Senior Brittany Horne Interview On The Titan YouTube Channel

The women's track and field program heads to Notre Dame as the Titans will begin the new season by competing in the Blue & Gold meet tomorrow. The events are slated to go off at 5 p.m. at the indoor track facility at the Loftus Sports Center.

SEASON PREVIEW
An exciting, but interesting year is on the horizon for the Detroit Titans women's track and field. Exciting and interesting because 20 of the 31 Titans will be underclassmen, with 15 freshmen on the roster, and with that many rookies competing, the year will depend on the leadership of the upperclassmen and the development of all the new Titans 

“It is going to be a work in progress all year, but this season is going to focus on development,” said head coach Guy Murray. “Half of the team is freshmen so a good part of our success is going to depend on how fast they are able to pick it up and compete on the collegiate level. We do have some key veterans returning and they will have to hold serve as the freshmen come along to keep our place in the Horizon League.” 

THROWS
When there is just one member of a group, you better have a good one and that is what Detroit has in senior Brittany Horne. The lone thrower on the squad is the defending champion in the hammer, while earning All-Horizon League second team honors with a runner-up effort in the shot put. Horne owns top 10 marks in the UDM record books in the discus, hammer, shot put and weight. 

“Brittany was our MVP last year and we are going to need her to continue to be our MVP,” said Murray. “She really turned the corner last year. At the indoor championships, she had some tough breaks, but she really flourished outdoors so I am expecting her to continue to work hard and have a big final year as a Titan.” 

MULTI
The Titans will have a pair of veterans to compete in the heptathlon and pentathlon. Seniors Ashley Schinske and Chantel Henry will be back along with sophomore Amanda Campbell.
Schinske is the school record holder in both events and was a second team All-Horizon League performer in 2007, finishing runner-up in the heptathlon. Last year, Schinske took fourth in that event and fifth in the pentathlon at the Horizon League Championships. 

“A big year out of Ashley will really help because if she is doing well in the multi's, that means we can break down some of those events and she is contributing there as well,” said Murray. 

Henry owns top 10 marks in both events and was eighth in the HL heptathlon a year ago, while Campbell improved throughout the year to take ninth in both events at the conference meet, while breaking the UDM rookie record in pentathlon. 

SPRINTS
Junior Sequioya Calhoun is back to lead a talented but young sprint group. Calhoun, a Horizon League scorer in the indoor and outdoor 400m, will be looked at to help offset the graduation loss of pereinal HL scorer Tiffany James. Senior Megan Miller will also help out the group as she was HL 400m finalist last year and scored in the event as a sophomore. 

“Sequioya is very talented and she scored in the Horizon League as an underclassman and she needs to take that next step and be a positive leader for us,” said Murray. “Megan is a great one lap competitor and will be a key part of the 4x400m once again.” 

The rest of the group will be young with rookies Nikia Duncan, Amanda Hollern, Shannon Marchant, Taylor Ragland, Lindsay Smetzler and Melissa Zuteck .

The freshmen do bring a high level of talent into the mix with Ragland a Mid State League 100m champion as a junior and an Ohio Division 2 qualifier, while Smetzler was twice an Ohio Division 2 400m regional scorer. Hollern earned third at the Michigan Indoor State meet, while Duncan was fifth in the 100m and sixth in the 200m at the Southwestern League in her California prep career, while Zuteck was a regional scorer at the state Division 1 championships in the 400m. 

“Amanda, Nikia and Taylor will be the leaders of the shorter group,” said Murray. “The 400m might be the most improved group with Sequioya getting help from Lindsay and Melissa.” 

DISTANCE
The Titans return a number of veteran distance runners with most of the group coming off a very successful cross country season where they made improvements throughout every week. Seniors Jennifer DeFauw and Beata Gorzynska, junior Kristie Ferrans and sophomore Kristina Arko and Stephanie Rossman all return for UDM. 

DeFauw, who has only indoor eligibility left, just missed scoring in the mile last year, but was part of two scoring relays in the distance medley and 4x400m. Gorzynska was the Titans' top runner in cross country and really placed eighth in the HL steeplechase. 

Ferrans earned two ninth-place efforts, just outside of scoring ranks, in the 5000 and 10000m at last year's outdoor league meet, while Rossman was just behind her in the 5000m 

“The group really ran well at the cross country championships and we are close to doing some very good things, but the competition is very good in the league,” said Murray. “For the seniors, we really need this group to go out with their best since the league is very tough in the distances.” 

Some of the newcomers that already showed their potential in cross country are Tressanique Hampton, Sarah Martinez, Katrina Oberski, Alexandria Vintevoghel and Katie Weishaar. Vintevoghel was in the top three in every Titan race, while Oberski was a top five performer in cross country, while Martinez earned a varsity letter. 

“I have always felt that is tough to ask for a freshmen distance runner to really contribute right away since it's just a long season with cross country,” said Murray. “Alexandria has the potential to score for us in the long distances and Sarah will help us in the 800m, but it will be interesting to see how this group plays out during the course of the year.” 

HURDLES
Senior Katie Taylor and junior Kirstin Mooney lead the group that will be bolstered with the addition of freshmen Olivia Smid and Sharonda Vesey. Both Taylor and Mooney scored in the HL outdoor 400-meter hurdles last year and own top 10 marks in the event in school history. Smid ended a great prep career seventh in the Michigan Division 3 300mH championships, while Vesey was a Division 1 100mH qualifier and a 300mH regional scorer as a senior 

“The hurdles will be improved from last year with Sharonda and Olivia adding to two HL scorers in Katie and Kirstin,” said Murray. “The group has a good blend of veterans and rookies.” 

JUMPS
Sophomore Susan Kalkstein is the only veteran returning to this group after a fine freshman campaign where she just missed scoring in the triple jump in both the indoor and outdoor conference meet. 

Sophomore Monica Betker also returns at the pole vault, while Brianna Soule, fourth in the long jump as a senior at the Michigan Division 1 state championships, and Whitney Rogers, a Division 3 long jump champion as a junior, will bolster this group. 

“Susan did a real nice job for us as a freshman but the league was so tough she couldn't score for us,” said Murray. “I expect her to have a good sophomore season. Brianna and Whitney were top jumpers in high school who we hope can come in here and made an impact.”