DYLAN FORMAN
Staff Writer
Since the day he arrived on Fredonia’s campus, Chris Shartrand has been among the top distance runners that the school has to offer. In the words of head coach Tom Wilson, “Chris has been driven to succeed since day one, both academically and athletically.” Along with his athletic prowess, Chris has been one of the top students, as he has earned several SUNYAC All-Academic honors.
In the three years he has been running in a Blue Devils uniform, he has evolved into one of the best 3000m Steeplechase runners in the SUNYAC Conference. His personal best of 9:36 earned him third place at last year’s SUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Chris has also excelled in the 5000m, with a personal best of 15:04. With this time, he was able to finish fourth at last winter’s SUNYAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. He will surely be looking to break the 15-minute barrier this coming season. This would make him one of the top 5K and Steeplechase runners in the school’s illustrious history.
“He has matured into one of the strongest and most consistent runners I’ve ever coached,” Wilson said. “His ability to trust our system and training methods has put him where he is now. I am very excited to see what this track season has for him.”
Former teammate and current assistant coach Steve Whittemore also praises Shartrand.
“He is a great teammate in the sense that he is blunt and will tell anyone how it is. If anyone is doing something wrong, or if he has an issue with someone, then he tells them. I think that makes him a great leader — not everyone likes how straight forward he is, but everyone respects him.”
Whittemore also spoke briefly about Chris’ training this year.
“Chris has been training really well. His workouts this year have been extremely consistent and consistently faster than last year,” he said. “As a runner, he just trains consistently and is very dedicated. His talent lies in his ability to handle high mileage for long periods of time, coupled with a high pain tolerance.”
Coach Wilson also spoke about goals that he’s encouraging Chris to reach as he finishes his running career.
“My goals for him are simply to finish his career with no doubt, no shoulda, coulda and woulda,” Wilson said. “Be successful in every race he is in and everything he takes on in life.”
SIDEBAR:
With the indoor track season on the horizon, both teams will be looking to finish atop the SUNYAC Conference. And according to Coach Wilson, “We finally have the talent and depth to achieve this.”
Leading the way on the track will be the distance crew, which consists of Zakk Hess, Chris Shartrand, Kyle Collins and Cody Martini. Hess, a 4:16 miler, will be looking to battle for the 5K title after finishing fifth at the ECAC Championships with a time of 15:02.
Also, junior standout Collin Mulcahy will be returning from injury and looking to improve on his 4:13 Mile time from last winter. He has also run an outstanding 1:52 in the 800 meter run.
Returning for his junior year is Eric Williams, who has lead the sprinters since he stepped foot on campus. Last winter, Williams finished second in the 60 meter hurdles with an impressive time of 8.38 seconds. His personal best for the race is 8.26, which he has a great chance to improve upon once he gets back to the starting blocks. In his freshman season of outdoor track, Williams captured the SUNYAC title for the 110 meter hurdles with an incredible 14.73 seconds.
With the team goals of winning the SUNYAC Championships, several individuals (including Hess, Mulcahy and Williams) will be looking to qualify for the prestigious NCAA DIII National Championships, a feat not accomplished since Fredonia’s top middle distance runner, Nick Guarino, was crowned the National Champion for both the Mile and the 800m in the same season. Coach Wilson is very optimistic regarding individual qualifiers and stated that “anyone can qualify if they possess the will!”
Coach Wilson also spoke in detail about the women’s team.
“The women will be driven by youth the entire season.We are looking for strong showings from Anna Dambacher (2014 Outdoor NCAA Qualifier) and multiple school record holder to guide the way for our youth in the 60m, 200m and 400m dashes,” Wilson said. “Senior captain Hailey Griewisch will kick off her final indoor season in the 60m hurdles. Laura Morrison is coming off a very strong outdoor season in the 800m and will look to start off right where she left off, setting school records Saturday in the 800m.
“The field events will be a new look for the Blue Devils. In the throws, Niki Desens will be guiding freshmen Rachel Williams and Anneliese Bienko to their first college performances, while junior Olivia Kurbs will guide three new freshman vaulters, Kristen Sawyer, Julia Schreier and Jen Wasielewski.We put in a ton of work last year recruiting the best female athletes we could, now it’s time to see what they can do. We are very excited to see how this young team molds together this weekend!”
The indoor track season begins when the Blue Devils travel to Kent State on Friday, Dec. 5. The SUNYAC Championships will take place on Feb. 27 at SUNY Brockport.