Published: May 15, 2008 07:40 am         

DACC wants to end strong

Jaguars compete for the final time in track

DANVILLE — After a meeting in January which called for the disbanding of the Danville Area Community College track teams at the end of the season, the Jaguars have not rolled over quietly.

“I think every kid walked out of that meeting saying they had something to prove,” DACC coach Chris Dryer said. “They have been good about it. They knew we did everything we could and go out and try to prove that ‘We are some of the best athletes that have come here in many years and you are going to be sorry.’”

With a new focus, the Jaguars will have eight athletes compete in this weekend’s NJCAA Division II meet in Levelland, Texas.

“All of our guys are running our best and everything is starting to go as we planned and yet it is the end of the road,” Dryer said. “We are going out on a high note. We are doing everything we need to do and it should be fun.”

Among the DACC athletes in the meet will be Tony Duerson, who will compete in the 200- and 400-meter runs.

He set the school record in 400 this season and is seeded 12th in the event.

Hoopeston Area grad Kasey Carl will compete in the decathlon; Danville grad Shantaia Carter will go in the 200, where she has won a regional title and the 400; Emmanuel Ramierez is a returning All-American and regional champ in the 10,000; Zach Bowling will compete in the 1,500 and Ramon Gates will compete in the triple jump, an event where he has won a regional title.

“I think we have a couple of athletes that have a strong chance of being All-American,” Dryer said. “Tony has run a personal best in the last few weekends in the 400. Shantaia ran the 400 in 61 seconds a few weeks ago and ran 59 seconds last week. So they may even surprise us even beyond our expectations.”

With the recent rough weather, Dryer said the team has really sharpened its skills

“For the most part, we have been able to get some practices in. We have had meets where the weather has not been so well and kind of ugly, but our guys got done what they needed to do,” Dryer said. “They look at weather like it is another factor out there and they will do everything they can to succeed.”

While they have only a few days left as a team, Dryer said they have not felt total sadness about it yet.

“They have handled it real well. It hasn’t affected them that much and they have just been going 110 percent,” Dryer said. “I think for some of them it will hit them hard on Saturday night when we get back from nationals and they realize ‘That’s it, its over.’ That is going to be interesting.”

Action at the meet for the Jaguars will start today when Carl starts the decathlon and Ramierez will run the 10,000 tonight.