2013 Preview: McClain Track and Field
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Both the McClain boys and girls track teams are entering the season with questions, but both look to have athletes who will compete either on the individual stage or as a team this season.
For the boys teams, they have six seniors who will be looked at to lead the team, while the opposite could be said for the girls squad as they have zero seniors this season.
Though both teams lost runners who have reached the state level the past two seasons, including two-time state placer at the 400-meter run in Luis Rivas, the boys team still believes they can compete at a high level in the South Central Ohio League.
"We have six seniors who I believe can make a big difference in the SCOL," MHS boys head coach Bob Bergstrom said, who is entering his 35th year at MHS and his 43rd year overall. "Most of our inexperience is with our distance running, but this is a building process.
"We are solid in the other events, but our goals are still the same, which are to win the league and win the McClain Invitational."
Leading the team will be senior Jordan Goble, who was a regional qualifier last year in the long jump and is also one of the better sprinters on the squad. This winter, Goble was fifth in the state at indoor track meets in the triple jump.
Other seniors who are a part of the core group will be Philip Thompson in the discus, high jumper Coleston Walters, Roscoe East in the sprinting events and relay teams and Daniel Addington, who enters his fourth year on the varsity track team. New to the team is senior John Turner, who Bergstrom described as a sprinter who has the ability to jump.
MHS has 30 athletes on the boys team this season, with juniors Seth Willman, James Morris, Evan Mustard, Chandler Wagner, Thomas Schrader, Mikel Pritchard and Kevin Willis having the abilities to bring valuable points to the Tigers in a variety of events.
Sophomores who the team will look to are Ryan Faulconer, Tommy Free and Tristan Smith, while four freshmen looking to make an immediate impact this year are Alex Hollar, Anthony Davis, Lane Norton and Cody Hardesty.
"I can see this as being a balanced league this year," Bergstrom said. "There will be four or five teams that will be able to compete for the title.
"The guys are very hard workers, and they like to have fun. I like that with this team because they can have fun but like to put in the work."
On the girls side, there are 17 total members, with six juniors returning and one sophomore that will be back from last season.
The six returning juniors are Tara Karnes (discus/shot put), Megan Mustard (sprints/relays), Abby Storts (high jump/relay), Mackenzie Figgins (hurdles/relay), Sarah Davis (distance) and Jhaela Coleman (sprints/relay/long jump).
"We are looking for big things from Tara," MHS girls track coach Lori Jones said. "She's been working hard at the little things, and she knows she has a good opportunity this year in the SCOL and beyond. She placed in the SCOL last season and was in the district meet.
"Abby also placed in the league and district meets last year in high jump."
MHS lost seven seniors that contributed points but were also the leaders of the team.
"We are still looking to put runners in every event, but it will be tough to do," Jones said. "We have people who can contribute, it is just a matter of where do we want to put them.
"With just six juniors and no seniors, the rest of the team is either sophomores or freshmen."
Last year, Jones said MHS had 23 girls on the team, but this year she's down to 17 athletes, reminding her of a similar situation where she didn't have a lot of girls on the team a few seasons ago.
"We will struggle with winning events as a team," Jones said. "We want to do as well as we can as a team, but we are looking at a lot of individual progress and success. I want to encourage the team aspect as much as I can, but we have to look at event by event success.
"Our main goal is just working on improving times each event. The freshmen will have to come in, and we'll have plenty of spots for our girls to compete in. I will say this … we will have fun, improve on our times and our performances and be competitive. I want to make sure we stay competitive, but the girls just enjoy themselves and this experience."[[In-content Ad]]
For the boys teams, they have six seniors who will be looked at to lead the team, while the opposite could be said for the girls squad as they have zero seniors this season.
Though both teams lost runners who have reached the state level the past two seasons, including two-time state placer at the 400-meter run in Luis Rivas, the boys team still believes they can compete at a high level in the South Central Ohio League.
"We have six seniors who I believe can make a big difference in the SCOL," MHS boys head coach Bob Bergstrom said, who is entering his 35th year at MHS and his 43rd year overall. "Most of our inexperience is with our distance running, but this is a building process.
"We are solid in the other events, but our goals are still the same, which are to win the league and win the McClain Invitational."
Leading the team will be senior Jordan Goble, who was a regional qualifier last year in the long jump and is also one of the better sprinters on the squad. This winter, Goble was fifth in the state at indoor track meets in the triple jump.
Other seniors who are a part of the core group will be Philip Thompson in the discus, high jumper Coleston Walters, Roscoe East in the sprinting events and relay teams and Daniel Addington, who enters his fourth year on the varsity track team. New to the team is senior John Turner, who Bergstrom described as a sprinter who has the ability to jump.
MHS has 30 athletes on the boys team this season, with juniors Seth Willman, James Morris, Evan Mustard, Chandler Wagner, Thomas Schrader, Mikel Pritchard and Kevin Willis having the abilities to bring valuable points to the Tigers in a variety of events.
Sophomores who the team will look to are Ryan Faulconer, Tommy Free and Tristan Smith, while four freshmen looking to make an immediate impact this year are Alex Hollar, Anthony Davis, Lane Norton and Cody Hardesty.
"I can see this as being a balanced league this year," Bergstrom said. "There will be four or five teams that will be able to compete for the title.
"The guys are very hard workers, and they like to have fun. I like that with this team because they can have fun but like to put in the work."
On the girls side, there are 17 total members, with six juniors returning and one sophomore that will be back from last season.
The six returning juniors are Tara Karnes (discus/shot put), Megan Mustard (sprints/relays), Abby Storts (high jump/relay), Mackenzie Figgins (hurdles/relay), Sarah Davis (distance) and Jhaela Coleman (sprints/relay/long jump).
"We are looking for big things from Tara," MHS girls track coach Lori Jones said. "She's been working hard at the little things, and she knows she has a good opportunity this year in the SCOL and beyond. She placed in the SCOL last season and was in the district meet.
"Abby also placed in the league and district meets last year in high jump."
MHS lost seven seniors that contributed points but were also the leaders of the team.
"We are still looking to put runners in every event, but it will be tough to do," Jones said. "We have people who can contribute, it is just a matter of where do we want to put them.
"With just six juniors and no seniors, the rest of the team is either sophomores or freshmen."
Last year, Jones said MHS had 23 girls on the team, but this year she's down to 17 athletes, reminding her of a similar situation where she didn't have a lot of girls on the team a few seasons ago.
"We will struggle with winning events as a team," Jones said. "We want to do as well as we can as a team, but we are looking at a lot of individual progress and success. I want to encourage the team aspect as much as I can, but we have to look at event by event success.
"Our main goal is just working on improving times each event. The freshmen will have to come in, and we'll have plenty of spots for our girls to compete in. I will say this … we will have fun, improve on our times and our performances and be competitive. I want to make sure we stay competitive, but the girls just enjoy themselves and this experience."[[In-content Ad]]