2013 Preview: Fairfield Track & Field
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
After getting second place one season ago, the Fairfield Lions are looking to, again, compete for a Southern Hills Athletic Conference title in boys track and field.
Last season in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference meet, the Lions track team placed second overall with 131 points, while the champion was Ripley with 140 points.
This year, the FHS boys team has 14 athletes.
The boys team not only wants to do well in the league meet, but they have aspirations of sending runners to regionals and to the state championships this June.
"Sometimes it is challenging to have a track team with small numbers, but our hope is to send athletes to state this year," FHS head coach Debbie Mangus said. "We have some good athletes this year, and we are looking for good things from them."
Last season at the SHAC meet, the Lions won the 4x800-meter relay and the 4x400m relay and were second in the 4x200m relay.
Three of the four runners of the 4x800 first-place team return in Blake Hildebrant, John Cain and Dustin Willey.
Michael Mangus was seventh at regionals in the 3200m run (10:15.01), second at districts (10:05.45) and won at the SHAC meet (10:31.7). He also won the 800m run at the league meet (2:08.9) and the 1600m run (4:42.8).
After finishing second at the league championships last year, the Lions want to either meet or even exceed that this season.
"We finished near the top last season, and we're looking to do that again," Mangus said.
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Mentioned earlier was Willey, from whom the coaching staff is looking forward to seeing more improvement this season.
"Dustin will do well," Mangus said. "We are looking for him to develop really well, especially in the 800-meter run.
"John [Cain] will be a four-year runner, so we are also looking for him to improve from the success he had last season."
As for the girls team, FHS will have seven athletes, including four freshmen, one sophomore, one junior and one senior.
The freshman class will include: Chelsea Copas, Jessica Taylor, Brittany Cox and Macie Pauley. The remainder of the team includes: Roshell Boles (sophomore), Beth Bolton (junior) and Brenna Simmons (senior).
"Brenna ran well in the 3200 and was fifth in districts last year," FHS girls track coach Shawn Priest said. "We are looking for her to improve on that."
Priest spoke about the upcoming season.
"I've got some girls who are good in the field events, and (Copas and Cox) are strong in the shot and discus.
"(Macie) is strong in the hurdles, and that's a big addition to our team. We don't have huge numbers, but we should be strong contenders in individual events. This is the first year in a while where we have runners spaced out in different types of events."
Last season in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference meet, the Lions track team placed second overall with 131 points, while the champion was Ripley with 140 points.
This year, the FHS boys team has 14 athletes.
The boys team not only wants to do well in the league meet, but they have aspirations of sending runners to regionals and to the state championships this June.
"Sometimes it is challenging to have a track team with small numbers, but our hope is to send athletes to state this year," FHS head coach Debbie Mangus said. "We have some good athletes this year, and we are looking for good things from them."
Last season at the SHAC meet, the Lions won the 4x800-meter relay and the 4x400m relay and were second in the 4x200m relay.
Three of the four runners of the 4x800 first-place team return in Blake Hildebrant, John Cain and Dustin Willey.
Michael Mangus was seventh at regionals in the 3200m run (10:15.01), second at districts (10:05.45) and won at the SHAC meet (10:31.7). He also won the 800m run at the league meet (2:08.9) and the 1600m run (4:42.8).
After finishing second at the league championships last year, the Lions want to either meet or even exceed that this season.
"We finished near the top last season, and we're looking to do that again," Mangus said.
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Mentioned earlier was Willey, from whom the coaching staff is looking forward to seeing more improvement this season.
"Dustin will do well," Mangus said. "We are looking for him to develop really well, especially in the 800-meter run.
"John [Cain] will be a four-year runner, so we are also looking for him to improve from the success he had last season."
As for the girls team, FHS will have seven athletes, including four freshmen, one sophomore, one junior and one senior.
The freshman class will include: Chelsea Copas, Jessica Taylor, Brittany Cox and Macie Pauley. The remainder of the team includes: Roshell Boles (sophomore), Beth Bolton (junior) and Brenna Simmons (senior).
"Brenna ran well in the 3200 and was fifth in districts last year," FHS girls track coach Shawn Priest said. "We are looking for her to improve on that."
Priest spoke about the upcoming season.
"I've got some girls who are good in the field events, and (Copas and Cox) are strong in the shot and discus.
"(Macie) is strong in the hurdles, and that's a big addition to our team. We don't have huge numbers, but we should be strong contenders in individual events. This is the first year in a while where we have runners spaced out in different types of events."