Six things you need to know about the 2023-24 Men's Track & Field team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The RIT men's track & field team starts its 2023-24 season on Friday (Dec. 1). Here are six things you need to know about this year's team.
 
LAST SEASON
Head coach David Warth returns for his 27th season after the Tigers finished third at both the Liberty League Indoor and Outdoor Championships last year. Several athletes competed at the Atlantic Region Indoor and Outdoor Championships, while two athletes qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships and one qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

BIG SHOES TO FILL
The two athletes that qualified for the NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships last season are no longer on the team as they graduated. High jumper Tyler Hulse and shot putter Matthew Funicelli earned All-American honors at the indoor Championships, while Funicelli was the sole Tiger at the outdoor championships.

FIELD EVENTS
Several student-athletes return for the Tigers in field events. Junior javelin thrower Jason Mohr had four first place finishes last season as well as a third place finish in the Liberty League Outdoor Championships followed by a tenth place finish at the Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships. Junior Noah Koeng placed fifth in last season's pole vault finals at the Liberty League Indoor Championships, while senior Yohermry Kpodo placed eighth in the shot put finals. Sophomore thrower Elliott Walter placed fourth in the discus final at the Liberty League Outdoor Championships. Kpodo finished fifth in the outdoor championships with a personal best 13.73m/45'0.5" shot put throw.

DISTANCE
There are a few notable runners that return for RIT this season. The distance medley relay team of junior Joseph Coughlin, sophomores Andrew Koubek, Josh Bedford and Evan Owens, placed third at the Liberty League Indoor Championships last season. Senior mid distance runner Justin Jantzi competed in three events at the Atlantic Region Indoor Championships and placed second in the 200 at the Liberty League Indoor Championships. Junior mid distance runner Matthew Resnick won a Liberty League Championship as a member of the 4x400 relay team.

SPRINTS & HURDLES
The first place Liberty League Indoor Championship 4x400 relay team of Resnick, junior Max Stein, sophomore Ryan Senf and junior Trenton Goyette, all return for the Tigers. Stein also was a member of the first-place 4x200 team at the Nazareth Alumni Invite and the RIT January Friday Meet. Sophomore Ben Pochobradsky finished first as part of the 4x200 relay team twice during last year's indoor season.
 
 2023-24 SCHEDULE
The indoor season begins Friday at the Houghton December Classic. A week later (Dec. 8), the Tigers participate at the Nazareth Alumni Opener. After a holiday break, RIT competes at the Brockport Invitational (Jan. 20), before hosting the first of two Friday Meets at Gordon Field House (Jan. 26). On Feb. 2, the Tigers travel to the Brockport Multi and Invitational.

On Feb. 9, some Tigers will head to the Boston University Valentine Invitational, while the remaining competitors will partake in the second Friday Meet at RIT (Feb. 9). The Tigers will then compete in the Nazareth Conference Tune-Up (Feb. 16), followed by the Liberty League Championships (Feb. 23-24) hosted by Canton. The next week is the Atlantic Region Championships (Mar. 1-2), followed by the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach (Mar. 8-9).

The outdoor season begins with the Geneseo Early Invitational (Mar. 29-30), followed by the University of Rochester Invitational (Apr. 6). The next week, some Tigers will travel to the Brockport Invitational (Apr. 12-13), while the remaining athletes will head to Pennsylvania for the Bison Outdoor Classic (Apr. 12-13).

The Tigers host the RIT Invitational the following Saturday (Apr. 20), before some athletes travel to the Penn Relays (Apr. 26-27), while the remaining will compete in the U of R Twilight (Apr. 26). The Liberty League Outdoor Championships hosted by RPI are May 3-4. The Last Chance Invitational takes place the following week (May 12), before the Atlantic Region Outdoor Championships (May 15-16). The season closes out with the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (May 23-25).