With the John Carroll men's indoor track season just around the corner, head coach Dara Ford is beaming with pride about the infusion of the young talent on this year's squad. 

“We have a lot of freshman this year that could really make this an exciting year,” said Ford. “Bill Zaccardelli, Chris Charlillo and Mike Minjock are among the talented freshman we expect a lot from this season.” 

It is because of this group of talented rookies, and a solid core of returning athletes, that has Ford feeling much more optimistic than at this juncture last year.
 
“I think our men's team will be the most improved in the conference this season,” said Ford. “We're coming off a year where our men's team placed seventh. For the first time since I've been here, we will be able to field at least one athlete in all of the events. For the first time, we have depth, and in track, that's the key to success.” 

Coach Ford is pleased with how well rounded this year's team is, as the Streaks will have at least one competitor in every event. 

“RK Glover, David Hickey and the Mihalich twins (Matt and Tony) are definitely the leaders of the team,” said Ford. “So is Denny Love, who is coming off of an injury last season, but he should be strong in the 55m hurdles as well.” 

In Hickey, Ford has an athlete who is aiming very high in 2010. 

 "David may be able to break into the indoor national scene in the 400, after gaining valuable experience at the Outdoor National Championships in the 400 hurdles last May," said Ford.

Ford also sees plenty to smile about when taking into account her line-up in the field events.

“RK Glover has really shown improvements in the past two years and should be near the top of the conference in both long jump and triple jump,” said Ford. “We also have junior Lou Galiano who is another year stronger and quicker in the throws. Lou has already made large jumps this season and is zeroing in on the school record. We also look for sophomore Mike Hlatky to make an impact in both the high jump and the triple jump this season.” 

There will be plenty of opportunities for the Blue Streaks to test their abilities against strong fields. The All-Ohio meet, the Greater Cleveland meet and lastly the OAC Championships are the three most significant meets on the list for John Carroll this season. 

With the aforementioned veterans and talented rookie group in the fold, Ford is anxious to get the season started.

“This is the biggest team I think John Carroll's ever had, so there are a lot of old and new faces to watch out for,” said Ford. “I would like to break into the top five of the conference after finishing seventh a year ago. To me, that would be a successful season. But if this team wants to shoot higher, I am all for it.”