Matt Gad – Special to the Southern News
It was a tough indoor season for Southern’s men’s track and field player Ethan Chapman, nursing a mono diagnosis. Yet, he did not let that stop him from his future endeavors.
Now, with the outdoor track season in full swing, Chapman is primed and ready to compete for the Owls.
The senior hurdler and relay man is well-liked by his coaching staff and teammates at Southern. His focus on what is important drives him towards more success.
“Ethan’s season has been going great,” said John Wallin, head track and field coach. “He has managed little things here and there that have been quite a nuisance. But as a senior he focuses on the task at hand, and ignores what he can not control.”
Wallin said that sometimes it is hard to keep his athletes focused in April with summer fever beginning to creep in. However, he does his job the best he can to attack that, and make sure his athletes stay focused athletically and academically.
“Our job is to make sure the intensity stays high and almost raises towards the end of the year,” said Wallin when referring to the duties of student-athletes and coaching staff on the team.
Chapman, a co-captain for the Owls, makes sure he keeps an eye on what is most important, and is always looked as a leader for Southern’s track and field team.
Not only that, but Chapman along with gymnast Nicole Pruchnik, were named as the Connecticut Army National Guard/Southern Connecticut State University Athlete of the Week on April 11.
Right now, Chapman is training for the decathlon and his ultimate goal is to qualify for nationals next month on May 26. He is coming off solid performances and has the conference championship coming up on May 6.
At the Metropolitan Outdoor Conference Championship, the Owl trio of Chapman, Hunter Stokes and Santino Giannini competed in the final four events of the men’s decathlon.
Chapman managed to finish second in the decathlon with 3,229 points, behind freshman Cole Chapman at 3,372 points.
He started day two of the decathlon with the 110 meter hurdles, as the graduate student clocked in with a time of 15.98 seconds.
In the pole vault, Chapman recorded a second place finish with a height of 4.08 meters. Third in men’s discus with a throw of 33.28 meters, and first place in the men’s javelin as he posted a throw of 50.41 meters.
“Ethan is very motivating as a teammate. He is always there working hard and he just keeps it fun,” said Joseph Caraciolo, his fellow senior captain. “Whenever anyone’s down, he just comes over and gives them a pat on the back.”
Caraciolo added, “He is all about having fun, but also taking care of business. Ethan and I have been through a lot. We have been through some crazy track meets together and we share a lot of experiences of always working hard.”
Additionally, Chapman discussed the standards for qualifying for nationals and other tournaments the Owls will take part in this year, as he is set on continuing to strive for his goals.
The team does not host any meets until the New England Outdoor Championship on May 13. The Owls also have the Penn Relays and the Yale Springtime Invitational on April 28 to April 30 and May 1, respectively.
Nationals take place in Bradenton, Florida this year from May 26 to May 28. As Chapman pointed out, those dates are already up on his calendar as he tries to finish out his last collegiate outdoor track season with a bang.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications
