Baldwin track team’s versatile core battles the opposition’s strengths
As the Baldwin boys’ track team competes at West Mifflin today, they’re making decisions as they go.
“Even when there’s a team you don’t know, you have to address the strengths of all the other teams,” said Baldwin Coach Rich Wright. “These things are tough because you can only use three athletes per event. The meet moves so quickly - you can really burn your athletes out. Those races move rapidly.”
Wright explained that even though the semifinal meets are small (four boys’ teams and four girls’ teams at one location), there can still be a lot of variability in the size and depth of the programs represented. “We don’t have the depth that some teams have,” said Wright. “We have a good team, but our key personnel have had some injuries.”
The way that the Baldwin team deals with depth disparities and injuries is to keep a core of versatile athletes. Wright named some examples of athletes and their general areas of strength:
“Our pole-vaulters, Luke Aaron, Zack DeNardo and Luke Smorey (our javelin thrower) are very good,” Wright started. He then named distance specialist Andrew Kuchta, sprint specialist Dorian Brown, go-to jumper/sprinter Jake Van Dyke and long/triple jumper Tarief Green.
Wright then explained how a core like the one he named works to substitute versatility for depth. “At that point we have some frontline people who are very good athletes, but they need to compete to their ability. Like, DeNardo we use for our 4x100-meter relay team and also pole-vaults. Jake runs the 200 and 400.”
“Even when there’s a team you don’t know, you have to address the strengths of all the other teams,” said Baldwin Coach Rich Wright. “These things are tough because you can only use three athletes per event. The meet moves so quickly - you can really burn your athletes out. Those races move rapidly.”
Wright explained that even though the semifinal meets are small (four boys’ teams and four girls’ teams at one location), there can still be a lot of variability in the size and depth of the programs represented. “We don’t have the depth that some teams have,” said Wright. “We have a good team, but our key personnel have had some injuries.”
The way that the Baldwin team deals with depth disparities and injuries is to keep a core of versatile athletes. Wright named some examples of athletes and their general areas of strength:
“Our pole-vaulters, Luke Aaron, Zack DeNardo and Luke Smorey (our javelin thrower) are very good,” Wright started. He then named distance specialist Andrew Kuchta, sprint specialist Dorian Brown, go-to jumper/sprinter Jake Van Dyke and long/triple jumper Tarief Green.
Wright then explained how a core like the one he named works to substitute versatility for depth. “At that point we have some frontline people who are very good athletes, but they need to compete to their ability. Like, DeNardo we use for our 4x100-meter relay team and also pole-vaults. Jake runs the 200 and 400.”
track