2007 Season: 4th place NEMC

Coach: Kevin Mielock

Returning athletes: Jacob Winn, sr., mid-distance; Ryan McArdle, sr., throws; Stephen Morris, sr., mid-distance; Thomas Domerese, sr., pole vault, long jump, hurdles; Tyler Klenow, sr., sprints; Alex Revord, jr., sprints; Andrew Salwey, jr., throws; Bill Schmidt, jr., sprints; Hunter Kirk, jr., hurdles, high jump, pole vault; Jeff Janis, jr., sprints, long jump; Eric Wilk, so., hurdles; Jeremy Fuller, so., hurdles, pole vault.

Outlook: Tawas brings back 11 letterwinners, including five returning seniors and a strong cast of juniors that should keep the Braves in the upper half of the NEMC.

Leading the way will be state medalist Thomas Domerese, who will look to top his 13-9 best of last year and return to the state finals.

The Braves should also be deep in the sprint events as the entire 4x200 relay, which won the NEMC title in 2007, returns intact. Jeff Janis, Alex Revord, Tyler Klenow and Bill Schmidt, in addition to Eric Stec, should give Tawas a quintet of sprinters that should be hard to beat.

Janis will also make a push for 20 feet in the long jump with Klenow the leading returning high jumper.

Ryan McArdle, Andrew Salwey and Kyle Knapp improved dramatically in the throws last season and coach Kevin Mielock says “They are ready to take on the big boys in the conference.”

With state qualifier and school 3200-meter record holder Tyler Bischoff lost to graduation, distance runners Seth Philpot and Jacob Winn will seek to fill his shoes.

“There are lots of newcomers (including 11 first-timers),” Mielock says. “They are showing promise in the early-season workouts. We ought to be able to fill all of the events, and that should help.”