Different approaches to season for W-G boys, girls track teams

0
1912
The Woodward-Granger boys will eye new faces and youth to help fuel the upcoming season, while the girls team will bank on returning experience.

WOODWARD — Woodward-Granger track coaches Brent Achnenbach and George Ashman have two squads entering the 2017 season banking on two separate areas to help increase their chances of a successful season.

While the Hawk girls will rely on experience, the Hawk boys are eyeing new faces in several places and hope an infusion of youth can quickly pay off. W-G will start the season with 35 boys and 20 girls filling out their respective rosters.

Middle distance runner Ian Thompson and discus spinner Brendan Bird were major contributors for the W-G boys last season, and Achenbach said he expected the increased numbers out for the boys squad would be a strength.

“For both teams what we need are for kids to be consistent,” he said. “For the boys, we have several juniors that we hope will step up and lead us this year.”

Payton Tague will likely lead the squad in sprints and hurdles, with Bird, Brody Easter, Alex Kirton and Jay Dorenkamp competing for the throwing duties.

“We will have to see how a big group of freshmen can help us,” Achenbach said. “We also have some new faces out that were not out last year, and that will, at the very least, give us more flexibility than we have had.”

Kaitlyn Peters led the W-G girls last year and returns, as does Reagan Kaufman, a former state qualifier in the 4×800. Peters and freshman Emma Drake will lead the squad in the middle distances, where the coaches expect the most success.

Others competing for a variety of varsity spots include Emma Buckman, Katelyn Scharlau and Jasmyn Sawyer.

Both teams will be young and inexperienced in the long jump, with Cale Pritchett and Natalie Helbling the likely choices in the high jump. Freshmen Bryce Achenbach and Reese Jamison will be given an opportunity to land in the sand for the Hawk boys, while the coaches will try a variety of girls for their long jump spots.

The W-G boys will begin competition Friday with a visit to Winterset, with both Hawk squads traveling to Panorama Tuesday. W-G is scheduled to host the coed Hugh Cavanaugh Invitational April 6.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.