Since taking over the program in the spring of 2020, Southwestern head track & field coach Kenneth Eboh has laid the foundations of a new culture for the men's and women's track & field teams.
Over the summer, those foundations took tangible form with the resurfacing of the team's track, taking the first steps towards returning track & field events to Southwestern University.
"[The renovations] bring a completely different mindset, especially for our upper-level students who get to see the investment in the program," Eboh says. "For a student-athlete who has given their time and energy to representing Southwestern, to see this commitment from [Southwestern University President] Dr. Trombley and the administration is huge. They're getting what they've deserved."
The investment is a reminder athletic programs get what they put in. For a track & field program looking to break out of the middle of the SCAC pack, that means waking up when most college students are still sleeping, getting to 6:30 a.m. practices, and putting the work in the weight room.
"It's about consistency on the track, in the weight room, and the training room," Eboh says. "We need to make sure our student-athletes have a good balance of mental and physical wellness. So they come to workouts consistently, wanting to get better."
The early returns have been encouraging. Last year, the Southwestern men and women combined for 12 all-conference finishes, including the women's champion in the discus, Tiamara Hill-Johnson. Additionally, the women have set seven program records and produced the program's first USTFCCCA All-Region athlete in Hill-Johnson.
Hill-Johnson was a revelation as a freshman, setting a school record in the discus with a mark of 42.06 meters and winning the event at the conference championships with a distance of 39.57 meters. She produced four top-five finishes in the discus and just missed qualifying for the national championships.
"If you were to look at Tiamara's marks from last year, she was only a few meters from qualifying for nationals," Eboh says. "And if you look at the national championships, her best distance would've finished top 10 in the country. So hopefully, that was a driving force for her to understand her abilities. We're looking forward to her continuing her growth."
Hill-Johnson and Taylor Hubbard form a competitive foundation for Southwestern in the throws events. Hubbard earned a third-place finish in the javelin while also medaling in the pole vault.
"Taylor has had a lot of success, and she's going to branch out a little more with her skill set," Eboh says. "We'd like to test her abilities in the hurdles and a few other events. So, hopefully, we can develop her into a multi-event athlete by her senior year."
On the track, Eboh believes the teams have an opportunity to make great strides in hurdles with Keith Rupe and Keamber McCracken, the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles last season, providing senior leadership to a large group of newcomers.
"Experience is a big help when it comes to leading a young hurdles group. I'm looking forward to Keith and Keamber competing at a high level as they jump into their final season," Eboh says. "They've been the only two hurdlers we've had, so for us to have a large group is a godsend. They're excited to lead."
The men's team adds Michael Parrish from Bishop Lynch High School in Garland, Texas, and Ethan Marquez from Horizon High School in El Paso, Texas.
"Michael is a great athlete who's going to do the short and longer hurdles and sprints. He's a track guy, it's his passion, and he has big goals, so he brings a different level of dynamic energy to the team," Eboh says. "Ethan is a long hurdler who brings an upbeat, competitive spirit. He's improving in his technique, and they give Keith a good, strong group to work with."
The women's team welcomes first-year local talents Jessie Sheila and Cherryn Cha from Austin, Texas, San Angelo's Arden Neff, and junior transfer Charlotte Kraushaar from Garden Grove, California.
"Cherryn is going to jump and be a hurdler, and Jessie is a local athlete who's going to be dynamic for us," Eboh says. "Arden is a fantastic long hurdler and will compete on multiple relay teams. She's a versatile, dedicated athlete from an athletic family.
"Charlotte is a heptathlete who's a Swiss army knife athlete and a great hurdler in her own right. So, this is the largest group we've had in some time, and we're excited to see what they can do."
Southwestern rounds out the roster with a steady group of returners. Junior Noah Dennis is the men's lone returning all-conference performer on the men's team. Dennis has been the cornerstone of the men's cross country program for three years with back-to-back all-conference performances and broke through last spring with a third-place finish in the 10,000-meter run.
Additionally, the team is looking forward to a sophomore leap for Adrian Washington, a mid-distance runner who finished just outside the top three in the 800-meter run (fifth) and a member of the 4x400m relay team (fourth). Likewise, junior Ashton Frey put together two top-five finishes at the SCAC Championships, placing fifth in the 100-meter and pole vault.
"Adrian has bounced back and forth between cross country and track. He's a mid-distance guy, and we're looking for him to have a breakout season," Eboh says. "And Ashton is another returning pole vaulter and short sprinter who had some great marks last year and is looking to improve."
Southwestern also returns Jarrod Garcia, a sophomore sprinter out of Watsonville, California, and senior Christopher Ojonto, a dual-sport athlete who played for the men's basketball team and competes in sprints and the long jump.
The women's team returns senior sprinter Erica Robuck. She has one all-conference third team performance in the 200 meters on her resume and all-conference finishes and team records as part of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams.
"Erica is an experienced athlete and is very talented," Eboh says. "I'm looking forward to her finishing her career with what's probably the best group of athletes she's had around her in her time at Southwestern."
The key returners include Dejahnae Thompson, a sophomore sprinter who was a pivotal contributor to Southwestern's all-conference relay teams, junior sprinter Lauren Mackrell, a member of Southwestern's all-conference team 4x100m relay team, and junior Hannah Jones, who placed fourth in the high jump at the conference meet last season.
"Lauren brings a wealth of leadership and is well-respected by her teammates, and Hannah is a solid athlete for us and a great teammate always looking to improve," Eboh says. "And Dejahnae had a great fall and is having an even greater spring, so we're excited to get rolling."
Southwestern will kick off its season on Friday, March 4, at the Trinity Invitational, getting a good glimpse at the host site for this year's conference championship.
"Trinity is hosting conference, so it's going to be good to get out there so our newcomers can get a feel for what it looks like," Eboh says. "Our season is short, but we do a lot of work from week to week. We approach every meet like we're competing against ourselves. Our focus is on internal improvement, and hopefully, as that stone rolls downhill and gathers steam, we can make an impact at conference."
Following this weekend's season-opener, Southwestern will travel to Abilene, Texas, for Abilene Christian University's Wes Kittley Invitational from March 17-19. Then, continuing to the DIII Challenge hosted by Texas Lutheran on March 26, followed by the Angelo State David Noble Relays April 1-2, the University of Incarnate Word Invitational April 8-9, and a final tuneup meet at the Texas State Charles Austin Classis on April 15.
This year's SCAC Championships will take place April 23-24. The Pirates have two final meets planned after that, competing in the ACU Oliver Jackson Twilight on April 28, followed by the Our Lady of the Lake University Saints Last Chance meet on May 13-14.
"Our goal is to finish in the top three at conference," Eboh declares. "We've been on the outside looking in for a while. Trinity and Texas Lutheran, our conference leaders, can overwhelm us with their depth. It will take some time to grow our ranks, but there's no reason we can't compete as individuals.
"We're still trying to develop some culture and team standards since I've taken over, but it's going well. We've had some bumps in the road, but everyone is very competitive and invested in seeing each other succeed."
Substantial investment can bring great returns. For Southwestern track and field, everyone from the university administration to the student-athletes has bought into the program's new direction.