of USC Upstate. The sophomore is determined to defend his crown as the A-Sun Outdoor Champion and set a new personal record.

In distance events, the Owls will be guided by reigning A-Sun 3k Steeplechase Champion Scott Burley. Last year at the conference meet, Burley shattered the A-Sun steeplechase record as he crossed the finish line almost 200m ahead of his nearest competitor. This season, he has once again claimed the fastest time in the event heading into conference. Following closely behind Burley is teammate Nathan Haskins. The sophomore has proven himself to be an accomplished steeplechaser as he has outpaced Burley twice this season. The pair is prepared to take first and second place for the Owls as they will race against some the best 3k runners in the conference.

Also competing on the track will be KSU's 800m A-Sun Indoor Champion, Gianni Catalano. The freshman has become a cornerstone of the Owls' mid-distance program in his first season. At indoor conference he took first place with a time of 1:55.19. Since then he has dropped his time to an amazing 1:51.81, putting him almost three full seconds ahead of his nearest opponent. He leads the team of Matteo DiCecco, Matthew Auers and Michael Guntner in the 800m this weekend.

Catalano will later return to the track to run alongside teammates Joshua James, Antonio Logan and James Verdi in the 4x400m relay. The all-freshman team took second place behind ETSU at indoor conference. Since then they have drop their time down to 3:15.11 to secure the top spot in the A-Sun. The rematch of ETSU and KSU in the 4x400m relay could prove to be the most exciting event of the championship.

Earlier in the meet, Verdi, Logan and James will have the opportunity to compete individually in the 100m, 200m and 400m dash. The Owls could score serious points in these events as all three freshmen own top six spots in the standings, including Verdi holding the fastest time in the 400m (48.01).

The Owls could also win the championship on the strength of their hurdlers as senior Devin Jones will be racing in his final meet. As the only four year veteran on the team, Jones was with the program when it made its initial jump to Division I. In 2006 he was named A-Sun 110m hurdle champion. This weekend he will try to repeat that success as he races in the 110m and 400m hurdles.

"We're going to miss Devin," said sprint coach Devin West. "This entire season he has led by example in practice and at our meets. Still, I would love to see him go out on top with a gold medal and an outdoor championship."

The A-Sun Outdoor Conference Championship will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and continue all-day Saturday.