December 3, 2003

Zips Kick Off Indoor Track Season this Weekend

Although the cross country season ended barely two weeks ago, indoor track is starting up this weekend. The Zips will travel to Kent State to compete in the Golden Flash Gala. The meet starts Friday with the men's and women's pentathlons. The only cross country runners who will be competing are Brandi Schoeppner, who will be running in the 5,000m, and Jennie Castle, who will run a leg on a 4x 400m relay.

This year the women's middle distance/distance group returns 46 of the 49 points they contributed to Akron's cause at the MAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Leading the way will be Beata Rudzinska, last year's Akron Female Athlete of the Year and 800m All American (2:04.42). Among those joining her will be Jennie Castle, who was All-MAC in the 800m indoors and outdoors, Morgan Sulzener, the All Ohio indoor 3,000m and outdoor 10,000m champion, and Adriana Zalucka, who ran 34:30 for 10,000m at Penn Relays.

The men return a strong nucleus from last year's team. David Howard, who missed last year's track season due to knee surgery, will bolster the distance group, along with Chris Perun and David Pykare.

***

Beata Rudzinska