Season Review: Men’s Indoor Track & Field performs well during 2019-20 season
By Bud Denega
ADA — The 2020 Indoor Track & Field NCAA Championships were supposed to supply further validation of a successful 2019-20 campaign for Ohio Northern. It was also supposed to provide further proof of a future that is quite bright for the Polar Bears.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the season, pardon the pun, in its tracks. That means Northern will have to settle for the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships as its final barometer of the 2019-20 season.
And that's not a bad thing at all. ONU finished fourth at the conference meet and boasted multiple All-OAC performances.
"There's certainly things we are excited about," ONU head coach Jason Maus said. "We have young guys we are really excited about. If they can continue to follow a good plan and work hard and follow the example of some of those all-conference guys, we'll be in good shape."
That all-conference guy list is headlined by sophomore Andrew Buderer (Oak Harbor). He claimed a conference crown in pole vault, clearing 4.69 meters.
"Andy is a grinder, and leads by example," Maus said. "He's maturing, and he does a great job of showing that hard work pays off. He works his tail off and these are the results."
Buderer — who earned All-Great Lakes Region honors — was set to make his first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C. Fellow sophomore Nate Dean (Euclid/Villa Angela Saint Joseph) was slated to make his second consecutive NCAA Championships appearance.
Dean posted a new school record in the 200-meter dash, a time of 22.09, en route to placing second and garnering All-OAC honors. Dean — who also earned All-Great Lakes Region honors — also placed runner-up in the 400-meter dash.
"Nate is kind of a spark plug. When he gets on the track, a lot of people pay attention," Maus said. "He's fun to watch. He's kind of a showmen and a competitor, and he's a racer. That sparks some excitement."
Junior Sam Krabacher (Hamilton/Badin) gave the Polar Bears three All-OAC honorees, as he accomplished said feat with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run. ONU also had three All-Great Lakes Region award recipients in 2019-20, as Luke Shellhaas (Greenville/Versailles) was recognized alongside Buderer and Dean.
There were a slew of others that played a prominent role in helping Northern acquire a fourth-place finish at conference. Senior Andrew Shelton (Williamsville, N.Y./South), juniors Colin McCullough (Galion), Owen Lloyd (Colfax, Ind./Clinton Prairie) and Donald Gaylord II (Ashtabula/Lakeside), and freshman Billy Driemeyer (House Springs, Mo./Lindbergh) all placed inside the top five at conference individually.
A pair of relays also boasted a top-five finish. The 1,600-meter relay team — of freshman Hunter Kesler (Oakwood/Paulding), McCullough, sophomore Alan Dravenstott (Medina) and Krabacher — and the distance medley relay team of junior Jordan Green (Wooster), Kesler, Shelton and Krabacher both crossed fifth.
"On the men's side, we've got new guys in new roles, and you saw some of the younger guys really step up at conference," Maus said. "That being said, we need to up our game in the level of expectation, and the level of commitment we need to be successful."
The aforementioned top performers at the conference meet now know the level of commitment it takes. A lot of that can be credited to a senior class comprised of Shelton, Cody Benny (Wapakoneta), Riley Lamison (Beaver, Pa.), Sean McGill (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar), Noah McKee (Powell/Olentangy Liberty), Kyle Neff (Sagamore Hills/Walsh Jesuit) Bryan Peck (Westerville/North), Michael Ross (Hinckley/Highland), Bradley Russelburg (Bellbrook), Griffin Skaf (Canton, Mich./Salem) and Zachary Vaughn (Niles / McKinley).