A blend of youth and experience will lead another versatile Saint Ignatius track and field team, one that is again strong in the distance races and also blessed with speed.

The Wildcats, coming off some solid efforts at last weekend’s Indoor State Track and Field Championships, are gearing up for the first outdoor challenge of 2013 – the talent rich Elite Meet at Brunswick High School on March 30 at 10 a.m.

Tim McVey, Pat Jeffries, Dan Way, Jack Miller and Kevin Kavalec are among the seniors who will help lead the way along with veteran head coach Chuck Kyle ’69.

By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright March 2013

Ohio City – With that familiar determined, yet calm, expression, Saint Ignatius’ Chuck Kyle discussed what is currently his 40th season as the Wildcats’ track and field coach.

“I think we can be productive in every event,” said Coach Kyle. “How productive is when you get to the regional meet and find out how many can qualify to the state meet. As we develop through the year, we will be a team that has speed, has good distance and the field events will be a solid group. That’s kind of what we do.

“We have a lot of kids out (for the team), as always,” Coach Kyle continued. “Really, track and field, I humbly say, is one of the most successful sports programs that we have here. We’re not as pronounced maybe, but track and field is that kind of sport where kids take pride in what they do. If there is a crowd there, fine, and if there isn’t, it’s that kind of sport. But we look like we have a nice team.”

As far as the Wildcats’ speed and sprints are concerned, senior Tim McVey will again show the way as a four-year mainstay.

A two-time All-Ohio football tailback who is bound for the Air Force Academy, Tim will not only be counted on in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, but also in the 4x400 relay, which he anchored to a fourth-place finish at last weekend’s indoor state meet in the University of Akron’s Stile Athletics Field House.

“He’s very strong and very experienced, obviously,” Coach Kyle said of the gifted and selfless McVey. “Tim is a great influence on the team. We have some younger sprinters, and Tim has a great influence there as far as work ethic.”

When you speak of Saint Ignatius’ depth and versatility, a name that immediately comes to mind is senior Pat Jeffries.

Recognized as a very good hurdler, Jeffries, said Coach Kyle, is also going to help in some of the speed relay events. You only have to go back to last year’s Lakewood Division I District Meet to appreciate Jeffries’ versatile contributions.

In helping the Wildcats to another district championship on Bunts and Madison, a district meet Coach Kyle’s program has dominated for two-plus decades, Pat led off the winning 4x400 meter relay team, he took first place with a personal-best 39.93 in the 300 meter hurdles and placed second in the 110 meter hurdles. He was honored as Saint Ignatius’ Most Valuable Hurdler in 2012.

Staying with the senior class, Dan Way is coming off a season in which he earned the Wildcats’ Most Valuable Sprinter
Award.

“This will be Dan’s third year on our 4x100 relay,” Coach Kyle said of a talented and gregarious young man who also
competed for four seasons in Saint Ignatius’ football program.

A name Wildcats track and football faithful will probably become quite familiar with is freshman James Norris. Coach Kyle pointed out that James is the No. 1 ranked freshman in the state in the 60 meter dash indoor. Still learning and still developing, James was part of last weekend’s 4x400 relay team that ran an impressive 3:25 at the state indoor
meet.

Senior Jack Miller is a name synonymous with Saint Ignatius’ distance events.

After a fall in which he helped lead Dr. Mike Gallagher (’71)’s highly successful cross country program to a third-place finish in Ohio by running a personal-best 15:42.55, Jack is back to add to his already solid spring credentials. Oh by
the way, Jack put an impressive seal on his cross country career at Saint Ignatius by earning All-State honors, being selected as one of the top harriers on The Plain Dealer’s seven-county All-Star Team and joining teammates and
classmates Vince Bartram, Pat Scanlon and Joe Arquillo as Academic All-Ohio selections.

Last spring, Jack finished eighth in the state in the 3200 meter run and along with Bartram was part of Coach Kyle’s 4x800 meter relay team that placed second in Ohio.

At the state indoor meet, the Wildcats' all-senior 4x800 team of Miller, Arquillo, Jack Politowicz and Bartram ran an 8:01.94 and placed second. The Solon Comets captured first place in a time of 7:58.01.

“Yeah, all seniors,” said a smiling Coach Kyle of last weekend’s 4x800 performance. “So we’ll work on depth there.”

Speaking of depth, Coach Kyle emphasized that Jack Politowicz has been the team’s utility guy. Jack has the ability to jump around from the mile to the two mile and the 800. The veteran coach also referred to the big-meet tested skills of senior long jumpers Ray O’Brien and Mike Schafer.

Along with Norris, the Wildcats have other freshmen with endless potential.

Luke Wagner, who was a Special Mention on The Plain Dealer’s All Star Cross Country Team, is the leading freshman miler in the state by 14 seconds.

“He’s run a 4:24 and I don’t know if we have ever had a freshman run a 4:24, indoor or outdoor,” said Coach Kyle in reference to Wagner.

Tim Trentel, a young man who has run the 800 and the mile, is another freshman Coach Kyle spoke very highly of.

“We have to be careful, they’re just freshmen,” Coach Kyle said. “Their bodies are young, but they are stepping into it very nicely.”

The names Coach Kyle pointed to in the field events are seniors Kevin Kavalec and Pat Politowicz.

Pat Politowicz, a pole vaulter, finished third at the district meet last season. Coach Kyle said Pat is a 13-footer who can
possibly go 13-6 or 14.

Kavalec, a two-time All-Ohio defensive end who is headed to Boston College on a football scholarship, had an impressive sophomore season as a thrower. Kevin sat out last spring with a minor shoulder injury, but based on his throw of 55-07.25 at last weekend’s state indoor meet, which was good for third place overall in the shot put, he appears more than ready to take over as the Wildcats’ No. 1 thrower.

“He is throwing really well right now,” Coach Kyle said of Kevin’s indoor efforts. “It was a good move (sitting out last
season). He’s going to be very strong in the shot and discus.”

Saint Ignatius has another demanding regular-season schedule that, along with the opening Brunswick Elite Meet,
features the annual Wildcat Premier Meet at Hilliard Davidson on April 6 and the tradition-rich Medina Relays on April 13. And that is just to name a few.

The District Meet at legendary Lakewood Stadium is scheduled for May 22-24, the Amherst Regional is slated for
May 29-31 and the 106th Boys State Meet will take place on June 7-8 at The Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. For a complete schedule, go to www.ignatius.edu., click on athletics and click on track and field.

“The real intense moments come at the regional, because there are so many really good athletes then,” Coach Kyle
said. “You can’t have an average day. You have to make the next step and you should be peaking at that point. Field-events wise, Amherst is the best regional in the state and distance wise, it’s really intense.”

FOR JERRY FROM LORAIN WHO E-MAILED THE CORNER THIS WEEK AND ASKED IF THE WILDCATS DID INDEED QUALIFY THREE RELAY TEAMS TO STATE LAST SEASON: Yes sir, the ‘Cats’ 4x800 team finished first at the Amherst Regional last spring, the 4x400 team placed second at Amherst and the 4x100 team solved the demanding Amherst competition with a qualifying fourth place.

TRACK TEAM MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITHOUT MCVEY AND KAVALEC FOR ONE WEEKEND: Tim and Kevin have been selected to compete in the annual North versus South All-Star Football Game on April 27 at Dayton’s Welcome
Stadium. Congratulations to both young men on a very deserving honor.