Men's Track & Field Season Preview
CATONSVILLE, Md. – After a 20+ year absence from the CCBC Catonsville campus, Men's & Women's Track and Field is back as a NJCAA Division I team. Head Coach Mark Pryor has been on campus since 2017 cultivating this return to competitive action.
In 2016, the CCBC Catonsville athletic department hired Coach Pryor to bring a Men's & Women's Cross-Country team to campus. After two trips to the NJCAA XC National Championships where the Cardinals had 2 qualifiers (Jamal Richards & Kris Purdie), it was decided to switch from cross country to outdoor track & field.
The switch appeared to be seamless and successful as Coach Pryor and Assistant Coach Etroy Nelson (Sr Academic Adviser) enjoyed a very fruitful recruiting season bringing 21 student-athletes to CCBC Catonsville for the Fall 2018 semester. Training began in August and the team's outlook looked positive as the student-athletes trained for the coming outdoor season in the weight room, pool and hills. That outlook changed with academic eligibility issues in January that have reduced the team to just 3 athletes eligible to start the season in March.
While it was disappointing to the coaching staff to lose the numbers they worked so hard to build, the remaining student-athletes who are eligible are proud to carry the load of the Cardinal T&F team in its first season. Regardless, Coach Pryor is still encouraged by the three remaining athletes due to their commitments; both academically and athletically.
Below are the remaining athletes that have trained as team since August, ready for their season to start on March 16th in College Park, MD:
Dalon Harris (Freshman, Forest Park HS) - 200m / 400m
One of the most highly talented student-athletes in Baltimore City who excelled in both football and T&F during his high school career. Dalon excelled in both the 100m and 200m events in high school but will transition to the 400m event at CCBC Catonsville. His goals are to qualify and compete at the NJCAA Outdoor T&F National Championships during his time here and see's the 400m event as his best ticket to the nationals. His career best times in the 100m (:10.89) and 200m (:21.64) indicate his leg speed will be a great asset in his races this season. The former Baltimore City Champion in the 100m and 200m as well as All-State Championship performer is no stranger to winning. He is anxious to start his collegiate T&F career. Coach Pryor is confident that Dalon will be the flag bearer of success for his team.
Stephen Joseph (Senior, Baltimore Poly HS) - 100m, Jumps
His love of the sport from his high school days at Baltimore Poly has brought Stephen to the CCBC Catonsville coaching staff and they are ecstatic to have him this year. Stephen has worked very hard and meticulously to prepare physically for the season and will focus on the events that involve speed and explosion.......the 100m dash, long & triple jump. Without being asked, he took on the leadership role and has helped the team remain focused. Stephen will graduate in May with a degree in Electrical Engineering.
Johnny Miango (Freshman, Digital Harbor HS) - Triple & Long Jump
A jack-of-all trade athlete who competed in several events during his high school career. Scorer in Baltimore City in the discus, hurdles and jumping events. At CCBC Catonsville, Johnny will focus on both the long and triple jumps for the Cardinals. At 6ft 4 in, Johnny possess the physical tools to be an instant impact on the NJCAA T&F level. Coach Pryor is hoping all the work he has put in can translate to stellar performances.
The season will start during the month of March which can be unpredictable in terms of the weather. Thus, Coach Pryor is aware that his team's results may not reflect their current fitness level as cold, snow, rainy & windy weather has a negative effect on outdoor T&F. But as the season moves into April and May, Coach Pryor is hoping that all the hard work the team has put in will begin to show.
The schedule includes meets vs NCAA Division I and II schools at the Univ of Maryland, George Mason University, Richmond University, Morgan State Univ and Loyola College.
Meets are normally scheduled on Saturdays and may be 1-2 day events contesting all the T&F events including running, field events (jumps & throws) as well as the multi-events (Heptathlon & Decathlon).
CCBC Catonsville staff are currently recruiting high school senior student-athletes who have just completed their indoor track season and in the process of scheduling campus visits for those interested in joining the Cardinal T&F team for 2019-2020.
Interested students should email Coach Pryor at mpryor@ccbcmd.edu or
Coach Nelson at eneleson@ccbcmd.edu