Editor's Note: Part one of a three-part season preview of the Central Michigan men's track and field team leading up to its first meet at Saginaw Valley on Dec. 4. Continue checking cmuchippewas.com for throughout the week for parts two and three.

MOUNT PLEASANT — After months of training and a cross country season that saw across the board improvement, the Central Michigan track and field team is ready for a fresh start this winter.

The 2009-10 season will be CMU’s first under the combined program model, headed by first-year director of track and field/cross country Willie Randolph.

Randolph and his new coaching staff, each with a bevy of competitive and coaching experience, will use the 2009-10 campaign to lay the foundation of the combined program and improve upon the squad’s 2008-09 finish.

The men’s squad finished fourth at both the Mid-American Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships a year ago while the women took seventh indoors and 10th outdoors. However, the returning athletes and incoming talent have a chance to make last year’s struggles a distant memory.

“We have a very young and talented team,” Randolph said. “Right now, we’re trying to spread out the talent and create some balance in the program. All of us have come from a combined program. We have moved from the training adjustment with both the men’s and women’s sides to now where the athletes are understanding what we’re trying to do to make this a competitive and balanced attack.”

Schedule

The Chippewas begin their 2009-10 campaign at Saginaw Valley State on Dec. 4. Central will compete in three more away meets before the MAC Indoor Championships, traveling to Eastern Michigan (Jan. 16), the Red Simmons Invitational (Jan. 22-23) and the Grand Valley Big Meet (Feb. 12-13).

CMU’s indoor season features three regular season home meets, the CMU Open on Jan. 8, the Chippewa Invitational on Jan. 30 and the Jack Skoog Open on Feb. 19

The Chippewas are the host for the 2010 MAC Indoor Championships on Feb. 26-27. The CMU men won the indoor meet the last time it hosted in 2004.

Some of Central’s athletes will compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational on March 6-7 for a final opportunity to qualify for nationals, which will be held on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Maroon and Gold begin their outdoor campaign with the Raleigh Relays on March 26-27. The rest of the regular season schedule sees CMU travel to the Eastern Illinois Multi’s (April 1-2), Western Michigan Invitational (April 3), Sun Angel/Mesa Classic (April 9-10), Mt. SAC Relays (April 16-17), Lenny Lyles/Clarkwood Invitational (April 17), Gina Relays (April 22-24), Jesse Owens Classic (April 30-May 1) and Len Paddock Invitational (May 8).

The MAC Outdoor Championships hosted by the University at Buffalo, May 12-15, in Buffalo, N.Y. NCAA Regionals are May 27-29 and the NCAA Outdoor Championships will be held June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.