2022-23 Winter Preview: John Carroll Indoor Track Looks to Continue Building National Prowess in 2022-23 Season

12/2/2022 4:10:00 PM | By: Garrett Siegel, Senior Staff Writer

The Men's Indoor Track & Field is eager to compete at the top this season.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- The 2022-2023 season for John Carroll Men's Indoor Track & Field will be aimed towards continuing the success enjoyed by many of John Carroll's recent teams, including the 2022 Ohio Athletic Conference Champions, JCU Men's Cross Country.

There are established standards within the program that have created a culture that desires to compete at the highest level.

"We want to continue to be at the top of the country," said head coach Kyle Basista, a 2-time USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year. "[We are] fortunate to have a lot of returners with experience."

Basista has already helped the JCU Track & Field team at John Carroll develop into one of the better programs in the country. However, the growth will not stop, as he has set his sights on expanding into other events and further building upon a complete team.

One the primary areas of emphasis for the upcoming season is throws. While there may not be a lot of numbers to boast, the Blue Streaks possess some talent and experience with returners Matt Russo, Noah Schroeder, and Zach Szafarski.

Russo was a key contributor on the offensive line for JCU Football this fall. Schroeder is back and healthy, as well. And Szafarski has experience and hype after a strong 2021-22 season.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the team is the depth of the sprinters. The starpower has always been prevalent, with typically a couple big names. But the depth this year is great.

Upperclassmen Garrett Clark and Jimmy Kartsonas headline a deep and talented group. Clark received two All-American honors in both the 4 x 100m Relay and the 200m during the 2022 outdoor season, and Kartsonas was also an All-American in 2022 for the 4 x 100m Relay.

The sprinters maintain a good mix of veterans and newcomers with. Tyler Gast (a baseball transplant), freshman Dustin Horner, and veterans Cam Klauke, Victor Ononogbo, and Mike Jones are all names to keep an eye on.

When looking at the mid-distance runners, Caleb Correia is one of most notable names in the country. Correia was also part of the national and school record distance medley relay team last season as well. It will be exciting to see what the Toledo native can do individually in the coming months.

Another name to pay attention to is Ethan Domitrovich, who anchored the national record holding DMR last year. Domitrovich collected two All-American honors in the spring, one for the DMR and another for a fourth place finish in the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2022 Division III National Championships.

The jumpers have a true leader in Corey Minton. The Canada native could function as the quintessential veteran leader. Kartsonas also plays a factor. He collected two All-OAC awards in 2022, in the long jump and triple jump. Tyler Gast could possibly emerge as another candidate for the long jump.

Alex Phillip leads the way for the distance runners. Phillip returns as two-time national champion in the 3000m and the 5000m in 2022. The senior from St. Vincent-St.Mary High School will play a key role in the Blue Streaks' quest for continued glory on the national stage. Ryan Champa finished the cross country season strong and has distance experience now. Champa ended last season with a seventh-place finish in the 5000m.

Tommy Naiman, Barrett Scheatzle, Mike Hvizdos, and John Shoemaker will all need to play a role and will be looked at to contribute by the end season.

"We have seen recently that we are feeding off each other," said Basista. "[We are building] momentum together. There is contagious energy around this year's team."

The success of one group will spillover to the other groups which can lead to success elsewhere. While there are many different events, special things happen when the team functions collectively.

Throughout the 2022-2023 season, the Blue Streaks will aim to further their uprising as a perennial contender on conference and national stage.

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