WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 9) – Led by standout thrower Jacob Harker (Lilly, Pa. / Bishop Carroll), the Waynesburg University men's indoor track & field team is geared up for another busy winter of competition. By the time it comes to an end, the Jackets will look to reach their goal of moving up from last year's seventh-place finish at the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships.
 
Last year, Harker broke two school records and won the conference crown in the shot put at last year's PAC championship meet. He broke his own record in the shot put at the event with a heave of 15.17 meters (49-9.2) that earned him the gold medal. He also took bronze in the weight throw with a program-record toss of 14.4 meters (47-2.9).
 
Waynesburg will get depth in the throws from senior John Stewart.
 
Speaking of freshman, first-year competitor Levi Tracy is also being looked upon as a possible points scorer in the jump events. Isaac Trout and Noah Jones will attempt to finish on the podium in the long and triple jumps this upcoming spring.
 
Freshman J.P. Groves (Hampstead, Md. / Delone Catholic) is being looked upon to give Waynesburg a presence in the pole vault.
 
Moving to the track events, sixth-year head coach Chris Hardie is a big believer in his relay teams, particularly the 4x400, which features senior Dagyn Williams (Leslie, Ark. / Marshall), junior Kyle Casella (Clarksboro, N.J. / Kingsway) and junior Noah Jones (Rockville, Md. / Sandy Spring Friends), who were part of last year's quartet that placed third at last year's PAC Championships.
 
Waynesburg is also expected to bring back half of its distance medley relay quartet in sophomores Ethan Wilson (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Redeemer Lutheran) and Nicky Todd (Homer City, Pa. / Homer Central).
 
Waynesburg is expected to make notable strides in the sprints thanks to the addition of freshman transfer Darrius Mason (La Plata, Md. / La Plata). Last year, Dagyn Williams logged the number-five time in program history in the 400 at 52.84 seconds.
 
"We have many athletes who could compete for top eight spots at the conference meet," Hardie said. "We certainly have some work to do, but we are excited to see how this season will shake out.
 
The Jackets return to indoor competition with a trip to Muskie Meet #2, which is hosted by Muskingum on Saturday, Jan. 24. Start time is scheduled for 11 a.m.