Jan. 13, 2011
ARLINGTON, Tex. - UT Arlington coach John Sauerhage has a pretty good idea of what to expect as he enters his 16th year at the helm of the Mavericks program.
Sauerhage knows his team is dependent on an infusion of young talent, but also has an excellent chance to compete for a Southland Conference title with the athletes he has coming back.
When the Mavs open the season at the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday, Sauerhage will have a better comprehension of what his talented newcomers bring to the table.
"It's an exciting time because of the opportunity to see what shape everybody is in," Sauerhage said. "I have a pretty good idea. We have the potential to have a pretty nice first meet. Some areas are still not up to par and when you compare us to the national champions like Texas A&M, I don't look for us to run a blazing 4x400m relay or have a whole lot of national qualifiers. We're just looking for signs that we have a balanced team that can compete for a championship in the Southland Conference. Those are the expectations and we should have a successful weekend."
Several UTA athletes make their much-anticipated debuts this weekend, including multiple-events specialist Romain Martin, sprinters Clayton Vaughn and Pam Vinson, thrower Branko Petrovic and jumper/hurdler Destinee Nixon.
"Romain Martin is very talented. We've seen a lot of things in practice that have led us to believe that he's every bit as good as Adolphus Jones," Sauerhage said. "Clayton Vaughn has matched up very well with Cordero Gray in practice when we have done starts and time trials, so there's an expectation that Clayton will step in and at least be a Southland Conference-level sprinter. Same goes for Pam Vinson when you compare her to Shannon Reynolds. I would expect Pam and Shannon both to expect for a qualifying spot for the 200m nationally in the indoors. They're that good.
"It's going to be nice to have some throwers. We haven't had that in a few years. Branko Petrovic on the shot has looked really good in training. There's no reason to think he can't scare the school record here in the first few meets, let alone put himself among the top in the league. Branko has a chance to possibly break the school record.
"Destinee Nixon, a transfer from Abilene Christian, is one of the top jumpers in the league and a good hurdler."
Breonna Baldwin will also compete in her first meet and brings with her serious expectations of matching up well with the SLC's top contenders in the 400m.
That's not to say the returning stars are getting overlooked.
Gray should compete on the national level as a senior. Reynolds has a chance to keep UT Arlington's sprints dominance alive after taking the baton from former UTA star Jasmine Walls.
Emily Koenig has not yet competed in a track event at UT Arlington but already has a big profile after winning the Southland Conference individual championship in cross country.
"We're waiting to see what kind of a track runner Emily Koenig turns out to be," Sauerhage said. "We've already seen what she can be in cross country and there's no reason to think she can't continue to do well in the 5k and the 3k."
Middle-distance runners Dwight Robinson and Esther Abuto also look to build on outstanding 2010 seasons.
Experienced runners like Amanda McMahon, Perri Ford and Brittany Culbertson give the women's team plenty of depth on the distance and middle-distance events. Megan Turner gives UTA a major presence in the hurdles events as well.
The men boast a well-rounded team that includes Andrew Pettis in sprints, Juan Lewis in longer sprints like the 400m, Isiah Clements in jumps, Renan Palma in hurdles and Lionel Mungwari in sprints and jumps.
Until Saturday, the entire 2011 season -- including returners and newcomers alike -- is unrealized potential. Saturday, Sauerhage will have a better idea of where his team stacks up with the competition.
"We have a lot of good athletes," Sauerhage said. "It will be exciting and nerve-wrecking all in one. It will be good to get on the road and get a meet under our belt and compete."
