PROCTORVILLE – For Fairland Dragons track coach Layne Wireman, it’s all in the numbers.

Saturday, March 30, 2002

PROCTORVILLE – For Fairland Dragons track coach Layne Wireman, it’s all in the numbers.

Last season, the Dragons had just 14 team members. The numbers have grown to 22 this time around.

"We have more numbers this year than the past five year," Wireman said. "Just having more numbers is going to help. It will give us a little depth and give us someone in about every event."

One addition this season is junior Antwuan Brown who did not run last season but won the Ohio Valley Conference 100 meter dash as a freshman and finished second in the 200 meters.

"He gives us a real speed runner to match the competition," Wireman said.

Adding to Brown’s speed is sophomore Tristan Clarke who Wireman said "is another good sprinter but he’s just a sophomore."

Also in the sprints will be junior Chris Dinwiddie who Wireman said "hasn’t ran before, but he looks like he could be pretty good. And we have some young kids that could be good later in the season after they get some work."

Tyler Bowman cleared 12-feet as a freshman and should be strong in the pole vault.

Senior Ryan Paragon threw 137 feet in the discus last season and 43 in the shot put. Also in the in the mix will be junior Zach Taubenhein, sophomores Pat Pemberton, Matt Dawson, and Michael Scholl, and freshmen Brad Malone and Derek Hoover.

"Ryan’s not quite where he was last year, but we’re behind in our workouts because we don’t have a discus cage. I think he can be better in both events this year," Wireman said. "The others might point when we put them together, but they’re still young. They’re just working together as a team."

Senior Ben Smith and freshman Ryan Richards, who ran cross country, give the Dragons a 1-2 punch in distance events.

Senior Darren Colburn has never participated in track but is attempting to high jump. Wireman is hoping Colburn "can help go 5-8 or so."

Wireman has guarded optimism heading into the season.

"If we hold it together, we can be all right," Wireman said. "We don’t have a great long jumper or high jumper, but we have a couple good sprinters and distance runners and some guys in the shot and disc."