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<B>Life hard without Tim Harden</B><P>
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<FONT SIZE=4><B>By Price Atkinson</B><BR></FONT>Staff Writer
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The UK men's track and field team began the 1997 indoor season in the same fashion the UK basketball team did back in November, minus three key contributors from last year's squads.<P>
Arnold Payne and Ronnie Williams are gone from last year's track team; however, the most notable athlete absent is sprinter Tim Harden, who completed his eligibility last spring.Harden, a former NCAA champion and All-American, sprinted his way to an Olympic silver medal by running the second leg of the American 4 X 100 relay in Atlanta last summer.
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Head coach Don Weber said it's too early to tell what impact the loss of the three runners will have on the 1997 squad.
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"Over the last four years there was a level of performance that we were kind of expecting so that kind of carried us," Weber said.
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The departure of Harden, along with the other veterans, leaves a younger and less experienced team in the hands of Weber and his coaching staff.
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"In the past it was sort of Tim and DeMarcus' (Lindsay) team, and now it is theirs, so they need to exert some sort of influence," he said.
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Weber is expecting the more experienced athletes to step up and be examples for the new athletes to follow.
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"We need strong leadership from the older guys so the younger guys feel comfortable performing at the higher level," he said.
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The younger guys Weber is referring to are a few multi-talented freshman, recruited last year, who can make significant contributions to the team.
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Dwight Phillips, a native of Stone Mountain, Ga., comes to UK as the Georgia state champion in the 400 meters and triple jump. He was ranked in the top five nationally in the triple jump last year.
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Denver Williams from Cadiz, Ohio, was a two-time Ohio State Champion in the 100 meters.
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He also doubles as a wide receiver on the UK football team.
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Kareem Williams, a native of Decatur, Ga., was the top high school sprinter, recording the fastest indoor time in the 400 meters last year.
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In addition to the 400 meters, he ran the top national time in the indoor 200 meters last year.
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When talking about the spots once held by Payne, Williams, and Harden, Weber mentioned these three freshmen, who could play big roles for UK this season.
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"All are capable people; we just have to get the parts together," Weber said.
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Senior Darryl Gaines agreed that it will take a total team effort if they are to experience success of the recent UK track teams.
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"Everyone has to contribute for us to do well," Gaines said. "We're looking for more of a team effort."
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The freshmen, along with the experienced runners such as Chris Jackson and Gaines, should make the sprint events and relays the strongest events for UK this year, according to Weber.
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The distance races will be handled by junior Alan Beymer, junior transfer Brad Rodgers from Samford University, and freshman Matt Macievic.
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Weber indicates that the field events are coming on again for UK.
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The Cat's leader in the field is senior high jumper Eugene Grundy.
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Last year at the SEC Outdoor Championships, Grundy cleared 7-feet-6 inches to set a new personal best. Already this season, he has jumped 7-feet-4 inches after just one meet.
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As for what 1997 holds for the team, Weber just wants to continue what UK track and field has done in the past. With the season still young, Weber is optimistic about what he has seen.
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"I would like to continue to compete as hard as we have in the past. If we can do that, then our younger guys can learn and we can rebuild," he said.
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"I've been pretty pleased so far," Weber said.
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The Cats' next big track meet comes onFebuary 1 when UK takes part in the Rod McCravy Memorial Track meet. <P>
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<B>Photo: </B><b>WISH YOU WERE HERE</b> Tim Harden stretches out before practice. Unfortunatly for this year's track team he used up his eligiblity last season.
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<B>STEPHANIE CORDLE</B> Kernel staff<BR>
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